36 Orange County Manures. [Jan., 



The contents of this establishment are far more valuable than an 

 equal quantity from any other part of the farm. In China, a 

 country that bears a high character for agricultural skill, this ma- 

 nure is held in the highest estimation, and every particle of it is 

 carefully saved. A little care bestowed upon it would remove all 

 unpleasant odor, so that it could be managed as well as stable 

 manure. All that is necessary is to have a box to slide in to re- 

 ceive it, and whenever a small quantity accumulates throw in 

 some lime. This will dry it and deprive it of smell, when it can 

 be taken out and mixed with the contents of the farm-yard. 



2. The Peat Swamp. — This is the second resource of the far- 

 mer for manure. Orange county' is rather remarkable in this re- 

 spect. Formed of a constant succession of rolling ridges of land, 

 extending north and south, almost every valley lying between 

 these ridges, however small, is the depository of a peat swamp. 

 In some places the peat is a mere layer upon the surface — in 

 others it is of considerable depth. But we believe that there are 

 few farmers who understand what we mean by peat, and it is 

 therefore necessary to define it. 



It is the substance known by geologists as peat, that is called 

 by farmers, swamp muck. It is the black, vegetable mould that 

 makes the surface of our swamps, and is formed whilst the ground 

 in these little valleys has been partially overflowed with water, 

 by the growth in the bottom of the water of moss, grass, weeds, 

 &c., and they have died from year to year and formed a bed a 

 little more elevated for the growth of the next year. Thus, by 

 alternate grovrth and decay, the swamp is gradually filled up with 

 this black, coally looking mould. There is no county in this 

 State that so abounds in this as Orange. In this county alone 

 there are nearly 50,000 acres of peat, which will average two 

 feet in thickness. What an inexhaustible source of fertility to 

 the farms in this county, whenever its value is_ understood. 



Almost the entire mass of peat has at some time formed a part 

 of growing plants. It is therefore manifestly just the thing for 

 manure. But having grown, and died, and decayed, and lain for 

 hundreds of years under water, or perfectly saturated with it, it is 



