156 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



April 



"There are many among us who seem to think people would only take the trouble to weigh a load 

 that the earth is possessed of a constitution so | of the solid material intended for top-dressing, in 

 strong, so stout, and so healthy, that no extreme of *e mornmg of a dry day before being spread, then 



bad usage can affect it injuriously ; but Time, the 



at night, after being ex^sed to the sun, and for 

 only 10 or 12 hours, and it will be found that the 



great instructor, is demonstrating our folly, and dim'inution of weight is nearly one-half ; the liquid 

 warning us to change our modes of farming. "While [and only fertilizing properties of the mass being 

 the husbandman carries forward his works of agri- "early all dissipated in that short period. Should 



cultural improvement, he must not forget the in- 

 junction, 'Let the earth bring forth grass.' If, dis- 

 regarding this mandate, he shall continue to ne- 

 glect the investigation and cultivation of grasses, 

 the annual depreciation of his crops of corn, and 

 other grains, will ultimately qualify him to appre- 

 ciate fully the force of the Belgian maxim, 'jYo 

 grass, no stock ; — no stock, no manure ; — no ma- 

 nure, no c7-ops.' " 



Let us exhort you, then, to a more earnest study 

 of the cultivation of the grasses — their names, their 

 qualities, and the best modes of cultivation. Like 

 rice or the potato for man, so good high-land grass 

 is adapted to all herbivorous animals, and as a gen- 

 eral food, will sustain them better than any other. 

 And as so large a proportion of the food upon 

 which we ourselves subsist comes from the grasses, 

 and from the animals which they sustain, we can no 

 longer wonder at another declaration of the same 

 prophet whom we quoted in the beginning, that 

 "Surely the people is grass." 



For the New England Farmer. 



LiaUID MANURE. 



Mr. Editor: — In your paper of the 12th inst., 

 I read with great pleasure an article on this subject, 

 by Professor J. A. Nash, in which he describes very 

 comprehensively the mode of preparing and dis- 

 tributing hquid manure by some of the first farm- 

 ers in England, and the success attending it. As 

 the system thus described, however, is on too gi- 

 gantic a scale for general introduction into this 

 country, I shall here state in as few words as pos- 

 sible, my own experience in such matteivs. 



It has long been a matter of surprise to me, that 

 farmers in this section of the country do not avail 

 themselves more generally of the many advantages 

 to be derived from the proper application of liquid 

 fertilizers, especially as regards the top-dressing of 

 grass lands ; as more prodigal waste has taken 

 place in the application of solid manure for that 

 purpose, than in all the other branches of agi'icul- 

 ture combined. It is easy to perceive, that top- 

 dressing grass with barn manure, either clear or 

 composted, or any solid material whatever, in com- 

 mon use for that purpose, is less or more depend- 

 ent on the quantity of rain that may happen to fall 

 immediately after the dressing is put on, in order 

 to produce the desired effect. If that operation is 

 succeeded by very dry weather, httle or no benefit 

 is derived from it, and the material and also the 

 labor are lost ; and even when heavy rains chance \ bution cart 



to fall immediately after the process "has been com- ! the back-house of the family which should be in 

 pleted, only about 20 per cent, of the fertilizing variably placed right above the cess-pool. 



the drought continue but for a few days longer, not 

 one particle of the fertilizing properties will remain 

 to perform the functions for which they were in- 

 tended. On the other hand, liquid preparations go 

 immediately to the roots of the grass, and produce 

 almost instantaneous and salutary effects ; provided 

 the preparation has been properly fermented, and 

 is of the requisite sti'ength. Liquid manure can be 

 provided on almost every farm, in ample quantities, 

 at one-third the expense of solid, and when pro- 

 perly prepared and applied, its effects are certain ; 

 whereas the former is but a game at chance at the 

 best, as far, at least, as top-dressing grass and ma- 

 nuring fruit trees are concerned. Not one practi- 

 cal farmer out of a hundred has given due consid- 

 eration to this important subject ; and it is almost 

 impossible to suppress laughter at the absurdity of 

 many of them purchasing stable manure in Boston 

 and other cities at a high price, and carrying it, 

 sometimes, 20 miles into the country, after it has 

 been denuded of nearly every particle of ammonia 

 and other fertilizing properties, by over-heating in 

 the cellars in which it is collected ; while the in- 

 valuable liquids in abundance on their own farms 

 are completely neglected ; their only use being to 

 produce pestilential effluvia for the comfort of the 

 family during the summer months ! 



To farmers on a small scale Avho have not the 

 means to jjrovide themselves with that inestimal)le 

 convenience of a water-tight cellar under their. 

 I)arns, a simple and cheap substitute is easily ])ro- 

 Aided. That sul)stitute is nothing more than a 

 tank or cessjiool, built under ground, of suitable 

 capacity in proportion to the extent of the farm, 

 placed in the most convenient situation for receiv- 

 ing the whole liquid refuse of the dwelling-house, 

 the urine of every description from the barn, and 

 also water from the house pump to dilute the li- 

 quor and prevent smell when required. The tank 

 may be constructed of stone, or brick, or even 

 wood, as being the cheapest in the outset. Spruce 

 plank is good enough for the purpose, and comes 

 cheaper than any other material; and, if bedded 

 in clay to prevent it from decay on the outside, the 

 liquor ^^ill preserve it in the inside for generations 

 to come. A tank 12 by 6 feet, and 4 feet deep, 

 could be built of this wood, for about $20, and will 

 hold over 1728 gallons ; which is sufficient during 

 the season to supply liquid in abundance to top- 

 dress from 12 to 20 acres of grass land, and in- 

 crease the quantity of hay in a most astonishing 

 manner. It should have a close cover for the top, 

 part of which, however, should be movable at 

 pleasure, with a view to cleaning out the bottom 

 when required ; and in the permanent part a hole 

 should be left to admit a wooden pump, which is 

 essential for discharging the liquid into the distri- 

 Also an aperture for the discharge of 



properties of the manure go to nourish the grass; 

 the residue being wasted in atmospheric evapora- 

 tion. Proof of this assertion is always ijt hand, Lf 



A cart for the distribution of the liquid can be 

 made in different ways. Those used in many parts 

 of Europe for that purpose, are on the same prin- 



