268 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



MARCH 5, 1334. 



From the Northern Farmer. 

 MANURES. 

 Manures to a Farm are what blood is to the 

 human body. The first object of a farmer should 

 be to obtain, and preserve in the best manner, all 

 the animal, vegetable and compost manures, which 

 can be made upon his farm, or procured elsewhere; 

 but unless properly preserved, much of his label- is 

 wasted, and his lands are less productive. — Fair 

 experiments have clearly proved that the manure 

 of cattle, preserved under cover or in vaults under 

 barns, possesses a third more value at least, than 

 the same kind which has remained exposed to rains 

 and the action of the atmosphere. This will not 

 he doubted by any one who has any correct infor- 

 mation upon the subject, or has by experiment as- 

 certained the difference. We cannot well explain 

 the reason of this great difference, without adopting 

 the style anil terms of the Chemist ; but as our ob- 

 ject is not to enlighten the learned, we therefore re- 

 ject technical terms, and use language more familiar. 

 Vegetation is caused not so much by the quantity 

 of manure mixed in the soil, as by its nutritious 

 [qualities. Should all farmers understand the fact, 

 that none of the earthy or solid parts of manure en- 

 ters into plants, or, in other words, that it is only 

 the liquid parts, or that portion of the manure which 

 combines or unites with water, which produces vege- 

 tation, or causes the corn to grow, they would then 

 perceive the necessity of preserving animal manure 

 in vaults, under cover. The only value which the 

 earthy part of the manure has, is to keep the soil, 

 into which it is ploughed, in a loose, pulverized 

 state, so as to render it capable of retaining, after 

 rains, a greater quantity of moisture. 



Some farmers have expressed an opinion, that 

 the urine of cattle promotes vegetation as much as 

 their manure. But whatever may be the differ 

 ence in value, it is 'surely very important that the 

 urine should be preserved in vaults mixed with the 

 manure. 



In the spring, when the manure is conveyed 

 into the field, it should be ploughed in immediate- 

 ly, and spread no faster than becomes necessary 

 for ploughing: because at this season, the warmth 

 of the: sun produces a rapid fermentation, the most 

 valuable or liquid part of the manure escapes in 

 the form of gas, as it is often expressed, by evapo- 

 ration. 



Should a heap of manure at this season be cov- 

 ered with earth two feet deep, in a short period 

 the whole mass of earth Would be enriched by the 

 gas, arising from the fermented manure. Hence 

 the utility of covering fresh barn yard manure 

 with earth, straw, litter, weeds, street ami door. 

 yard scrapings, mud from swamps, and all kinds 

 of decomposed vegetable matter. Skilful farmers 

 will always make as large a quantity of compost 

 manure as possible. It is a very certain way to 

 enrich a farm, and ensure abundant crops. II' 

 these truths are conceded, then it conclusively fid- 

 lows that the general practice of our farmers ill 

 r ispeel t<> manure is injudicious. They let the 

 manui ■ lie in large yards, or the open geld, ex- 

 posed to heavy rains and the action of the atmos- 

 phere. A large portion of the nutritive qualities 

 escap IS in ga$, or is washed away by the heavy 

 rains. The greater the exposure to the atmos- 

 phere the greater the loss. Therefore the practice 

 of carting out the barn yard manure in the Fall, 

 ami spreading it in small heaps upon the soil in- 

 tended tor ploughing in the Spring, is still more 

 censurable. But the Fall manure is often carted 



» 



into the fields and deposited in one or two large 

 heaps to rot, for the purpose of manuring the corn 

 and potato hills in the spring ; and strange as it may 

 seem many old Farmers yet believe that old rotted 

 manure promotes vegetation better than fresh, or 

 iiul'erniented manure ! They appear to be ignorant 

 of the fact, that the longer manure remains expos- 

 ed to rot, the less nutriment, or food for plants it 

 retains ; and the more it becomes assimilated to 

 mere earth. 



To put either fresh or rotted manure in the hill, 

 in the season id' planting potatoes and corn, as a 

 general practice, is injudicious. — But half the 

 quantity of fresh, nn fermented manure, in the bill 

 well mixed in the soil, would afford probably more 

 nutriment than double the quantity of old rotted 

 manure. 



The moisture, necessary to vegetation, is con- 

 veyed to the roots of young trees, or the corn, or 

 other plants, through the medium of earth. II 

 any light or dry material is in contact with the 

 roots, it tends to cut oft" the regular and natural 

 supply of water, and the plant must either extend 

 its roots through the dry substance to draw its 

 supply of moisture, or else become feeble, and 

 perhaps perish. — Hence, in a dry season, more 

 particularly, manuring in the hill, often proves 

 very injurious to the growth of plants. If manur- 

 ing the corn hill is ever judicious, it is only on a 

 cold, moist and sterile soil, or swarded land deep- 

 ly ploughed, where a farmer has not a sufficient 

 quantity of manure to mix in the soil. The surest 

 method to enrich the soil for future years, is to 

 plough in the manure. The roots of corn, extend- 

 ing several feet around the hill, will find whatever 

 nourishment the soil contains; and it is far better 

 to afford a sufficient supply when the corn is com- 

 ing to maturity, than merely to force the kernel 

 to vegetate a few days earlier my means of a hot- 

 bed. 



Our preceding remarks show the importance of 

 covering manure well with earth, previous to its 

 fermentation. Hence the common practice ol 

 spreading the manure upon the surface and "har- 

 rowing it in," is attended with great loss, as a large 

 portion will remain dry upon the surface, and I'm 

 no other use than to enrich the atmosphere. 



Manure being the lite of a farm, every exertion 

 should be used to procure all kinds of it. Com- 

 post, soot, ashes, lime, gypsum, burnt clay or soft 

 bricks pulverized, decomposed vegetable substan- 

 ces, weeds, leaves of trees, coarse grass, &c. &c. 

 will all tend to fertilize the soil. None are ignorant 

 that such as is taken from the vaults, affords the 

 greatest quantity of nutriment to plants. On farms 

 it ought never to be lost. The yards for svviue, 

 ought always to be excavated, or be in the form ol 

 a basin, so that this manure in richness next to the 

 last, should be preserved in a moist state. The 

 same remark applies to the barn yard for other 

 cattle, except that the latter ought to have a level 

 and dry margin for feeding cattle occasionally. — 

 Soon after planting in the Spring, a farmer oifgln 

 lo commence hauling into these yards the differeul 

 substances wo have enumerated and any others 

 within his reach, which can be converted into 

 manure. These substances will Ik come incorpo- 

 rated with the manure of the cattle, and also ab- 

 sorb their urine, and the whole mass will be less 

 liable to dry up and waste in the summer season. 



A good farmer will be careful to yard his cattle 

 at nightas much as practicable through the warm, 

 and in the day time, in the winter seasons. It has 



been found to be very beneficial to keep the cattle 

 yards in a moist state by means of aqueducts, 

 whenever practicable. In fine, farmers should 

 spare no labor or expense to obtain a plentiful 

 supply of manure to fertilize the soil. Their lib- 

 erality to "Mother earth" will be repaid with 

 equal abundance. 



In England nothing is lost, which can be con- 

 verted into manures. And some English farmers 

 fertilize their fields, in part, with the pulverized 

 bones id animals ; and for this purpose, have even 

 gathered human bones from the plains of Waterloo. 



W. Claggett. 



Portsmouth, Jan. 16, 1834. 



From the (Jenesee Farmer. 

 INDIAN CORN. 



Meadowbanks, Deerjield, Mass., Jan. 31, 1834. 

 Mr. Editor. — I have been an attentive reader 

 of the Genesee Farmer from its commencement, 

 and beg leave to express my respect for the ability, 

 intelligence, and practical utility, with which it 

 has been conducted. I am likewise all ardent 

 admirer of the agriculture of New- York, having 

 visited with peculiar satisfaction, several parts of 

 your noble stale, unrivalled for iis enterprise and 

 public spirit; having the honor of a partial ac- 

 quaintance with some of your most eminent cul- 

 tivators, who are second to none for their inquisi- 

 tiveness, knowledge, skill, and success in this most 

 important of all arts, and regarding the publica- 

 tions of your societies, and some individuals in 

 your state, as among the most valuable, which 

 have come under my notice. 



With these impressions, few things in your 

 paper escape my observation ; and my attention 

 was attracted this morning to a communication 

 on Indian Corn, signed Quereus, in the Farmer 

 of the 25th inst. I agree with your intelligent 

 correspondent on the importance of particular at- 

 tention to the seed we plant, its selection, preser- 

 vation, and the preparation of it; and to iis char- 

 acter for productiveness, adaptation to the soil, 

 and early maturity ; but of the relative value of 

 the twelve and eight rowed corn, my experience 

 and observation do not confirm his views. 



I have been in the practice for years of planting 

 extensively of the twelve rowed corn, though I 

 have usually planted some of the eight rowed 

 likewise. The twelve rowed corn which I plant, 

 corresponds with his description of the Dutch 

 corn, planted on the Mohawk. I have received 

 seeds from various sources; from Roxhury, under 

 the name of the Golden Sioux; from Brighton, as 

 the Pomroy corn, because S. W. I'mnroy, Esq. 

 circulated the si eil through the stale alter the dis- 

 astrous season of 1816, as a very early corn, al- 

 most sure to be ripened, and as husking itself id 

 the field; that is, when ripe the husks tail down 

 and leave the ear exposed, presenting a golden 

 harvest to the delighted eye of the fanner : front 

 Judge Bind, as the Button corn from Vermont ; 

 from E. Phihnev, Esq. of Lexington, Mass., as a 

 corn received by him from Vermont; but though 

 obtained from tin se different sources, it appears 

 lo be of the same kind. Of the eight rowed corn 

 there are many varieties planted in this part of the 

 country ; seme very large, called here the Dickin- 

 son corn, from one car of which plucked in the 

 field, ripe but not dry, I shelled more than a pint 

 of good coin ; a second kind, smaller and earlier 

 ripe, called the Clessoil corn ; these are merely 

 local names ; and a third, still smaller, called the 

 Canadian, which having been planted here several 





