No. 7. 



Proper Application of Putrescent Manures. 



215 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Proper Application of Putrescent Ma- 

 nures. 



The formation, preservation, and proper 

 application of putrescent manures are justly 

 considered subjects of paramount importance 

 to the ag[ricultural interest of our country. 

 Much has already been written on the sub- 

 ject, but it is to be regretted that there are so 

 many different opinions among farmers both 

 theoretical and practical, particularly with 

 regard to the latter branch of the subject — 

 proper application of manures. I propose, 

 Mr. Editor, to submit a few observations upon 

 the subject of whether it is better to apply 

 manures to the surface or to bury them in the 

 soil. 



Within a few years past the farmers in this 

 neighbourhood, with but few exceptions, as 

 far as my knowledge extends, have come to 

 the conclusion that the proper application is 

 to the surface, and some of them think they 

 have thrown away many dollars by burying 

 it in the soil. It has generally been supposed 

 that the application to the surface was in op- 

 position to chemical science : but with all due 

 deference to the great names which have ap- 

 peared on the opposite side (such as the la- 

 nienied Buel of Albany), I think that theory 

 and enlightened experience may be made to 

 agree upon this subject, and that it can be 

 shown that the present state of the science 

 of chemistry does not militate against the 

 practice for which I contend. 



It is well known that vegetables in the act 

 of decomposing, or, in other words, manures 

 in the act of rotting, form new compounds, 

 which are carbonic acid, water, carbonic oxide 

 and carburetted hydrogen. The two former 

 are the chief results of the decomposition. 

 The two latter are formed more sparingly, 

 and chiefly when there is not a sufficient sup- 

 ply of oxygen to the substance undergoing 

 decomposition. If the manure is buried 

 beneath the soil, it is prevented from having 

 access to the oxygen of the atmosphere, and 

 consequently more carbonic oxide and carbu- 

 retted hydrogen are formed, and less carbonic 

 acid and water. If the manure is placed on 

 the surface, being always in close contact 

 with the atmosphere, the supply of oxygen is 

 plentiful, much carbonic acid and water are 

 formed, and little carbonic oxide and carbu- 

 retted hydrogen. Now it is well known that 

 carbonic acid gas is the most fertilizing of all 

 the substances formed, and its base enters 

 largely into the composition of all plants, con- 

 sequently the more there is formed the greater 

 good effects will be produced by the decom- 

 position of the manure. 



But perhaps an objector will say, all the 

 gases which are generated beneath the sur- 



face are prevented from becoming dissipated 

 and are retained for the use of the plant, while 

 what is generated on the surface flies off and 

 is lost. If these were facts, they would be 

 unanswerable; but chemistry teaches us a- 

 different lesson. Carbonic acid gas is nearly 

 half as heavy again as atmospheric air, and 

 consequently all that is produced penetrates 

 the surface of the soil, or remains in close 

 contact with the surface, and is taken up 

 when wanted both by the roots and leaves of 

 the plants ; while the carbonic acid gas, 

 which is generated beneath the surface, will 

 not rise (for the reason just given), but is soon 

 carried below the place in which it is depo- 

 sited, by the rains, out of the reach of the 

 roots of plants, and is thus in a great measure 

 lost 



The carburetted hydrogen, it is true, is re- 

 tained beneath the surface, otherwise it would 

 fly off, being lighter than atmospheric air, 

 but as it is believed to be less beneficial than 

 carbonic acid, an actual loss of fertility is sus- 

 tained by its formation when the latter could 

 have been formed in its stead by the surface 

 application. 



The above reasons would also seem to 

 prove that all putrescent manures should be 

 applied in their unfermented state, as the car- 

 bonic acid gas is produced during fermenta- 

 tion, which I believe accords with the expe- 

 rience of our best farmers on this subject. 



We are all aware of the great advantages 

 which a crop sustains, in time of drought, by 

 having the surface of the ground kept open 

 by repeated workings. I believe this has 

 generally been accounted for by supposing 

 that the earth thus took up more moisture in 

 the form of dew during the night. In addi- 

 tion to this, might not the carbonic acid which 

 is always found ready to penetrate the sur- 

 face (owing to its specific gravity), be thus 

 enabled more readily to enter the soil and be- 

 come one of the principal, if not the most im- 

 portant substance for the nourishment of the 

 plant 1 B. 



Jan. 8, 1842. 



Close Planting. — A Scotch farmer resi- 

 ding in the town of Sodus, Wayne county, 

 N. Y,, informs us that he raised, the past sea- 

 son, 400 bushels of Indian-corn on four acres 

 of land, notwithstanding the dryness of the 

 season. He attributes his success mainly to 

 his manner of planting, and thinks farmers 

 generally plant too thinly. His mode is to 

 plant in rows three feet apart, and drop two 

 grains in a place only 15 inches apart in the 

 rows. The variety used is the Red Blazed 

 Flint. The soil is sandy loam, and 100 loads 

 of manure were put on the four acres. The 

 corn was ripened and cut sufficiently early 

 to sow the ground with wheat 



