362 



The Compost- Yard. 



Vol. VI. 



suteuncts which are assimilated by veeetables. He 

 hvre treats of the efibcts of potash, soda. lime, maanesia. 

 and silei. with their resp«rctive sails, and the mauiicr 

 in which they beneni the soils to which they are applie<l. 

 The last chapter consists of details concerning the va- 

 rious kinds oi manure now in use in Ensland. In it 

 there are $>ime interestina observations rfspectina the 

 application of urine and the substance termed suano. 

 This latter is a dep-^site from birds, which has been 

 found, in immense quantities, chieliy on uninhabited 

 islands in the S<iiith Sea. and along the coast of S>uth 

 Amerca. It has been used, as manure, in Peru, from 

 lime iuimemonal. and has lately been introduced into 

 Eiiglanc. where it has been used with the ireatest suc- 

 cess. The remarks, in this chapter, concemins the 

 waste of valuable matter, which is observable even in 

 the best kept larm-yarJ. are important, paxticulariy in 

 this country, where s-i little attention seems to have 

 been turne<l to this subject. The most valuable part 

 of farm-yard manure consists of the nilrosen. which is 

 there present in larjequanlities, chiefly as a component 

 part of ammonia. This is very volatile, and is con- 

 stantly escapins afl>=r the manure begins to decompose. 

 c>'nstituunf a large portion of the steam which arises 

 fr^ni it. Our author does not consider, with the older 

 writers on asricultural chemistry, that the greater part 

 of the nourishment of plants, is derived fnim the humus 

 present io ihesoil. and the arguments he advances seem 

 to prove that it affords them but little if any matter ne- 

 cessary for their suppiirt. In speaking of the long-moned 

 question of the necessity of carbon for the nourishment 

 of plants, he does not seem to regard the emission of 

 carb<:>nic acid by them under certain circumstances, as 

 any proof that it is not requisite to their existence. A(- 

 ter mentioiiins its absorption by the spongelets of the 

 root, he remarks : "• Carbc'iiic acid thus absorbed by the 

 roots is dissolved in the sap which pervades all pans of 

 the plant, and evapiirates every moment through the 

 leaves with the water, in quantity corresponding to such 

 evap>iration. \-ither this emission ofcarbonic arid, nor 

 the absorption of osygen. has any conneiion with the 

 process of assimilation. The former is a mechanical, the 

 latter purely a chemical process. If this view of the sub- 

 ject is correct, those plants which require the presence 

 of oxygen to convert their volatile constituents into re- 

 sins, should ateorb the most when the influence of lisht 

 is withiira wn. and such we find to be the case, for w bile 

 the tasteless leaves of the American aloe absrirb only 

 0-3 of their bulk of oxygen during the dark, the leavfs 

 of some of the rir tribe, which contain vrtlatile and re- 

 sinous oils, absorb ten limes, and the leaves of the oak, 

 containing tannic acid, fourteen times that quantity. 

 This chemical action is shown also very plainly in the 

 leaves of the cacalia ficoides and others, which sour in 

 the mominz from the abs<:irption of oiysen durinz the 

 night, tasteless at nom from the assimilation of carbon 

 during the sun's light, and bitter in the evening, when, 

 in addition to the carbon, a portion of the hyilrojen of 

 the water, a component part of all bitter substances, 

 has been assimilated." 



He gives some interesting observations, partially 

 quoted from Liebia. concerning the sources from whence 

 is derived the nitrogen necessary for the supp<^irt of ve- 

 getable life. The air has constantly a small p<:irtion of 

 ammonia, mingle-i mechanically with it. This is ab- 

 erjrbed by the watery vapours, which afterwards con- 

 dense aiul fall in the state of rain. 



In conclusion we may observe, that, notwithstanding 

 two or three faults in style and manner, we have been 

 m'lrh pleased by the perusal of this little work. Tiie 

 matter appears well selected and arranged, and we 

 should like to see it in the hands of every farmer and 

 agric-ilturisl throughout the etjuntry, for it contains 

 knowledge which is, at present, very much wanted by 

 that class. L. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 The Compost- Yard. 



\3 a recently published Scotch work on agriculture. 'I 

 denominated "The Book of the Farm." there appears ii 

 a drawing and description of the "Compost-Yard." an ;| 

 enclosure distinct from, and yet closely conn'H:ted with, 

 the farm or barn-yard, and in which is situated a tank 

 or sunken cistern, for the reception of the urine from 

 the horse-stables, cow and oi-stalls, and the range of 

 l>og-«tye8, into wliicb it ia conveyed by under drains, 



so that the rain which falls in the yards does not flowr 

 into the tank, to weaken the liquid, or to overfill it 

 with an useless article. Into this compost-yard is 

 brought, at leisure times, large quantities ot". muck, 

 virgin -earth or bank-soil, upon which is poured from 

 time to time, as it is collected, the urine from the cis- 

 tern. Several of these heaps are in preparation at the 

 same time, and so soon as one of them becomes suffi- 

 ciently saturated with the urine, it is turned over and 

 carefully miif-d, the clods being minutely broken and 

 pulverized. .-Vnd if. at this stage, lime is added and in- 

 timately mi led by turning, tie mass will be found 

 equal in value to soaper's ashes ; by far more lasting 

 in its elfects. adding staple as well as rigour to the soil, 

 and manufactured at an expense much less than by any 

 other mode that can be devised; the urine of such an 

 establishment being equal in value, and preferable for 

 many purposes, to the more solid parts of the dung of 

 the stables. By these very simple means, the resources 

 of a farm can be doubled, while the labour attending 

 the manufacture might be carried on at a time of lei~ 

 sure, affording profitable employment at all seasons of 

 the year. And this mode of expending the urine of an 

 establishment is far better than thaf which in some 

 places is in use. namely, to carry it abroad in water- 

 casks and sprinkle it on grass-lands while the crop 

 is growing; for on some occasions it has been found, 

 to say the least, almost useless, while in its concen- 

 trated state, it would prove in other cases injurious. 

 One ciiuld easily imagine a tank, with a pump for lift- 

 ing the liquid into an upper cistern, from whence it 

 might be conveyed by means of a hose-pipe to any giveti 

 distance, and to any part of the heaps where required ; 

 and thus, by the labour of a couple of hands for an 

 hour or so, the contents of the cistern criuld be equally 

 distributed over large quantities of earth, upon which 

 more muck might then be spread, and the urine be 

 again applied, so as at length to form heaps of compost 

 of great magnitude, in a fit state to carry abroad as 

 tofMiressing to meadows or clovers, or suitable for any 

 other purpose. 



The solid contents of the fann-yard and stable ma- 

 nore could then be carried into the fields, and be there 

 composted with other bank-earth, on the clearing of 

 hedge-rows, ic, or the eanh obtained from the lower 

 pans of a field, where is oflen to be found laree quan- 

 tities of the richest parts of the soil, brought down by 

 the washings of rains from time immemorial, and 

 which only require to be composted and taken back to 

 those parts from whence they have been brought, to 

 render the land uniform in its produce, and enabling it 

 to donble the quantity of its yield. At the same time, 

 great labour might sometimes be saved in the article 

 o( carting, if care were taken to make the arrangement 

 to carry "the compost darn kili instead of np the aseemt, 

 and this might often be done, by taking the eanh from 

 the lower side of the field above that on which it is in- 

 tended to carry it abroad, removing a set of bars here 

 and there, to render ready access to the field below. 

 This I have often been enabled to do. at a saving of 

 more than one half the labour in canage : and it be- 

 hooves the farmer to consider well before commencing 

 his compfiSt heap — by an examination of the locality 

 of his fields — whether such an arrangement be not 

 practicable ; remembering, however, that the heap must 

 be formed on a dry soil, for if otherwise, the fermenta- 

 tion going on in the mass will draw up the moisture 

 from the lower earth, and render all the operations 

 difficult, laborious, and disagreeable; the character of 

 the compost will he changed, and it« fructifying prin- 

 ciple deteriorated in a remarkable degree. The whole- 

 some and refining process of fermentation beins check- 

 ed and rendered abortive by the chiMng influence of a 

 too great abundance of moi.sture, the compost will be- 

 come cold, heavy, and adhesive : powerless in its effects, 

 and rather a dead and putrid mas?, than a warm and 

 invigorating substance. This consideration is therefore 

 of paramount importance to the success of the under- 

 taking ; and yet. how often have I seen a compost-heap 

 placed in a cold, wet, low. and shady comer of a field, 

 liable to be overflown by freshets from a neighbouring 

 stream, or even by the effects of a heavy rain. But no 

 practical man will tr in danger of committing the er- 

 ror, if he have once assisted in turning a heap placed 

 in such an unsuitable situation, the "wet and heavy 

 foundation of which will have taught him a lesson he 

 will not be likely soon to forget. Vni. 



June 2:, 1*12, 



