No. 6. Answers to the Queries of the State Ag. Society of S. C. 



187 



kill; and tlie manner of making and man- 

 ig-ing the contents of this pit on the best 

 principles is well worthy of our considera- 

 ,ion. 



The situation of the dung-pit sliould be 

 lear the stables and cow-houses, and placed 

 ;o low that all streams of urine from them 

 ihould flow at once into it, so that nothing 

 )e lost. It may be three or four feet deep, 

 .nd of a size proportionate to the stock of 

 ;attle usually kept by the farmer. It is not 

 lecessary that it should be built round with 

 . wall, or have a perpendicular descent, as 

 t may slope gently inwards, and deepen 

 gradually towards the centre. It should, if 

 lossible, be covered by a roof, to prevent the 

 ction of the sun. If the bottom be found 

 irm, impervious, and capable of containing 

 he juices, no further trouble is requisite, 

 nd the work is complete; in many in- 

 tances, however, it will be necessary first 

 puddle with clay, and then line the bot- 

 om Vv'ith flag-stones. Into this pit, earth, 

 lith refuse straw, should be brought and 

 trewed over the bottom and sloping sides, 

 3 the thickness of nine to twelve inches, 

 nd this will form an inferior layer to absorb 

 11 that portion of the liquid manure which 

 aturally runs to the bottom. The pit is 

 ow prepared to receive all kinds of animal 

 nd vegetable manure, which, when brought, 

 !iould be always laid evenly over the sur- 

 ice. In Scotland, such dung-pits are com- 

 lon, and in the course of accumulation, a 

 oung or wintering stock of cattle is allowed 

 ) go at large upon the whole; the animals 

 sing at the same time fed on a proper al- 

 fwance of straw. Care is also taken to 

 lix, in laying on, the dung brought from 

 le cow-house, stable, and piggeries, so that 

 le rich excrement of the well-fed animals 

 lay be incorporated with that of a poor de- 

 ;ription from others. It is likewise of the 

 tmost importance, though too frequently 

 sglected, to convey to the pit the entire 

 quid refuse of the farm-yard, provided the 

 jantity be not so great as to make it ad- 

 isable to have a separate pit for its recep- 

 on. 



It is customary to cart away the material 

 'the dung-pit at convenient opportunities — 

 sually during the frosts in winter — to a 

 ace in the fields, near where it is to be 

 :ed, and there pile it up in a quadrangular 

 3ap of about four feet in height. Dung 

 irted out in this manner, is ready for the 

 rnip husbandry in June, and the practice 



otherwise convenient. It may, however, 

 ! stated, that for want of attention to prin- 

 ples already explained, such dung-heaps, 

 ' exposure for months to the weather, must 

 se some of their valuable properties. In 



every instance, the dung-heap in the fields 

 should be placed in a hollow situation, with 

 a substratum of earth, and should have a 

 scattering of a few inches of earth over it, 

 and around the sides, to keep in the volatile 

 gases. When the dung-pit has been thus 

 emptied, it may again be progressively filled 

 as before ; and when it is carted out in any 

 of the spring months, it will be found neces- 

 sary to turn it once, or oftener, for the pur- 

 pose of accelerating the decomposition of 

 the strawy part of the mass. It may be of 

 use to know, however, that the dung re- 

 quired for fallows for wheat in autum, may 

 be less putrefied than that for turnip crops. 

 The urine of cattle is of great value as a 

 manure, and this is so well known to the 

 farmers of Belgium, that they use tanks for 

 collecting the liquid from the cow-houses, 

 and thence they pump it up, and pour it 

 over the land at the proper season. When 

 mixed with vegetable refuse, moss, or earth, 

 it forms an excellent compost. It is deeply 

 to be regretted that so little is known on 

 this subject ; and such is the carelessness of 

 farmers and cottagers, that the urine from 

 their cattle-stalls is in most cases sufiered to 

 go completely to waste. The value of night 

 soil and human urine as manures is equally 

 great, but both are much neglected in Brit- 

 ishvagriculture. Without entering minutely 

 into details on this point, it may be stated, 

 that the offensive odour of all excrementi- 

 tious matter may be neutralized by an inter- 

 mixture of gypscm, or lime and earth, and 

 in this state be used as most valuable ma- 

 nure. Bone-dust is now used as a highly 

 nutritious manure on light soils; and it is 

 reckoned that 100 bushels are equal to forty 

 cart-loads of farm-yard manure. Common 

 sea salt, when judiciously administered in 

 moderate quantities on arable land at the 

 time of fallowing, has been found of great 

 value for its manuring and cleaning proper- 

 ties. It 'promotes fertility, is a remedy 

 against smut and rust, preserves the seed 

 from vermin, and is particularly useful in 

 increasing the produce of grass lands. — 

 Chambers's Information for the People. 



Answers to the Queries of the State Ag- 

 ricultural Society of S. Carolina. 



We have not seen the queries to which the follow- 

 ing communication of our intelligent neighbour and 

 excfcllcnt farmer, M. L., refers; — we copy from the 

 South Carolina Temperance Advocate. — Ed. 



The questions propounded on agriculture 

 by the " State Agricultural Society of South 

 Carolina," indicate an accurate perception 

 of the points requiring investigation, and 

 would, consequently, require a degree of 



