No. 7. Manure audits profitable Jlppllcaiion — Composition. 223 



cause it to settle close to the ground and en- 

 able it to take root. This is one of our most 

 valuable and profitable grasse?, and every 

 care oujjht to be taken in sowing it properly, 

 for on this depends the success of the crop. — 

 It is generally sown much too thin, two bush- 

 els to the acre is prefi)rab]e to one by just one 

 half Remember that whatever is worth do- 

 ing at all is worth doing well. R. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Manure and its profitable Application* 



Every farmer should study how to apply his manure 

 most profitably. 



It is a well known fact that when the vital 

 principle ceases to exist in organized bodies, 

 that decomposition soon commences, and they 

 return again to those elements of which they 

 were originally composed. This is the case 

 with .all animal and vegetable substances, and 

 the materials into which they are re.'olved by 

 decomposition is manure, or the food which 

 is applied to a new generation of plants, in 

 order to promote their growth and expansion : 

 and without this de.scription of food they would 

 perish and die ; and in proportion to the quan- 

 tity of it placed within their reach, adapted 

 to their powers of consumption according to 

 their nature and organization will be their 

 healthy and perfect developement. 



It has long been the practice of many to feed 

 plants as some feed animals, with about half as 

 much as is necessary and proper to keep them 

 in a full and thriving condition ; and the same 

 result is observable in both cases ; there is much 

 trouble and no profit; the end is disappoint- 

 ment and loss, both of time and money. The 

 observingand intelligenthavelong known this, 

 and have adopted the proper remedy of full 

 ftodingof both plants and animals, as the only 

 course which ends in a remunerating profit. 



It has long bnen a question with many 

 whether it was best to apply the food to plants 

 in a decomposed state, or to apply it before 

 decomposition !iad far advanced, and permit 

 it to proceed on the spot where it was wanted, 

 and to tru.st to the fallingr rain to dilute it 

 near, or on the surface of the ground, and 

 convey it to the hungry organs which are 

 waiting to receive it. 



Manure which remains in bulk in barn 

 yards during the summer months, becomes 

 rotten and loses much of its nutricious prop- 

 erties by being frequently washed with 

 drenching rains, and when it is spread on the 

 soil and ploughed in deeply in the autumn, 

 the falling rains carry much of the soluble 

 parts to a much greater depth and place it 

 beyond the reach of the ab.sorbing fibres of the 

 plants, so that some estimate, from this course 

 of procedure, a loss of one-half, and others 

 suppose that it exceeds this estimate.' 



Now if such a rotation of crops can be sug- 

 gested as will admit of the manure in its par- 

 tially decomposed state in the spring, being 

 spread on the soil before it has lost its nutri- 

 cious qualities, and then be kept on or near 

 the surface of the ground, so that the decom- 

 posed portions as they are successively pro- 

 duced, can be dissolved and carried to the ro(Jls 

 of the plants, where it is needed gradually du- 

 ring the season, and not all at once ; it is sup- 

 posed a great advantage would result from the 

 adoption of such a course. It is believed that 

 this mode of application being made to tho 

 Indian corn crop would generally double its 

 produce, but .some difficulty may arise in 

 adapting a suitable rotation, so as on the whole 

 to increase the aggregate result of the series 

 of crops that follow in succession. Should 

 any of the readers of the Farmers' Cabinet 

 be enabled to suggest a routine of crops com- 

 patible with the plan of putting the manure 

 on the Indian corn ground in the spring, so as 

 to make a consistent profitable rotation in the 

 whole, he would much oblige one, who has 

 long regreted the great loss of manure du- 

 ring its summer decomposition in the barn 

 yard. Aoricola. 



Composition for Walls, &c. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Cabinet : 



Sir — In reply to some of the enquiries in 

 the December number of your publication, I 

 would say that I have applied a certain com- 

 position to damp walls which is perfectly im- 

 pervious to water in any shape : That it can 

 be colored to suit any " fancy:" That it can 

 be applied with equal success to stone, brick, 

 plastered walls, or wooden buildings; the 

 smoother these are the better, and the cheaper 

 would be the application : That the cost would 

 be about 25 cents the square yard, and for that 

 I will contract to put it on and warrant its effi- 

 cacy and durability. I have not made any 

 use of this knowledge in this country, but 

 have used it in England on a damp wall where 

 nothing could be applied with eflTect before, 

 and where it wascoi.ipletely effective; it hav- 

 ing been on six years before 1 left England, 

 and was as good as ever when I left. I have 

 also applied it to a damp brick wall with the 

 same success, it having stood well for ten 

 years, and was good when I last saw it ; and 

 1 have no doubt of its being equally servicea- 

 ble here. 



Should your correspondent be disposed to 



give it a trial, and will address me pnst paid at 



the post office, Philadelphia, I will attend to his 



communication with as little delay as possible. 



lam Sir, 



Yours, &c., 



John Lavrib. 

 Near Philadelphia, Jan. 23, 1S3&. 



