36 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



AUG. 3, l»i'. 



From the New Genesee Farmer. 



DANIELL'S NEW ARTIFICIAL MANURE. 



At length we have notice of tlie mode in which 

 thi.s new mi.\ture is formed. The ingredients are 

 as follow. Any wood mechanically reduced to 

 powder — in plain words, sawdust; this is the ba- 

 sis, and it is to he thoroughly saturated with bitu- 

 minous matters, of all, or any kind ; to this is to be 

 added small proportions of soda and quick lime, 

 and a very small quantity of sulphur. The princi- 

 ples on which this compound is formed, appear at 

 first rather obscure; liut one thing is apparent — it 

 is an attempt to make an artificial bituminous coal, 

 and to keep this in a state of slow combustion 

 with only the substitution of soda for the potash of 

 the wood, and the addition of quick lime. The 

 proportions are not told, nor how long the compost 

 is to remain before used, nor what the bituminous 

 matters are ; the only additional information is, 

 that in using, it should be buried two or three in- 

 ches under the surface of the soil, to prevent the 

 evaporation of the volatile and valuable parts. Mr 

 Hall produced a sample of the manure — a coarse, 

 black powder, having a strong smell, somewhat re- 

 sembling coal tar. Samples of the wheat grown 

 by Mr Daniell were also exhibited ; and it was 

 stated in reply to questions, that the crops produced 

 were greater in quantity, better in quality and 

 weight, and produced with one-third the ordinary 

 quantity of seed. If this new manure will give us 

 artificial coal, which will, of itself, enter into slow 

 combustion, and furnish vegetables with its amino- 

 niacal product, by degrees, as required, it must be 

 of immense importance to agriculture. 



The value of bituminous sooi as a manure, has 

 never been doubted ; but, like many other manures, 

 it has too often been applied in such large quanti- 

 ties or in such strong solutions, as have rendered 

 it injurious instead of beneficial. Bituminous coal 

 contains from 13 to 16 per cent, of nitrogen or 

 azote, and from 4 to 12 per cent, of hydrogen. 

 When coal is burnt, these two gases unite and 

 form ammonia ; when burnt in the open air, the 

 ammonia goes partly into the atmosphere, and is 

 ^ partly condensed in the soot ; but when burnt in 

 retorts, for the purpose of afl^brding gas for illumi- 

 nation, the ammonia is dissolved in the liquor used 

 for purifying the gas, and is called the ammoniacal 

 liquor of gas works. The manure will probably 

 be about one-third the price of bone dust. 



The following account of it was given to the 

 Royal Agricultural Society, and is extracted from 

 the Boston Courier. 



"It had long been a subject of inquiry, what is 

 the food of plants, how are they supplied, and what 

 are the elements of their growth? There was 

 ' every reason to believe that a reply could be now 

 given of a more satisfactory nature than had ever 

 been hitherto known ; besides which, by the dis- 

 covery of Mr Daniell, a most important corrobora- 

 tion had been obtained of what had been consid- 

 ered the elements of vegetable growth ; those 

 elements were carbon or charcoal, hydrogen or in- 

 flammable gas, oxygen or vital air, and nitrogen. 

 All these elements existed in the atmosphere, in 

 combination with other elements, in which state 

 they were found to be the sources of vegetable de- 

 velopment. It was known to persons accustomed 

 to rural pursuits, that the heaps of vegetable sub- 

 stances collected for the purposes of manure, dur- 

 ing the process of decomposition, became greatly 

 reduced in bulk and weight. If they investigated 



the causes of this reduction, they would find that 

 it was occasioned by the evaporation of the carbo- 

 nic acid and ammonia, the principal sources of nu- 

 triment to plants. The discovery of Mr Daniell 

 contained all the elements of vegetable growth. 

 It did not supply new elements, but the same de- 

 rived from other sources. It was known, that by 

 combustion substances were rapidly decomposed, 

 and its operation produced the elements of vegeta- 

 ble growth. There were on the earth numerous 

 plants which were apparently useless, but it was a 

 principle in nature that nothing should be lost, and 

 they were capable of a reduction into their ele- 

 ments, and being made the means of vegetable 

 growth in other forms. The discovery of Mr Dan- 

 iell was suggested by the fact that, while burning 

 vegetable substance, he observed that the ashes 

 became blackened by the surrounding smoke, and 

 when used in that state were very fertilizing. This 

 led him to investigate the cause, and as the result 

 of his investigation ho had produced the new ma- 

 nure, the elements of which were carbon and am- 

 monia. With it the principal properties would not 

 fly off during decomposition, as that would take 

 place in the earth. Among other advantages, it 

 was light in weight, cheap, and capable of being 

 produced in any quantity. 



"This manure has been applied by the discove- 

 rer to his own crops, on three acres of poor land, in 

 an elevated situation, on some of which he has 

 grown wheat four successive years, with improving 

 results each year ; its good cflTects are therefore 

 founded upon experience, personal observation, and 

 the testimony of other observers competent to 

 judge. From the nature of the manure, it is appli- 

 cable, with some variations in its composition, to 

 every kind of crop. It is not a stimulating ma- 

 nure, in the ordinary sense of the word — that is, 

 it will not have a tendency to call into activity the 

 existing resources in the soil — but its direct effect 

 is to convey to the soil the direct nutriment of fu- 

 ture growth. This effect is produced by the sup- 

 ply of ammonia to the soil in substance calculated 

 to retain it for a time — to again absorb it from the 

 atmosphere — as they give it out to plants during 

 their growth. It will probably prevent also the 

 ravages of insects. 



" Its mode of application may be various, accord- 

 ing to the circumstances of the crops. The appli- 

 cation by drill is conducive to economy of the ma- 

 nure, and a direct application to the infant plant, as 

 is the case with bone-dust. Care, however, must 

 be taken that it is not applied too directly to the 

 plant, or without some portion of mould around it. 

 This is the only precaution needed to avoid danger 

 in its use. There is one required to prevent waste, 

 as it is of a volatile character ; that is, to place it 

 sever.il inches in the earth as the earth will absorb 

 and retain the volatile and valuable part. For 

 grass lands, for similar reasons, it will be well to 

 have it mixed with a considerable portion of ordi. 

 nary unvalued mould. If the manure, as manufac- 

 tured, be mixed with an equal bulk of mould, it 

 will be perfectly safe for application ; or if the 

 mould of the field be stirred over it, when drilled, 

 it will suffice. The quantity to be used will vary 

 according to the crop, like any other manure. 

 About twentyfour bushels per acre aro recommend, 

 cd for wheat, and half as much more, or thirtysix 

 bushels, might be beneficially applied for turnips or 

 mangel wurtzel. The most beneficial quantities 

 will easily be ascertained by the intelligent far- 

 mer." 



From the Maine Farmer. 



IS BARLEY A SUITABLE CROP TO FO . 

 LOW POTATOES? 

 The experience of the agricultural world prov 

 that a rotation of crops is not only the best mo 

 of husbandry, but is in some instances necessai 

 in order to keep up the fertility of the soil, 

 has been also observed, that, whatever may be t 

 true food of plants — whether mineral, animal, 

 vegetable matter, whether silicates, or gcine 

 ammonia — some crops do better after certain kin 

 than after others. Hence some little experienc 

 as well as observation, is necessary to ascerta 

 what rotation is best suited to the soil, climate ai 

 situation of the field to be cultivated. The theo/ 

 of De Candolle, that plants exude or deposit fro 

 their roots excrementitious matter that is not suit 

 ble for them, has never been disproved. If th 

 matter is unsuitable for the crop that deposits 

 may it not be so for some others? As a gener 

 rule, it has been thought that root crops should pr- 

 cede or follow the cxdmiferoua or grain crops. Bi 

 there are some exceptions. Indian corn does n^ 

 do well after ruta baga ; and we, the other da 

 witnessed a very striking instance of the effect > 

 a potato crop on a crop of barley that succeeded i 

 Mr Ziphion Howard, of this town, a very carefi 

 and industrious farmer, last year planted a piece i 

 land to corn, with a row of potatoes on the ea 

 side of it, and quite a number of rows of the sam^ 

 on the west side. If we recollect right, the cor 

 was manured broadcast, and the potatoes in lb 

 hill. The soil is all as near alike as it can bi 

 This last spring he plowed up all the same piec 

 at the same time, harrowed, and sowed upon it bai 

 ley. The barley was all sown on the same da 

 and was all of the same kind, but at the preset 

 time that which grows upon the corn ground is ou 

 of blossom, and the seed approaching to ripeness 

 while that which grows upon the potato ground i 

 just beginning to head out. The difference ca 

 be pen:eived as far as the crop can be distinguish 

 ed by the eye, and it is remarkable to see wit 

 what exactness this difference in the crop mark 

 out the bounds of the corn and potatoes of las , 

 year. A row or two of the corn was not planter 

 out last year, and the space was filled with pota 

 toes, and this break or jog in the row can be dis 

 tinguished by the difference in the barley, as dis 

 tinctly as it could last year, when the corn am 

 potatoes were growing. We went on to the easi 

 side of the piece, and there found the same diffe- 

 rence. The barley growing where the single row 

 of potatoes was, being as far behind the other as 

 it was on the west side. The question arises, is , 

 this always the case when barley follows potatoes: 

 Mr Howard thinks it is. He remarked that he had 

 always heretofore sowed his barley on ground pre- 

 viously cultivated to potatoes, that he never had 

 very good crops, and that he came te the conclu- 

 sion that his soil was not suitable for this kind of 

 grain. But the accidental experiment of this year 

 convinces him that the error was not so much in 

 the natural properties of his soil as in following 

 barley with potatoes, because the barley upon the ' 

 corn ground, is as handsome a crop as one gener- 

 ally sees. 



inijw 



The Cincinnati Chronicle estimates the wheat 

 crop to promise 120 millions of bushels, or 30 mil- 

 lions more than in 1839, and that flour may be 

 even has tlian $3 per barrel. , I 



