66 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



AVG. 31, 184i3. 



CHARACTER OF THE SURROUNDING UP- 

 LANDS INDICATIVE OF ! HE VALUE OF 

 MOULD AND MUCK FOR MANURE. 

 We have once statnd in our columns tliat an in- 

 telligent and observing farmer expressed to us a 

 conviction that the mud and mould of the holes 

 and swamps that are surrounded and covered by a 

 Aacrf !/;£")(/ growth, are More fertile and more fer- 

 tilizing than those found where the growth is pine. 

 We give below an article from the Garihnirs Chron- 

 icle, (an English paper,) which maintains that tena- 

 cious and clayey soils contain in the hollows that 

 occur among them, better mould than that found in 

 sandy sections. The opini<ms of our friend, the 

 farmer, and of the German chemist as stated below, 

 are in striking accordance with each other. For it 

 is the strong loamy and clayey soils, generally, 

 that produce the hard wood, while the sandy ones 

 support the pine. The question is one of much 

 practical importance, for it may help to determine 

 the comparative value of the several wet meadows 

 and mud holes upon a fanner's premises, and also 

 the worth of these lands in one neighborhood or 

 . district, compared with their value in another. 

 We have made no observations which help us to 

 any opinion upon the subject. But if any of our 

 readers have any facts that will throw light upon 

 the point suggested, we will thank them to send 

 the facts to us for publication. — Ed. N. E. F. 



ON ORGANIC-MINERAL MANURES. 



By Prof. Charles Spbengei., (translated from the German.) 

 Under the name of organic-mineral manures are 

 comprised those materials which (as the name im- 

 plies) are composed partly of organic remains and 

 partly of mineral substances ; thereto belong mould, 

 mud, artificially-prepared compost, rubbish collect- 

 ed in the streets, the soil of sinks, &c. These or- 

 ganic mineral manures are of great importance in 

 agriculture. 



]. Mould. — Mould is that kind of soil which oc- 

 curs often in low lands, is very rich in humus, and 

 at times contains some remains of jjlanls. If the 

 situation is not too damp, and if the higher grounds 

 which surround it are composed of clay, argilla- 

 ceous, marly, or calcareous substances, it gener- 

 ally possesses such superior qualities that it can be 

 innnediately carried and spread as manure, inas- 

 much as, under the circumstances just mentioned, 

 it consists of a mixture of earths impregnated with 

 humic acid and other materials strongly promoting 

 vegetation. If, however, this mould is accumula- 

 ted in wet places, and the surrounding heights are 

 composed of sand, it i«, generally speaking, of such 

 an anomalous composition that it will spoil any 

 ground on which it may be carried, unless it under- 

 goes some previous preparation, because in this 

 case it contains much protoxide of iron inipregna- 

 with with humic acid, and is, at the same time, very 

 deficient in the earths coinbined with that acid, as 

 well as in the saline substances which constitute 

 a most essential nutriment of plants. The value 

 of every sort of mould depends (as is the case with 

 all substances used as manures) on its component 

 parts. If it is, therefore, intended to form at once 

 an accurate idea of the eflTect which this manure 

 will produce, it is to be subjected to an accurate 

 chemical analysis ; especially the organic remains 

 containing nitrogen, are to be inquired into, inas- 

 much as its value will entirely depend upon their 

 quantity. The generally received opinion, howev- 

 er, is, that any sort of mould is only so far useful 

 as it supplies the soil with a greater quantity of hu- 



mus. I have already analysed several sorts of 

 mould which were used as manures, and for the 

 sake of proving what I have just stated,! subjoin 

 the analysis of a mould which came from a valley 

 surrounded by sand-hills, and which, in its applica- 

 tion, did not produce any considerable result. 

 100,000 parts of it are composed of — 



53,910 " silica and quartz. 

 31,26!) " humic acid. 



10,200 " coal of hunms and vegetable remains. 

 2,312 " alumine, combined partly with humic 



acid, but mostly with silica. 

 1,554 " protoxide and oxide of iron, combin- 

 ed with humic and phosphoric acid. 

 0,044 " protoxide of manganese, partly com- 

 bined with humic acid. 

 0,632 " lime, mostly combined with sulphuric 

 acid, but partly mixed with the 

 coal of hmnus. 

 0,14G " magnesia, partly combined with sili- 

 ca or mixed with the coal of hunnis. 

 0,870 " sulphuric acid, partly combined with 

 calcareous earth, partly mixed with 

 coal of humus and vegetable re- 

 mains. 

 0,045 " phosphoric acid, combined with ox- 

 ide of iron. 

 0,008 " common salt. 



0,010 " potassa, mostly combined with silica, 

 and traces of substances composed 



of nitrogen. 



100,000 parts. 



If an approximate calculation is made of the 

 quantity of humic acid which is combined with the 

 bases (alumine, manganese and iron,) it will be 

 seen, that this mould contains at least 15,000 parts 

 of free humic acid, acting as such. To this is to 

 be added, that it contained neither humate of lime, 

 humate of potass or soda, nor any substance con- 

 taining nitrogen; and another reason why it could 

 not yield a good manure is, that it contained a 

 quantity of humic protoxide of iron. This mould 

 was, therefore, of very little use ; so much so, that 

 an additional quantity of common manu.'e was re- 

 quired. 



All those kinds of mould which are ascertained 

 to possess superior manuring qualities, and which 

 are found in low places surrounded by clayey or 

 argillaceous hills, are, on the other hand, composed 

 of the following substances ; — 33 per cent, humic 

 acid, C per cent, coal of humus, 9 p. c. alumina, 

 3 1-2 p. c. lime, 1-2 p. c. magnesia, 2 1-2 p. c. ox- 

 ide of iron, 1-2 p. c. oxide of manganese, 42 p. c. 

 silica and quartz or sand, 1-2 p. c. gypsum, 3 4 p. c. 

 phosphate of lime, 1-4 p. c. potash, 1-10 p. c. com- 

 mon salt, and 1 1-2 p. c. organic remains contain- 

 ing nitrogen- Fn.m the quantity of bases here, it 

 is clear that such kinds of mould cannot contain 

 any free humic acid; they consequently act very 

 differently from the last. At times, good kinds of 

 mould contain only 12-13 p. c. of humic acid, and 

 45 50 p. c. of sand. 



It would be superfluous for me to detail again in 

 what manner tlie humic acid of the mould is bene- 

 ficial to vegetation, as this has been repeatedly 

 stated on former occasions. If it contain organic 

 remains composed of nitrogen, they form by their 

 decomposition nitric acid, which then, combined 

 with the different bases, forms saltpetre, possessing 

 powerful manuring qualities. 



Mould improves, chemically, all sorts of soil, 

 even that richest in humus not excepted, because 



it conlains generally from 50-CO p. c. mineral sub- 

 stances, amongst which are, as we have just seen 

 some very efficient ones. The mould, or the hu- 

 mus [contained in it, renders a clayey soil mors 

 light, whilst a sandy soil is made thereby more firn 

 and kept in a damp state. It is, consequfntly, es. 

 pecially adapted for soils that burn, in which it is 

 often more efficacious than even dung. If th. 

 soil is light and sandy, you will make use of ! 

 mould somewhat clayey ; if, on the contrary, thi 

 soil is clayey, a rather sandy mould is to be em 

 ployed. 



The length of time during which the effects o 

 the mould may continue, cannot be easily deter 

 mined, as it depends on its quality and the quantitj 

 used. Large quantities improve the soil after evei 

 20 and more years, whilst small quantities act bu' 

 for a comparatively short time. 



Before the mould is plowed in, it is to be wel 

 pulverized, which will have the advantage of caus 

 ing the seed of weeds which may be contained ii 

 it to germinate, and of inducing the protoxide o 

 iron contained in every sort of mould sooner t< 

 change into the oxide. It is this protoxide whicl 

 produces the sharpness or acrimony which is si 

 distinctly perceivable in some sorts of mould. I 

 is also advantageous to scatter it in winter ove 

 growing rye, and then harrow it in early in th( 

 spring, and roll it. The latter operation is, how 

 ever, not advisable with a mould which is verj 

 light and rich in humus ; such mould is better ap- 

 plied when the rye is a few inches long, otherwise 

 it may be carried away by the wind. 



If it conlains a considerable quantity of vegeta. 

 ble remains iindecomposed, it is always advisabh 

 to collect it at first into smaller, and then into lar 

 ger heaps, for the sake of drying it, allowing it tt 

 decompose in that way for a year or a year and i 

 half; and this will be still better accomplished i 

 it be mixed with lime, marl, ashes, or dung, or con 

 cocted into compost. 



[Fr: 



at 'Transactions of the Essex Agricultural Society.' 

 ON THE CULTIVATION OF RYE. 



Gentlf.men — Having for some years past been 

 more than commonly successful in raising largj 

 crops of winter • rye, by a process of cultivatioi 

 which I believe is entirely new, I have been indue 

 ed by the suggestion of some gentlemen whosi 

 judgment I very much respect, to submit for you. 

 consideration a statement of the mode of cultun 

 with the produce. And that the success of the ex 

 periment this season may not appear to be altogeth 

 er accidental, it will perhaps be as well to commui 

 nicate the result of the process for the three or foui 

 previous years. 



The land on which the experiment has beei 

 conducted is situated on the Merrimack, about t 

 mile and a half east of Haverhill bridge ; and came 

 into possession of my father in 1827. I'he soil iei 

 a sand, approaching to loam as it recedes from tb« 

 river. Perhaps the term plain land (by which i'. 

 usually passes) will better convey an idea of the 

 quality of the soil. It is altogether too light fo> 

 grass. The crops we imd most profitable to culli^ 

 vate on it are winter rye, Indian corn, potatoes.)^ 

 and to some extent turnips. Oats might probablj j 

 be raised to advantage, were it not that the land is 

 completely filled with the weed commonly callec 

 charlock, which renders it entirely unfit for an) 

 spring crop, excepting such as can be hoed. The 



