1848. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



99 



to me by a man of science, resident of N. York 

 City, that it is there extensively substituted for 

 charcoal, in the manufacture of poudrette. 



I have lately, at trifling expense, reduced the 

 water six feet below the surface by ditching. 

 This gives place to the rain water, improves the 

 material and the pasturage, and makes it acces- 

 sible and managable at far less cost ; and this is 

 the first requisite, in entering upon the use of 

 muck as a manure. In this condition it may be 

 thrown upon the surface to dry and dissolve 

 whenever it is convenient. 1 know no other 

 deposite of peat so deep as the above. It does 

 not usually exceed one to three feet in depth, 

 and is underlaid by marl. 



Respecting the relative value of peat under 

 diflerent circumstances of depth and exposure," 

 I am unable to offer an intelligeni opinion. I 

 recollect that a farmer ol New England, reject- 

 ing the upper fibrous portion as comparatively 

 worthless, found the deeper portion equal in the 

 raw state to common manure. This was attri- 

 buted to the existence of concentrated humus. 

 An analysis of peat from a depth of six or eight 

 feet would be interesting, as compared with that 

 made by you from the surface of Gen. Har- 

 mon's marsh. 



How far the presence of hard water, operates 

 to increase the insolubility of the peat ot Wes- 

 tern New York, as compared with that where 

 the water is soft, is unsettled ; yet I am inclined 

 to infer that to some sxtent it has this effect. 



What is the actual and relative value of marl 

 as manure ? — and does the condition of our soils 

 demand its application ? — What is the most ju- 

 dicious and economical mode of reclaiming, and 

 what the value, of our marl and muck marshes ? 

 — These are questions of practical interest, to 

 numerous farmers of Western New York, upon 

 which I hope to derive information from your- 

 self, or your correspondents. 



Respectfully yours, 



John McVean. 



Wheatland, K Y., March, 1848. 



Composts. 



It was formerly supposed, that great advan- 

 tage was derived from the combination of sev- 

 eral different substances together, and forming 

 what are called composts. The receipts for these 

 compounds are numerous, and go to prove that 

 the discovery of a good compost requires but 

 little scientinc or practical skill. When a com- 

 post heap is made up of several materials which 

 are all separtely good manures, it follows of ne- 

 cessity that the resulting compound must be a 

 good fertilizer. But it is impossible to supply 

 any more manure in this way than if these sev- 

 eral ingredients were applied to the soil separa- 

 tely. And a little knowledge of chemistry will 

 show that by this means, no new element can be 



generated. Neither can any new property be 

 developed which could be done by their separate 

 action. We see that whenever a substance 

 which has little or no fertilizing power, is in 

 this way manufactured into a good manure, it 

 is done at the expense of some powerful fertili- 

 zer which is diluted by the mixture, and conse- 

 quently looses just as much of its efficacy as the 

 other gains. Thus, although this process serves 

 to dilute and extend manures which are too pow- 

 erful or too expensive, it absolutely supplies none. 



Now, although it is evident that this method 

 does not augment in the slighest degree, our 

 quantity of available manure, — yet it has several 

 advantages. Caustic lime and wood ashes are 

 sometimes too strong for young and tender veg- 

 tation ; and when this is the case, the object of 

 their use is much better attained by mixing and 

 diffusing them through some other substance, 

 such as sawdust, sand, barn manure or humus, 

 or allowing them to lie in a heap together with 

 any vegetable matters, such as leaves, straw, 

 chaff, rotten wood or turf; or with animal matters; 

 until decomposition is completed. 



Another advantage is, that a manure which is 

 valuable and scarce, as guano, poudrette, and 

 some chemical salts, may be extended by mix- 

 ture so as to be applied to a much larger space 

 than would be practicable if used singly. — 

 Thirdly, this mode enables the agriculturist to 

 spread his manure on the soil more even and 

 uniformly. And lastly, by making compost we 

 are enabled to hasten the final decay of animal 

 and vegetable matters, so as to gain considerable 

 time. By mixing quicklime with barn manure, 

 straw, leaves, &c., decomposition goes on more 

 rapidly, and these substances are transformed to 

 available manures in a comparatively short space 

 of time But much discretion is necessary in 

 this respect, otherwise some valuable elements 

 are wasted ; the object is to fix and retain the 

 volatile elements — and not to dissipate them. — 

 A great objection to composts is, the amount of 

 labor required in making, turning, and trans- 

 porting them to the fields. 



No definite formula can with any propriety be 

 given for making composts, as the agriculturist 

 must determine tor himself in each particular 

 case, as to what elements his fields most require, 

 and also his time and the resources at his com- 

 mand. With these considerations, and an ad- 

 equate knowledge of his business, he will be 

 able to make a more judicious disposition of his 

 manures than by the aid of any prescribed rules 

 which can be laid down in books. 



Rochester, N. Y., 1848 M. M. R. 



Plowing with Elephants. — It is stated that in Ceylon 

 elephants are emp'oyed in plowing new grounds for the 

 cultivation of cotlee, pepper, &c. One of these animals 

 when well trained, it is said, will do the work of twenty 

 oxen ; consequently more labor is performed in a given 

 time, and the period is hastened for putting in the crops. 

 The price of an elephant in Ceylon varies from $50 to $75. 



