£96 COMPOSTS. 



substances. This is the article which is sold under he name of 

 animalized black. Its quality as a manure must depend especially, 

 I might even say entirely, on the quantity of azotized organic matter 

 which enters into its composition. 



Composts. A great deal has been written, and much has been 

 Baid on the advantages of composts, or mixtures, contrived with a 

 view to the amelioration of the soil. The receipts for these com- 

 posts are very numerous ; they prove that the discovery of a compost 

 is an easy matter, and requires but a small amount of ingenuity. To 

 unite different matters in such a way as to obtain a compound that 

 shall act advantageously, it is only necessary to make it up of sub- 

 stances which of themselves and isolatedl}^ are good manures. But 

 that it is possible to supply the scarcity of manure, to create it in 

 some sort by means of composts, is a subject of dispute. In fact, 

 when we look attentively at the numerous mixtures which have been 

 indicated as leading to this end, we always perceive that the propo- 

 sal amounts to an extension or dilution of some powerful manure 

 with a substance that is either inert or has little activity. This mode 

 of proceeding may have its advantages; it enables us to make a 

 more equal distribution of the manure we have at our disposal, but 

 it actually supplies us with none. 



Earthy substances almost always figure in composts. Turf-ashes, 

 wood-ashes, marl, and particularly lime, are constant ingredients. 

 Marl may suit certain soils ; lime is a substance of great activity, 

 and which for this reason must be admitted into composts with cau- 

 tion ; it may act in the disintegration of woody parts — of stalks, and 

 stems, and leaves ; but we must be very careful not to follow the 

 recommendation of Schwertz, who would have us throw quick-lime 

 into our privies with the view to bringing the matters there contained 

 into a consistent and readily pulverizable state. By doing so we 

 should infallibly lose the greater part of the principles that are truly 

 useful in the soil. Much mischief and great destruction of manure, 

 indeed, have been the consequence of the insensate and indiscrimi- 

 nate use of quick-lime under all circumstances ; the business is 

 much rather to preserve than to destroy the substances that are used 

 as manures ; the purpose is to fix, not to dissipate the volatile elements 

 which they contain. One great objection to the extensive employ- 

 ment of composts is the amount of labor they require in the repeated 

 turnings which are held necessary in their preparation, and in the 

 large quantity of matter which has to be transported. 



The following table will be found iseful as giving a comprehen- 

 sive view of the proportion of azote ;ontained in the various kinds 

 of manures which have been partic ilarly examined, and of their 

 equivalents, referred to farm-yard du; g as the standard. 



