DEVOTED TO AGRICULTURE AND ALL ITS VARIOUS KINDRED ARTS AND SCIENCES. 



JAUFFRET AND BOMMER MANURE. 



In 1835, Jauffret, of France, after making numer- 

 ous experiments in preparing manure, and having 

 perfected his plan, took out a patent, which expired 

 in 1840. The object of this system was to produce 

 a rapid decomposition, whereby coarse vegetable 

 substances might be readily prepared as manure. 



Jauffret's plan was to form a tank or reservoir for 

 ■water, saturated with decomposing animal or vege- 

 table substances, which may be found on almost every 

 farm. This may be composed in part of drainings 

 from the barn-yard, soap-suds, sink water, urine, &c. 



A lej' is then prepared in a vessel, or small tank or 

 pit. In preparing this ley, it is better to take the 

 drainings from a former heap, or for the first time 

 take liquor from the reservoir, or soap-suds, sink 

 water, and other liquids rich Avith vegetable or ani- 

 mal matter. 



To decompose one thousand pounds of dry, vege- 

 table substances, or twice that weight of green ma- 

 terials, add to the liquor in the vessel, or small tank, 



200 pounds of night soil, or twice that quantity of 

 horse, cattle, sheep or swine manure, 

 50 " " wood soot, 

 50 " " unleached ashes, 



200 " " plaster, 

 30 " " quick lime, 

 1 " " common salt, 

 1 " " saltpetre. 



These ingredients may be varied ; and it would be 

 an improvement to increase the quantity of quick 

 lime and ashes, and reduce that of plaster. If these 

 materials cannot be conveniently obtained, others 

 may be substituted. For the soot, use a larger quan- 

 tity of the burnt earth of coal-pits. For jjlaster, 

 use a larger quantity of street manure, slime from 

 ditches, or other similar manure. For ashes, use five 

 or six poimds of potash or soda. Stir the liquor on 

 adding the plaster, and throw in a little at a time, 

 lest it cake. 



The materials for manure arc thrown into the res- 

 ervoir and soaked in the liquor, to prepare them for 

 decomposition. Then they are thrown into a heap, 

 by the side of the reservoir ; a place for which should 



be prepared by laying at the bottom clay, or compact 

 earth, so that the drainings from the heap, and the 

 ley poured on the pile, may run off into the vat, and 

 not be absorbed by the earth, as it would be on 8 

 porous soil. 



The heap may be made six or seven feet high, six, 

 eight, or ten feet wide, in order to hold the heat, and 

 of any convenient length. In making the heap, 

 after making layers of about a foot, turn on some of 

 the ley, that it maj' be applied to every part of the 

 materials. When the heap is completed, turn the 

 muddy sediment of the ley on to the heap. Then 

 cover the top of the heap with straw, old planks, or 

 branches of herbage. In forming the heap, it should 

 be trodden down to make it close, and it should be 

 beaten all round for the same purpose. 



The fermentation usually commences in two days, 

 and on the third day, the top of the heap is to be 

 opened about six inches deep, the sediment turned 

 over, and another good drenching of the ley applied, 

 and the heap covered up. About the seventh day, 

 make many holes in the heap, about three feet deep, 

 and give another good drenching with the ley. 

 About the ninth day, apply another drenching, in 

 new and deeper holes. 



After fourteen or fifteen days from the making of 

 the heap, the manure will be fit to spread. The fer- 

 mentation is checked by an excessive drenching, OT 

 by opening the heap. The drainings should b* 

 caught and used over and over again, and what re- 

 mains is used for future heaps. "Warm weather is 

 most suitable for making this manure. This is the 

 substance of Jauffret's mode. For sake of brevity, 

 we have omitted many things in the specification, 

 that are not essential. 



Hon. H. L. Ellsworth, formerly commissioner of 

 patents, stated in the Albany Cultivator, November 

 3, 1843, that in May, 1843, Mr. Bommer presented 

 an application for a patent for making manure, which 

 was duly examined, and rejected for want of novelty, 

 and the application was withdrawn; that in June 

 Messrs. Baer & Gouliart obtained a patent for an 

 alleged improvement on the method of making 

 manure, patented in France by Jauffret, which said 

 method has not been patented in the United States, 



