AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



PUBLISHED BY JOSEPH BRECK & CO., NO 62 NORTH MARKET STREET, {Agbicultubal W.. 



VOfc. XVII ] 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 11, 1838. 



[NO. 1. 



AGRICULTURAL. 



For the New Englanrt Farmer. 



MANURES. 



To tlie friends of our country's prosperity, it is a 

 matter of gratulation, tliat our farmers are begin- 

 ning to turn their attention to tlie all-impcrtant 

 subject of making manures. As is tlie blood wliich 

 circulates in our veins, to the human body, so is 

 manure to our farms. Manure is the grand desid- 

 eratum — the one thing needful — and wholly indis- 

 pensable to agricultural production. It would be 

 just as irrational to expect to have fat cattle with- 

 out giving them food, as to hope for good crops 

 without first supplying the peculiar kind of nutri- 

 ment which each kind of plants or vegetables re- 

 quires. Although this is a position too self-evident 

 to be doubted by any intelligent farmer, yet it can- 

 not be too strongly impressed upon the minds of 

 all. The first object, therefore, in farming, is to 

 make manure enough, richly to fertilize the soil. 

 Until this is effected, the profits of the farmer must 

 be very small. It is true, that in tlie first settle 

 ment of a country like ours, after the forest has fal- 

 len before the axe, the soil, having been enriched 

 by the decomposition of leaves and other vegetable 

 matter in the course of ages, and also by the ashes 

 after burning over the cleared fields, may for many 

 years continue to bf" fertile. But experience huf 

 proved, that such soils, by not being replenished 

 after long cropping, have become exhausted. Veg- 

 etable matter in its rotted or decomposed state con- 

 stitutes the whole or nearly the whole food of 

 plants. In the economy of nature nothing is lost 

 The process of vegetation and decay keep equal 

 pace. The simple material elements, although es- 

 sential to the growth of plants, serve but as canals 

 to conduct, in a mysterious manner, the soluble or 

 liquid vegetable food to the plant. Each kind of 

 plant receives from the earth, water and air, the pe- 

 culiar nutriment which its constitution requires. 

 Soil is a compound of vegetable substance, and the 

 simple elements of matter. Should the vegetable 

 part be abstracted, vegetation would entirely cease. 

 As our population increases we gradually (but too 

 slowly) turn our attention to improvement in Agri- 

 culture, which, it must be confessed, is the great 

 supporter of human life. It admits of no doubt, 

 that the soil of New England, by being put in a 

 high state of cultivation, is capable of supporting 

 more than double her present population. This 

 can be done only by devoting the requisite atten- 

 tion to the important art of making manure. This 

 art very few seem to understand. But if understood 

 it is certainly much neglected by nearly all the til- 

 lers of the ground. In travelling through the 

 country, how few barn-yards or pig-yards do we 

 find properly located ? How few compost heaps 

 do we see ? How few barns have vaults construct- 

 ed under the cattle's stall ? But we often find the 

 barn-yard on some elevated spot, so high and with 

 a descent every way from it, that tlie most nutri- 

 tious part of tlie manure, which the rains in the wet 



season do not wash away, is dried up, or evaporated 

 in the warm seasons. Farmers thus negligent, or 

 so grossly ignorant, must live very economically; 

 in order to live at all — they never can "go ahead." 

 Every farmer ought to have a properly constructed 

 vault under the cattle's stall, so that the liquid part 

 of the manure may be retained. This is the most 

 valuable part. Farmers, upon reflection, will be 

 convinced that the liquid part only, or that which 

 is soluble in water, is taken up in the mysterious 

 process of vegetation, or is the pabulum of plants. 

 The other parts serve only to render the soil more 

 loose or porous. Experience as well as theory has 

 convinced us, that one cord of manure from the 

 vault is worth as much as a cord and an half taken 

 from the yard or an open exposure. 



It has been supposed by some in past times, that 

 " rotted manure " is better than fresh stable ma- 

 nure, especially to "put in the hill" in planting. 

 But it is certain that by laying a long time under- 

 going the fermenting, decomposing process in the 

 heap, it loses half or a great portion of its nutri- 

 ment It is a great loss, as well as an unwise 

 practice to suffer it to decompose, while subject to 

 the action of heat and the atmosphere. Those who 

 prefer to manure in the hole, will find that half the 

 usual quantity of fresh manure, thoroughly mixed in 

 the soil, would be equal to double the quantity of 

 rotted manure. 



To save the whole substance of manure, it should 

 be ploughed under, or covered several inches in 

 depth some other way, in its unfermented state. 

 Considerable loss attends the practice of " harrow- 

 ing it in," in the spring, where the greensward has 

 been turned up the previous fall. But this cannot 

 be avoided when long manure is applied. Could it 

 be proved that harrowing in the manure would give 

 a larger product than ploughing under, the first 

 year, yet as ploughing under will more enrich the 

 soil for crops in future years, the latter ought to 

 have, as a general rule the decided preference. 

 For several reasons, which will readily occur to 

 farmers, it is a judicious practice to " break up " and 

 plough deep, stiff, clayey, as well ae some other 

 soils in the fall. 



After much reflection upon the subject, we are 

 fully convinced, that the best method to enrich a 

 farm is to make Compost Manure. By the mix- 

 ture of stable and mineral manures with the vari- 

 ous kinds of vegetable substances within the far- 

 mers reach which can be decomposed, we can have 

 not only a much larger quantity of manure, but the 

 whole substance of the stable manure is thereby 

 saved. Lime, gypsum, ashes, &c. acting as sol- 

 vents, added to the compound, are found to be of 

 great benefit Compost thus made is better to 

 spread and harrow in, in the spring, on land plough- 

 ed in the fall or at any other time, than fresh or 

 long manure. Every fanner can find materials for 

 die compost on his own farm, although some have 

 advantages superior to others. A due regard to 

 future profits will prompt liim to deposit in his cat- 

 tle and pig-yards or in heaps in the field all kinds 

 of vegetable or other substances within his reach, 



which will decompose. Much may be obtained 

 from the shores of rivers, bays, or the sea ; from 

 the forest, such as leaves and the decayed sub- 

 stance of trees; from the scrapings of the roads 

 and house-yards; but especially from the swamps, 

 bogs, and lowest places of the farm. The turf 

 and peat should not be neglected. The grasses 

 and weeds, which grow in water or on dry land, 

 will yield more food by being gathered, in their 

 green state, into heaps to undergo fermentation. 

 For this purpose in some places, sea weeds are 

 drawn up by a well contrived machine into boats 

 to be conveyed to the heaps. Most farmers can 

 obtain an ample supply of the black, rich fresh 

 mud or loam. Converting large quantities of such 

 mud into compost, and thoroughly mixing it in the 

 soil of the rising grounds, will ultimately render 

 any farm fertile. Such mud is composed chiefly 

 of decomposed vegetable matter, washed from tlie 

 hills or conveyed by water courses to the swamps 

 and bog-holes. It is much preferable to salt mud. 

 But salt mud taken from the heads of creeks, &c. 

 is better than such as is taken from the main shore. 

 Salt mud must undergo a change and art with a 

 portion of its saltness, before it can be fit to nour- 

 ishment to such plants or grasses as will not vege- 

 tate in salt marshes. That from the muscle beds 

 is valuable. Oyster and clam shells pulverized, 

 and perhaps all marine shells, lime being the chief 

 ingredient, are highly useful spread upon high or 

 sandy lamis. But salt mud should remain in the 

 compost heap, about a year previous to being ap- 

 plied to the soil. Of all kinds, the Bon'E manure, 

 ground or pulverized, doubtless affords the greatest 

 nutriment This is well understood in Europe 

 whither several cargoes of bones have been export- 

 ed from the U. States. V»"e are glad to learn that 

 mills are constructed here to prepare bones for our 

 own soil. Night soil is the next best manure, 

 which no farmer ought to neglect to mix with a 

 large portion of sand or earthy materials and convey 

 to his fields. 



The diligent husbandman, who uses his best ef- 

 forts to fertilize his lands by procuring an abun- 

 dant supply of compost or other manures, cannot 

 fail, in the end, to have a rich reward for his la- 

 bors. To enrich the exhausted soil of a large 

 farm may require from six to ten years — but that 

 length of time should be no discouragement to per- 

 severing efforts. 



No situation in life is attended with a greater 

 share of happiness and real independence, than that 

 of the industrious farmer enjoying the luxuries and 

 blessings of a farm in a high state of cultivation. 

 On the other hand, miserable is the condition of 

 the man who may labor hard upon a poor, exhaust- 

 ed and barren tract of land, and who is ignorant of, 

 or neglects the means for its improvement. 



It is also highly important that barn-yards should 

 be properly excavated to prevent the richest portion 

 of the manure from being washed away. And to 

 preserve moisture in dry seasons, and also to water 

 the cattle at all seasons, water should be conducted 

 by pipes or otherwise to the yard. 



