3.58 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



Boston, Wedsesday, JHat 15, IS39. 



We take much pleasure in laying before our readers 

 the suhjoined r«marks of Dr N C. Kelp, at one of our 

 agricultural meetings, which we had bef.,re promised 

 and which we know will he read wiih ititcrcsi. 



MANURES. 

 Rev. Mr Colmah— Sir: I send you the following as 

 the substance of my remarksat the last agricultural mret 



Af er alluding to the statements wo had received on 

 former evenings, of the great advantage of ditching and 

 draining wet hind; the improvements in the mode ol 

 exterminating ihc wild grasses, preparatory to phiniing 

 such as we wish to cultivate, we came naturally to the 

 enquiry, what nourishment do the cultivated plants re- 

 quire .' 



Plants are organized, living bodies; they must have a 

 home in the soil ; they must have water and air ; but 

 beyon.l all this, if they could .^peak, we should hear the 

 cry from mnny a field, " Give us food." Manure is fai 

 from being a simple substance. Tlio most obvious di- 

 vision of iis parts is into vegetable, animal, and saline. 

 The vegetable part of manure furnishes the substan- 

 tial pabulum, or food for the plant ; and also tends very 

 much to preserve a due proportion of moisture in the 

 soil. The saline parts act mostly as stimulants, and 

 must be u.=ed in compos;, or on soils containing vp<'eta- 

 ble matter. The severe drought of the last sui^mer has 

 demonstrated the value of vegetable compost in retain- 

 ing moisture in the soil. 



Squaslies, sugar beets, imd potatoes planted on sandy 

 soil, manured with compost made of peatand lime, mois- 

 tened with the wash from the barn-yard, survived the 

 drougl.t and yielded a respectable crop; while others 

 planted i.n similar soil, manured with the best stable 

 manure, died. 



Lime neutralizes the ulmic acid which n-nders decay- 

 ed vegetable matter partially or wholly unfit for manure, 

 and forms a new compoun.l— !i/,re«<e of time. By the 

 addition of one-sixth ofanimal manure, we get a new 

 product, the uZmafeo/ammonju. These are, probably, 

 the most valuable salts in any manure. 



The analyses which have been made, indicate anal- 

 most universal deficiency of vegetable matter in our soil. 

 Science teaches us that by the aid of lime, or any of the 

 alkalis sufficient to neuiralize the ulmic acid, we may 

 use with perfect success in supplying this deficiency 

 peat, swamp mud, muck, &n., which, if used alonej 

 would be found to he inert or injurious. 



The compost, sweetened by lime from the compara. 

 lively insoluble nature of the .lalts it contains;. m-ost be 

 more durable than a similar compost where wood ashes 

 are used instead of lime, because some of the salts pro- 

 duced by neutralizing ulmic acid with potashes are very 

 soluble in water, and although beyond all question good, 

 may, and probably will, for this very reas(m, be found 

 by experiment to be too soon exiiuusted to be used 

 on a large scale with economy. 



All salts that dissolve readily in water, will soon es- 

 cape from the soil ; a few of them are volatile and may 

 rise in vapor ; but the major part of thein, more partic- 

 uh.rly in compost manure, are not volatile, but are more 

 or less soluble in water. Just so far as they are diss.dv- 

 ed by water they are capable of being carried down by 

 the rains, until they get beyond the reach of the rootlets 

 ufthe plants. 



£very firmer needs a laboratory appropriated to iho 

 manufacture of manure for hi-< dwn uses. It should be 

 covered from the weather, and be near the barn-yard. 

 A cistern large enough to contain all the wash of the 

 yard should be near at hand. 'Iheie is huidly an arti- 

 cle of waste about the barn or house which does not 

 properly belong to the compost heap. The contents of 

 I the wash. tub, refuse brine, the remains of all vegetable 

 or animal matter, too poor to be otherwise used, should 

 be used: nglitSoilis very valuable. In short, every 

 thing sweeter sour, fat or alkaline- the soot from the 

 chimney, even fine charcoal, if to be usr-d on a white 

 soil, may bo added with advantage. j 



Tlie raw materials may be put down in l.iyers, as for 

 example, a layer of peat, then lime, or whatever alkali ! 

 is used put upon it, then a layer of animal manure ! 

 next, and so on. (It is more convenient to moisten the ' 

 lime before using it, just enough to make it fall to a] 

 fine powder.) I 



Those who have had experience, inform us that the 

 ingredients must be thrown on lightly and not trodden I 

 down. The pile being completed, the fermentation may 

 be regulated by pumping more or less of the liquid man- 

 ure from the cistern on to it. All the salts contained in 

 the wash of the yard will combine with the mass, acting 

 upon it accorHingto the laws of chemical affinity, and in 

 turn being acted upon in like manner. 



The loss of manure by evaporation, I apprehend, is 

 (ccasionedby manure being exposed while fermenta- 

 tion is going on ; then the gases are let loose and read- 

 ily fly off, but by having present four or five times its 

 quantity of the decayed vegetable matter, (so abundant 

 in our peat bogs.) we have an absorbent, which most 

 effectually prevents the escape of ammonia. This is the 

 tolatile salt, and if vue cannot get vegetable matter, we 

 should take the soil for an absorbent. 



We need more light on this subject. It is an im- 

 mensely important practical question, which must be 

 tested by experience, which of the alkalies or alkaline 

 earths shall tve use to make the best, most durable, and 

 profit.ible compost. Also, how much by weight or meas- 

 ure of lime, (weighed or measured before slaking,) is 

 necessary to neut.alize a cord of pent. = how much "caus- 

 tic or fresh made wood ashes > how much leached ashes ? 

 how much potashes.' how much soda are required.? 

 But we know enough to begin. Let us attend to this 

 branch of manufacture ! Every man can, at a moderate 

 expense, build his own laboratory. The raw materials 

 can, in most cases, be obtained at small expense. 



Our necessities call loudly for the establishment of 

 these domestic manufactories An adequate supply of 

 manure cannot now be purchased at any price. By 

 these eslabli.«hnieiit3 we can improve the quality and di- 

 minish th.i price ofthe article, and increase the quantity 

 at least five hundred per cent, the first year. 



N. C. K. 



MAY15, 1S30 



; To enable him to complete an agricultural survey bv 



which the scattered experience of individuals may' be 



concentrated in bis report, which will be printed f, 



public use, much will d.,-pend on the information whicl, 



he 18 enabled to procure from th» farmers of Rhode Is- 



lend in relation to their crops, their icspeclixe modes of 



culture, their stock, variety and comparative value, and I 



their various experiments in the use of lime, ashes plas- j 



tcr, ground bones, clay, marl, salt, peat, rock and sea j 



j weeds, composts, fish, and any other mineral vegetable ' 



joranimalmanures, they may have used in'tl,c° treat- ' 



, ment of soils. 



j To aid the farmer in making out his reiurns, the com- 

 ,mittcp have subjoined blank forms, which the farmers 

 will please to fill up with as much care and exactness as 

 I possible, and report them to the Survey or at Providence 

 : or communicate them to him personally when he conies' 

 into their vicinity. They will please to add such re- 

 marks as they may deem useful, though they may not 

 be suggested by the forms distributed by the committee 

 I Specimens of minerals, rocks or soils collected and 

 j marked with the name ofthe proprietor, and ofthe town 

 , where found, will be highly desirable for the purpose of 

 forming a State Cabinet of the productions of Rhode Is- 

 land. These specimens will be analyzed by the Survey- 

 or, so far as he is able, for your information, and statc'd 

 in his report to the Legislature. 



It is requested that these specimens of minerals, rocks 

 and soils, may be so marked, and labels attached to them 

 by means of paste, that they cannot be misplaced. Box- 

 es containing such specimens, may be directed to the 

 Surveyor, to thecaie of Owen Mason, Esq , Providence 

 and their contents will be carefully examined. 



The Surveyor will first take a rapid outline view of 

 the State, by performing a journey around its borders 

 and then will proceed to visit and survey more method-' 

 ically and minutely its various sections ; in his journey- 

 ings and sojournings the committee trust that he will 

 meet with those aids and facilities, which may r-nable 

 him the better to accomplish a work so beneficial to all 

 and with that lio.spitality which is chaiacteristic of the 

 yeomanry of Rhode Island. 



SA.MUELW. KING, Johnston 

 JAMKSF. SIMAIONS, do 

 E. K. POTTER, South Kingstown, 

 WAl. RHODES. Warwick 

 GEORtiE G. KING, Newport 

 HENRY H. LUTHER, Warren 

 CHRIST R RHODES, Warwick 

 JOHN PIT.MAN, Providence 

 OWEN MASO.N. do 



JOSEPH MAURAN, do. 



April 26, 1839. ^"''"' ^''"""'««- 



As the New England Farmer circulates largely in 

 Rhode Island, and has always received a most liberal 

 patronage from its society for the promotion of agricul- 

 ture and manufactures, we deem it a matter of duly as 

 it is a pleasure, to lay before the public the subjoined 

 circular. We shall present the particular inquiries ad- 

 dressed to the farmers by the agricultural surveyor, on 

 anftllier occasion. f| q 



CIRCULAR TO THE CITIZENS OF RHODE 



ISLAND. 

 The committee, acting under a resolve ofthe legisla- 

 ture of Rhode Island, have engaged Dr Charles T. Jack- 

 son, of Boston, to make an agricultural and geological 

 survey oltliis State. He will commence his work the 

 first of May next. 



Monus McLTicAuns.-We have received from Mr 

 Erlward P. Little, of Marshfield, 2 J Morus Mullicaulis 

 trees of last year'sgrowth,G to 7 feet high and I to 1 1-2 

 inch in diameter at the butt, with numerous lateral bran- 

 ches. The trees are in excellent order and filled with 

 vigorous buds to the extremities of the branches. We 

 have never seen trees of this description so finely kept. 

 We understand they were planted in boxes and placed 

 in the cellar during the winter. J y 



PRATT'S SPINNING AND REELING MACHINE. 

 We have received a beautiful sample of sewing silk 

 manufactured by .Mr. J. Pratt, of Sherburne, .Mass., who 

 is likewise the inventor of a beautiful spinning and 

 reeling machine. We are not prepared to decide °cn its 

 comparative merits, but it is well deserving of the ex- 

 amination of the curious and ingenious. It may be 

 Ibund at the office of the Yankee Farmer, in North 

 Market Street. pj q 



