AND H O R T I C; U L T U K A L REGISTER. 



VOL. XVII. 3 



PUHLISHED BV JOSEPH BRECK & CO., NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (Agricultuhai. Warehouse.) 

 BOSTON. WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 12, 1839. 



[NO. 40. 



N. E. FARMER 



We do not know how wc can render a better 

 ervice to our readers than by the publication of 

 le subjoined remarks made by Mr Binns, Secretary 

 f the Lancaster Agricultural Society, (Eng.) at 

 leir meeting in October last. They seem to us 

 1 the highest degree sound, intelligent, and prac- 

 cal ; and disclosing sources and means of produc- 

 ve increase in the enrichment of his lands, with- 



tlie reach of every enterprising farmer. They 

 re in the main as applicable to the greater part of 

 ew England as of Old England husbandry. The 

 arious topics treated deserve to be much enlarged 

 poo ; and wc sliall hereafter revert to them. 



H. C. 



"Mr BiN.NS having been called upon by the 

 lairman, read the toUowing excellent paper on the 

 ■St subject appointed for discussion, viz. : " In what 

 anner the manure upon a farm can be most profit- 

 )ly augmented, and how best applied?" 



The first question for this day's discussion, how 

 e manure upon a farm could be most profitably 

 igmented, is one of the greatest importance to 

 e fanner, and of still greater importance to land- 

 vners and to the public at large ; for although 

 e fanners who fir.st adopt those improvements 

 hich profitably increase the produce, reap advan- 

 ge over their more prejudiced or inanimate neigh- 

 )rs, yet the public as consumers, eventually re- 

 ive tiie wliole benefit in greater abundance, cheap- 

 iss, and superior quality of the productions of the 

 irth. The increased production which, under cer- 

 in circumslanccs, may have a tendency to reduce 

 e price to the farmer, is compensated by thegreat- 

 ' disposable produce. This enables him to pay 

 e same rent as when he received a higher price, 

 :cause, although an increased produce requires 

 ore labor, yet as t.he expense of living would be 

 duced, so would be the rate of labor. Seeing 

 len, the vast advantages which must flow from in- 

 eased production, and seeing how deficient most 

 miers are of this valuable auxiliary, the question 

 rises, how can this be best accomplished ? It will 

 e readily admitted that the manure forms an es- 

 jntial ingredient in the food of plants ; therefore 

 we find that this ingredient can be profitably aug- 

 lented to an almost inconceivable extent, those ad- 

 antages will follow. 



I consider it most desirable that agriculturists 

 lould possess a knowledge of vegetable physiolo- 

 y, of chemistry, and other sciences conner.ted 

 ith the cultivation of t!ie earth, but it is not nec- 

 ssary on the present Decision to discuss this 

 ranch of tlie subject. I intend to produce facts 

 nd arguments which will be perfectly plain, and I 

 ope eonvincinff, without being indebted to the aids 

 f chemistry as a science ; my plan is, therefore, 

 asily available to the farmers of the present day, 

 ho unfortunately are not much acquainted with 

 cience. The subject under discussion, considered 

 a the abstract, I admit is not of a very pleasing na- 

 ure to ears refined, but let them consider to what 



they are indebted for the delicacies they enjoy, for 

 the beauties of tiie green-house and the garden, the 

 delicious fruit, and more delicious perfume wafted 

 by the gentle gales of summer : on the other hand, 

 1 liope agriculturists will pardon me, when I rec- 

 orninend a little more refinement and cleanliness 

 with regard to their yards and cattle. This would 

 be quite compatible with their success, and would 

 contribute materially to their comfort. How many 

 farui-yards do we pass where the manure is most 

 disgustingly accumulated about the premises, to 

 the annoyance of every passer by, wasting its val- 

 ue by absoiption and exposure to the sun and wind. 

 ! he most superficial observer must have remarked 

 the great wa.^te and want cf economy that is every- 

 where seen in the management of manure ; the 

 whole liquid of a farm-yard is not unfrequently al- 

 lowed to escape into a ditch, to be carried away by 

 the :\ex.{ stream. 



The great and principal source of extravagance 

 and waste of manure is to be fotind in allowing it 

 to be dropt by the cattle in the field, where, instead 

 of a benefit, it becomes a nuisance. 



Having thus shown liow much of the little man- 

 ure produced is wasted, to the great loss of the 

 cultivator of the .soil, it would seem bordering on 

 absurdity to attempt to point out the means by 

 which he might increase this valuable commodity. 

 If he neglects to take care of the little, what could 

 he do with the increased quantity ? However, in 

 the hope that there are those who may see the ad- 

 \.jhige of having a bountiful supply always at com- 

 mand, I will p'-oceed to state my views as to the 

 manner in wliich the manure upon a farm can be 

 most profitably augmented, and afterwards how it 

 may be best applied. 



If clover, vetches, rape, and other green crops 

 were cultivated in suflScient quantity for the cat- 

 tle, and given in sheds or yards during the summer, 

 treble the number would be supported on the same 

 ground. 



In the present practice, the manure in summer 

 is all wasted : but according to the proposed plan 

 it would all be saved, and not only be saved, but 

 made the most of; it must therefore be evident tliat 

 aa immensely increasing fund, year by year, would 

 be the consequence. It must be admitted that on 

 this plan more labor is required, but the additional 

 nuiiber of cattle kept would far more than amply 

 repay this, independent of the greater quantity of 

 grain that will be raised on the same space of 

 ground from the greater productiveness of the soil. 

 If the system should become general, the tendency 

 would be to reduce the price of provision, and con- 

 sequently of the money price of labor. 



The system is simple in its nature and beneficial 

 in its effect, for tlie very means by wliich the man- 

 ure is produced aflTords profit ; this is very differ- 

 ent to the extravagant expenditure of money in the 

 purchase of uianure, in occupying horses m draw- 

 ing it several miles, which ought to be cultivating 

 the farm. This is, in my opinion, the ouly ration- 

 al and judicious mode of keeping cattle, setting a- 

 side even the increase of manure, for it is well 



known that many plants when mown produce three 

 times as much as when pastured. This may be 

 accounted for in two ways ; it has been .ascertain- 

 ed that plants derive a considerable portion of their 

 nourishment from the atmosphere, through the me- 

 dium of their leaves, and the more freely the plant 

 is allowed to grow, the more nourishment it receives 

 from that source. The more vigorous and leafy 

 the plant, the deeper will the roots penetrate below 

 the ordinary depth at which the following grain 

 crops derive their nourishment. It is also a curious 

 fact that a better crop of grain is produced the fol- 

 lowing year, without any manure, upon the ground 

 which has grown clover, nnd boen twi^e niprori^ th''n 

 ifthe same had been pastured, though tlie manure 

 during the whole season had beea dropped upon 

 the pasture. 



In addition to those advantages, the cattle are 

 healthier and sooner get fat. My firm opinion is 

 that the agriculture of this country will always be 

 in a degraded stUe till this plan of keeping cattle 

 is generally adopted. I confess I am not very san- 

 guine as to its speedy adoption : at the same time 

 I am firmly off jinion that it will become general 

 ere long, follow J by astonishment that the present 

 barbarous practioe of keeping half-starved cattle, 

 picking up a sc;^nty subsistence with incessant la- 

 bor day and night, exposed to the scorching sum- 

 mer's sun and to the night's cold, galloping to elude 

 tormenting flies, then plunging in a state of perspi- 

 ration into the water — that these sudden changes 

 producing var:o>,s diseases, has even been thought 

 of; much less practised. 



In tlie experiment that I made in stall feeding 

 some years ago, for which I obtained premiums 

 from the Lancaster and Garstang societies, when 

 the cattle generally were affected with sore udder, 

 red water, lameness, and mine were all perfectly 

 free. I recollect the ridicule to which I was ex- 

 posed some twentyfive years ago, when I introduc- 

 ed the improved short horn cattle and Leicester 

 sheep into the district, and on looking at the change 

 which has since taken place, I find ground for hope 

 and encouragement as to the improved method of 

 keeping them. 



This plan of augmenting the manure upon a 

 farm is no theoretical speculation, as some may 

 suppose, but it is practised in Germany, Belgium, 

 Holland, Switzerland, and many other places, with 

 tlie greatest'success. Without particularizing the 

 system as practised in each country, it will be suf- 

 ficient shortly to state that the cows are all stall- 

 fed, and the success of the farmer is estimated by 

 the number of cows he can support; the proportion 

 is o-enerally one cow to two or tliree acres, on a 

 small arable farm. 



The floois of the cow-houses are boarded, hav- 

 ing a gutter behind 15 inches deep and 10 inches 

 wide ; this cosimunicates with several cisterns or 

 tanks, which are made of masonry, well cemented. 

 The cisterns should not be disturbed during fermen- 

 tation, whicli lasts four weeks. Their dimensions 

 should be calculated according to the number of the 

 animals, so that each may be filled in a week. In 



