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THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 



Compost Heaps. 



The following most excellent remarks on the man 

 ufacturc of compost, arc richly worth the perusal of 

 every farmer, old or young, rich or poor. Most of 

 them have the merit of being as applicable to this 

 country as to England. Every sentence is full of 

 meaning, and wc are tempted almost to print one 

 half of the article at least, in italics. Most of our 

 farmers have yet to take the first step in the prop- 

 er management of manures — a thing, which if well 

 understood and attended to, would, in a few years, 

 triple the pioducts of the country, and, to speak 

 very moderately indeed, be worth yearly to the coun- 

 try HUNDKED.1 OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. Wc think 



there will be no difficulty in proving this. If the 

 writer of the following remarks had mentioned lime 

 as a component part of his compost heap, wc think 

 it would have been better, as we consider this ingre. 

 dient as indispensible. , 



From the Journal of the Enirtiah Agricultural Society. 



AlV ESSAY 



On making Compost heaps from liquids and other 

 substances ; written on the evidence of many years 

 experience. — To ichich the prize of ten sovereigns 

 was atcarded. — By James Dixon, Esq., Secretary 

 to the Manchester Agricultural Society. 

 Tiie force and power of an agriculturist to pro- 

 duce good crops, mainly depends on the manures he 

 can command ; and how to derive the greatest possi. 

 bic benefits from iiis immediate resources, is one of 

 the most useful subjects that can engage his atten- 

 tion. The English Agricultural Sociely having of- 

 fered a premium for the best mode of making com- 

 post heaps, I venture to forward the commiltee my 

 ideas on this most important branch of rural man- 

 agement ; and in doing this I shall state the course 

 I have pursued in this particular for many years, 

 and which every additional experience inclines me 

 not to make any systematic alteration. 



My farm is a strong, retentive soil, on a substra- 

 tum of ferruginous clay ; and being many times 

 disappointed in what I considered reasonable antici- 

 pations of good crops, I determined on a new sys. 

 tern of manuring. Though quite satisfied of the 

 expense which would necessarily be incurred by my 

 plan, I still determined on its adoption. At the on. 

 set I effectually drained a considerable part of ray 

 farm. My next object was how to improve its tex- 

 ture at the least cost — (perhaps I may be allowed to 

 etate that my holding has always been at rack-rent ;) 

 for this purpose we carted great quantities of fine 

 sawdust and peath earth or bog ; we had so far to go 

 for the latter, that two horses would fetch little more 

 than three tons in one day — one horse would fetch 

 three cart-louds of sawdust in the same time. Ha. 

 ving brought great quantities of peat and sawdust 

 into my farm yard, I laid out for the bottom of a 

 compost heap, a space of considerable dimensions, 

 and about three feet in depth ; three-fourths of this 

 bottom was peat, the rest sawdust ; on this wc con- 

 veyed daily the dung from the cattle sheds, the 

 urine is also conducted through channels to wells for 

 its reception, (one on each tide of the compost heap;) 

 conmion water is entirely prevented from mixing 

 with it. Every second day the urine so collected is 

 thrown over the whole mass with a scoop, and at the 

 same time we regulate the accumuhted dung. Tnis 

 being continued for a week, another layer, nine in. 

 ches or a foot thick, of peat and sawdust (and fre- 

 quently peat without sawdust) is wheeled on the ac. 

 cumulated heap. Tliese matters are continually 

 added to each other during winter, and in addition 

 once in every week never less than 25 cwt., more 

 frequently 50 cwt., of night soil and urine ; the lat. 

 tcr are always laid next above the peat or bog earth, 

 as we think it accelerates their decomposition. It 

 is perhaps proper here to state that the peat is dug 

 and exposed to the alternations of the weather for 

 several months before it is brought to the heap for 

 admixture; by this it loses much of its moisture. — 

 In some eases, peat contains acid or astringent mat- 

 ters, which are injurious to useful vegetation. On 

 this I have not trjed any decided experiments, but 

 ara led to the supposition l,y ffoqucoly seeingatonas, 

 aouDo in a parf iaj sXa^e ,9f (<e^,9rapo3itic)n, others 

 ■wholly decomposed in bogSj an(ji at ijje depfh of »e- 

 "tistal ioDt from the surface. Spme jears' experience 



has convinced me of the impropriety of using recent- 

 ly dug peat ; proceeding in the manner I recom- 

 mend, it is superior, and more convenient on every 

 account — much lighter to cart to the farm yard or 

 any other situation where it is wanted ; and so con- 

 vinced am I of its utility in composts of every des 

 cription of soil, except that of its own character, 

 that wherever it can be laid down on a farm at less 

 than 4s. per ton, I should recommend to every agri 

 culturist and horticulturist that can command it, 

 even at the cost here stated, to give it a fair trial. 

 So retentive and atlracliveof moisture is peat, that 

 if liberally applied to any arid, sandy soil, that soil 

 does not burn in a dry season, and it so much im. 

 proves the texture and increases the produce of an 

 obdurate clay soil, if in other respects riglitly cuiti 

 vated, that actual experience alone can fairly deter- 

 mine its value. 



For the conveyance of night soil and mine, wc 

 have the largest and strongest casks, such as oils are 

 imported in ; the top of which is provided with a 

 funnel to put the matters through, and the casks are 

 fixed on wheels like those of a common dung cart. 

 For the convenience of emptjing this carriage, the 

 compost heaps are always lower at one end ; the 

 highest is where we discharge the contents, in or- 

 der that they in some degree spread over the whole 

 accumulation : the situation on which the wheels of 

 these carriages stand while being discharged is rais. 

 ed considerably; this wc find convenient, as the 

 compoi-t heap may be ^lopcd six or seven feet high : 

 low compost heaps, in my opinion, should be avoid- 

 ed. The plan here recommended, I have carried on 

 for some time. I fii(d no difficulty in manuring my 

 farm over once in two years; by this repetition I 

 keep up the fertility of my land, and it never requires 

 more than a moderate apniication of manure. 



I am fully aware that there are many localities 

 where nciiher peat nor night-soil can be readily ob. 

 taincd ; but it is worth a farmer's while to go even 

 more than twenty miles for the latter substance, pro- 

 vided he can have it without deterioration : the orig- 

 inal cost is often triflmg. On a farm where turnips 

 or mangold arc euUivated to some extent, the sys. 

 tern here recommended will be almost incalculably 

 advantageous ; a single home is sufficient for one 

 carriage — mine hold upwards of a ton each ; six 

 tons of this manure in compost with peat, or, if that 

 is not convenient, any other matters, such as ditch 

 scourings, or high headlands which have been pro- 

 perly prepared and laiil in a dry heap for some time, 

 would be amply sufficient for an acre of mangold 

 or turnips. This manure is by far the most invig. 

 orating of any I have ever yet tried ; bones in any 

 state will bear no comparison with it lor any crop; 

 but it must be remembered that I write on the sup- 

 position that it has not been reduced in stii-ngth be. 

 fore it is fetched. 



Convenience fiequently suggests that coraf>ost 

 heaps should be raised on difterent parts of a farm ; 

 but, unh ss in particular instances, it is well to have 

 them in the yard ; in it all the urine from the cattle 

 stalls may be employed with the greatest economy ; 

 and be it remembered that the urine from animals, 

 in given weights, is more powerful than their solid 

 excremcnls.* How important then must it bu to the 

 farmer to make the most careful use of this liquid. 

 It is sometimes carted on the land, but that practice 

 will not bear a comparison with making it into com- 

 posts in the manner here recommended. Grejit 

 waste is often made in putrescent manures after 

 they arc called on the land; instead of being im- 

 mediately covered or incorporated with the soil, wr 

 not unfrcquently see them exposed for days together 

 in the hot rays of a scorching sun, or to the injuri. 

 ou3 influences of a dry wind. I have before stated 

 that compost heaps should on many considerations 

 be raised in the farm yard; still, circumstances are 

 lrcq\iciitly such that it is more proper to make them 

 at some distance in the fields. If a headland be. 

 comes too high by frequent phnighings or working 

 of the land, in that case it should be ploughed at the 

 time when clover or mi.xed grass seeds arc sown 

 with a white crop, forinslance, barley or oats, and 

 clover for the year following : a headland might 

 then be ploughed, and a number of cart loads of 

 some manure heaped from one end to the other. Im- 

 mediately after this it should bo trenched with the 

 spade (or what is sometimes called digging) and 



* This must he taken with sonic limitationg, for urine con- 

 talna yu to 9j percent, of water; and unmixed dung con- 

 laiiis .111 tile sBitB of urin<?, besides much mucus and other 

 substances W.I* Ruas, 



,f 



ridged high, in order that an action should tab 

 place between the soil and manure ; bv this mear 

 the mass would soon be in a condition for turnin 

 over, and any riilch scourings, or other matters whic 

 had not in the tirst instance been used, might no' 

 be added to the mixture. The heap should then I 

 allowed to remain closed for a few weeks, then tun 

 ed over again ; at this turning, in all probability, tl 

 mass would be much reduced ; if sufficiently redi 

 ced, raise the ridge of compost well on both side 

 but, instead of its top being pointed, make a trenc 

 or cavity on the top from one end of the heap to tl: 

 other. This cavity should be made tolerably retei 

 tive of moisture, which may be effi-cted by trcadin 

 with the feet ; carriages of night soil or urine froi 

 the cattle stalls may then be emptied into tf 

 trench, and the bulk of the heap would determir 

 how many were required ; this being done, a litt 

 earth should be tiirown into the trench, and tl 

 heap allowed to remain in tliat stale until the mi. 

 die or latter end of autumn ; it will then be ready f 

 another turning; but at this time care must bet: 

 ken to have the heap well made up at the sides ar 

 pt.intcd at the top ; in this situation rain will I 

 thrown off, and the compost preserved dry until wii 

 ter presents some favorable opportunity for laying 

 on the young clover, wheat, or for making any ot) 

 cr use of it which may be required. 



The beneficial ctfects of top dressing young oil 

 vers or mixed grass seeds is scarcely ever regard* 

 with due attention. By this help, crop? are not oiil. 

 much increased, even 39 or 50 per cent., but thft 

 are also ready for cutting much sooner, which in 

 backward spring gives the stock farmer incstimabi 

 advantages for sorting his cattle, and thereby raisiB: 

 manure at his pleasure. The full etfects of tl) 

 practice I first experienced in the dry season of 18%1 

 I had some clovers which had been manured tit 

 previous winter; my land was soon covered wil' 

 crop, and that so vigorous a one, that the hot wei. 

 tlier did not overpower it. My cows that sumnfc. \ 

 were tied up during the day-time, and in the ni; ' 

 they were turned out into the pastures; most of 

 stock in my district were much distressed from ove< u 

 heat as well as from being short of food for soiji ,_ 

 weeks ; milk yielded little butter, scarcely any foil |j, 

 time was ofi'ered in our large market town : — h , 

 doubt that year will bo remembered by many gentai j, 

 men on the Agricultural Society's committee. { 

 however, was under no difficulties on account, 

 the season : my clovers produced plenty of food ll 

 my cattle, and in return they yielded as much mi» ju, 

 and butter as I ever recollect from the same nutt 

 her. I am persuaded that the same satisfactory! 

 suits would have followed if the same system hi 

 been adopted for feeding ; it was that year my t ;;iil 

 lenlion was first directed to raising compost hea» 

 from urine. This I now do frequently without (I les 

 help of any dung fiom the cattle stalls; the salt' 

 occasion called my mind to another matter wifiB 

 worthy every farmer's attention. — I allude to tl ' 

 great superiority of the manure raised in sumra 

 soiiing to that produced in the stalls during winti 

 I very believe the difference is fifty per cent., unle 

 stock are fed in a great measure during winter wi 

 artificial food. 



In an arrangement for making compost liel^ '' 

 from urine, I would recommend a receptacle to 

 made at the back of the cattle stalls just outside t 

 building ; this should hold about twenty cartloa 

 of mould, or any other matters to be employed ; if. 

 situation were a little lower than the cattle shc#l 

 all the urine would pass into it, and there remii T 

 until the mass is completely saturated, which ij^ lii 

 be sufficient ; when the earthy matters are covei 

 over with it, the compost may then be thrown i 

 and the proceeding again renewed. In orderi' lai 

 show part of the benefits of this practice, I beg hw 

 to observe that the most foul or weedy mould nm % 

 boused; the action of the urine, if not reduced! 

 water, is so pov/erful, that wire worms, black sin, 

 many other destroying insects, and all vcgetablfi 

 weeds, <tc., when in contact with the urine fo|) 

 time, are deprived of their living functions. ' 

 situation for raising this compost should be protci 

 from the weather by a covering similar to a 

 shed ; indeed the deteriorating influences of rain, i 

 and arid winds, on all putrescent matters or o 

 post, arc so serious, that, in my humble judgmi 

 it would be worth while to have places under o 

 where these areusua'ly laid down. 



I beg to conclude this essay with some obsc] 

 tioQs made on a former occasion : No amelioral 



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