AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



67 



livcr, ilint tiiiu' 111 some soile, eoun censea to he n 

 unnie,* ii is probable ibni the renl quaniiiy ot lime 

 even grciiicr ilinn what was iiulicaicil by iho nnol 

 [have seen sills of remaiknble fertility, ihn> 

 irnlly coninined n very largo proportion oi lime : 

 there is no dnngerol having toj imicli when it is 

 jerly applied. 



11 drought, how ore plants supplied with water 1 

 !r n fhowcv, theaoilmny be wet enough forn time; 

 when the sun and wind tliy the surface, the inois- 

 ; rises up from below by capillary atirnction, as the 



81011 tallow rises np through the wic-k o( a candle 

 upply iho deticienoy above. It is from this cir- 

 i^uinoe ihnt our crops over deep beds of sand suf- 

 less in dry weather than where the subsoil is hard 

 mpermeablc, showing the benefit of deep and 

 rough ploughing. In either case, however, as the 

 ply bigins to fail, and the soil grows drier, its 

 St parts absorb moisture from the air ; and the 

 nts are constantly nourished by this invisible foun- 



^' But the difilrent constituent parts of the soil, act 

 h diflorent degrees of energy. t Of the earths, 



silioioHsis the wcaUost, ami the aluminous the 



ng?;t, while lime holds an intcrmediste position. 



one of these, however, would do by i'.aclf. We 

 lit snnd, because no s.iil cimsibt ug entirely of im- 

 julile nialicre, is fertile ;§ and we want it to keep 



soil loose, so th.Tt the air ean enter Its pores, anJ 



up the water which it liolds as vapor. Without 

 h assistance, stitT clay or aluminous earth would 



jorb bat little moisture from the atmosphere, bccouse 

 cnkes, and shuts out the air. Lime is also a valua- 

 : auxiliary in rendering the Bill more absorbent, in- 

 pendent of its other indispens'ible qualities. 

 But the soil, however it may be tempered and con- 

 tuted, can never be absorbent in a h gh degree 

 thout culture. Some crops indeed require more of 

 is quality than oihers- Thus Indian corn requires 

 ore than wheat ; and wheat more than the grasses 

 the meadow. But vegetable and animal matters 

 e more absorbent thon the earths ; and culture only 

 n properly introduce them into the S'd. Even when 

 ere, frcqu'int stirring is necessary to keep the ground 

 ose and the pores open, for the free admission of the 

 r and the easy passage of the roots. 

 Our coats sometimes become spotted with mud. 

 e apply the brush, but the bristles pa-s over with- 

 it effecting its removal. What is the reason ? The 

 ay which was suspended in the water, forms a gk/.e 

 t. It Is just so with the interior of a soil 

 hich has laid long unstirred. The clay forms a 

 ust round the inside of all the little cavities, prevent- 

 g the free circulation of air, and the introduction of 

 oist vapor. The fertilieing principles are excluded. 

 Tiiecelebiated Tci.i., observing the extraordinary 

 Tecta of high culture, concluded th.it plants fed on 

 ellow earth, and Duhamei. adopted the same notion, 

 'heir philosophy was coarse, but their practice was 

 Tie. If we were to follow their example, making 

 lenty of tine earth for the plants — not to feed on, 

 ut to drink from, our crops might be greatly incrcas- 

 d. One of the chief errors of our husbandly is to 

 ult-va:e too much land, lecause it is only half done, 

 lalf the quantity with double the work on it, and 

 oubla crops would be found more profitable. 



1 have long believed, however, that no part of the 

 ystem required reformation more than our manage- 

 nent of manures. Manure has been called the wealth 

 f the I'armer. When it is taken out in the spring, 



s com.Tionly scattered over the ground in "large 

 umps ; the plough comes along and covers thorn, or 

 as the case may be. If covered, they interoopl 

 he GS'.-ent of the moisture from below, especially in 

 ry seasons. If not covered, they lie wasting on the 

 ?round — of very little value. Indeed some excellent 

 "armers have sotiefied ihenisclves that strawy manure 



nnprofitable for summer crops. 



I am lar from holding that opinion, however. The 

 error consists in not applying It to t e soil m the best 

 manner. lu the spring of 1840, I had no ground tor 

 field beets, but a small lot where corn had grown fur 

 two years in succession. It was unfit for such a crop 

 withoui miinure ; and I had only fresh manure from 

 the stable, which has Ions been considered most un 

 favorable to the beet. My necessity, however, pre- 

 vailed against opinion ; and I took the responsibility, 

 •"rom each line where the beets were to grow, two 

 furrows were turned so as to leave a wide dead fur- 

 row. Into this the manure was thrown from the 



i:\y (ill Cal 



'Uavy's A»risiiitur:il Chsiulstr.v-. 



{■"Siind gives litt o alisorbent poveT.''—Jfriru!lura2 

 Chtrmatrij. ■• Saad is incapiil.ls ot" nbsorWng niciii, urc iVo.m 

 the ntmospherfi. or of rotainlncunv vsualile vapor oriiuld." 



wi'gin, each fork full touching the one just behind it, 

 tilt the row was comjilcted. it was well c-ovorod by 

 turning two furrows togeiher over it, wliicb /itW i> 

 rfoirn while the harrow was passing four times in suc- 

 cession, breaking, pulverizing, and nii.\ing it intimate- 

 ly with the soil. Again two lurrows were turned to- 

 gether over the row, and the harrow pafstd twice 

 more — in all, six times. By this piocess the ground 

 wos reduced to a fine tilth : .iiul If there M'ero any 

 better beets in the county, I did not see them. 



To me, It was a most instructive e.tperinient. I 

 have often seen manure applied to corn fields, but 

 never in any case where it was eo completely incoi- 

 pnrated with line earth. Even in the driest part of 

 that season, the giound was always moist and mellow. 

 I am satisfied that we have been too saving of our 

 iiarrows. Thirty years ago, there was a method of 

 ploughing in this country called " ctit and cocer." It 

 was ploughing, not to the sharcf. but the hnlrrs — the 

 furrow slice covering the space where a furrow ought 

 to have been. I am apprehensive that our ideas of 

 harrowing were learnetl in the some school. When 

 grain Is sowed. Is It not the prevailing opinion that it 

 is harrowed enough when the seed is covered ? I 

 had a narrow land harrowed sixieen times in one 

 day, and was satisfied that the labor was well applied 

 For beets, or torn, or potatoes, what would be the 

 effect of ploughing In a heavy dressing of stable ma- 

 nure, harrowing twice, and repeoting the operations 

 ol the ploughing aiid barrowings four times more, ad- 

 ding each time to the deoth of the soil 7 I have not 

 yet performed the experiment, but the nearer I have 

 approached it the finer has been the clop. Thorough 

 culture would seem to require that every little lump 

 should be broken, so that the roots could wander 

 freely in every direction, and that every drop of a 

 summer shower, should be caught and retained for 

 future use. Hard land and thin soils have some re- 

 semblonce to a dish bottom upvi'ards. 



An instrument for pulverizing the soil was invented 

 a few years ago in Virginia, by Thomas B. Gay. It 

 is called the Drog-roller, for it operates just as a roller 

 would that does not Ivrn, but drng. Take a hollow 

 log, six or seven teet long, split it in two, and one 

 half would serve for this instrument. The greater the 

 diameter, the easier it would run ; and he less liable 

 ,0 clog by gathering clods before it. Three feet would 

 he better than two, though either would answer. 

 F"rame two pieces of scantling into it. connecting 

 them in front ; and to this fixture the team is to be 

 attached. 



D) you believe that clods as big os a man's fist, or 

 as big as his head, are more useful to the crop thon 

 stones of the same size ? I do not. But If we break 

 them — grind them to dust — and leave them on the 

 land, they would do as much good as other inellow 

 earth of the same bulk. Now in warring against the 

 clods, this Instrument is formidable : and most so be- 

 fore they become thoroughly dried. On the same 

 day, therefore, that 'he plough turns Ihem vp, let the 

 dthg-roUrr grind ihem dozen; and let me suggest 

 that lumps of barn yard manuie would escape not 

 much better. 



Stable manure, however, ie often saved for the 

 wheat field ; and at any time during the summer, 

 either before or after harvest, It is taken outand thrown 

 into heaps, where it lies wasting until seed lime. It 

 is then thrown round into large lumps as before men- 

 tioned, the plough covering some, wiiile others too 

 big to cover, stick up over the field. If the wheat is 

 harrowed, perhaps some of these pyramids arc upset 

 or demolished ; but often the harrow serves them as 

 the plough did — gives them a shove and passes on. 

 iVow it seems very clear to me that manures applied 

 in this way, is comparatively of little value. 



There is another class of farmers who manage things 

 differently. Soon otter the warm weather commen- 

 ces in spring, they collect all t'ae manure of the barn 

 yard into large heaps ; and work it over, two or three 

 times in the course of the summer, fo that the straw 

 may moulder and be more easily mixed with the soil. 

 This advantage — the only one that I con discover, is 

 indeed secured, but at a heavy expense. The best 

 part of the manure passes off to visit their neighbors, 

 or roam at large through the atmosphere, leaving the 

 worst part, though still of some value, for the own- 

 ers. The praise of industry is theirs, and the reward 

 of working for nothing and finding themselves. 



Another set of farmers, more enterprising still, 

 make up all their barn yard manure into compost. 

 This is done by successive layers of manure, rich 

 earth, and lime, together with any refuse stuff, a:ii- 

 malor vegetable, that may be ai hand — to be turned 

 and mixed several times in the course of the season. 

 Such manure is always valuable ; but with a little 

 more knowledge, its value might he much increiued. 



Lot us cone der this subject. Fiom o heap of fer- 

 menting manure, a vapor contlnuolly rises, very dif- 

 ferent from the exhalation of a pond, as our noeea 

 might testily. I'eihaps some may think il at such 

 thin diet as that would be of no consequence to n 

 plant : but I can assuie thorn it Is the beat part of the 

 manure. Humphrey Davy lllled a three pint vessel 

 with a bent neck, lioni a lermcniing heap of stable 

 manure while it wos hot, and turned the beak among 

 the roots of some gross. Nothing but vapor left iho 

 vessel ; yet in loss than a wtck the gross grew with 

 much more luxuriance tlian the grass In any other 

 part of the garden ** 



The value of this vapor is thereliire evident ; hut 

 how shall we save It? in the first ploce, the lormen- 

 tation should be very gradual. Moke the heap In the 

 shade, or on the north side of a building, and monoge 

 iljust OS you would monoge a coal kiln. The more 

 the air is excluded, the slower and better will be iho 

 process. Now covering it with earth will hove this 

 efTecl ; but vapor will rise even when it fermenis slow- 

 ly, and therefore marl maybe lieely scattered through 

 the heap as it is made ; but no quick-lime. Lime in 

 deed, should form an outside covering for the whole 

 pile (when marl is not at hand); but it should be care- 

 fully prevented from coming in contact with stable 

 manure, or any animal matter. It must not touch 

 them. It spoils them. A layer of earth should be 

 interposed: ond then the lime would be highly use- 

 ful in catching and retaining the fertilizing vapor as it 

 rises. 



I believe there is no dlflerence of opinion on this 

 subject among chemists. Humphrey Davy speaks in 

 the plainest language against mixing quick-lime with 

 common dung OS injurious ; and other eminent men 

 fully accord with the doctrine. On the outside of 

 the heap, hovi'ever, quick-lime in a few weeks would 

 be carbonated ; and after undergoing this chon^e, it 

 might be safely mixed with the compost. A fresh 

 coat may then be applied. 



But some farmers may not wish lo apply their barn 

 yard manure in the spring, or make it into compost — 

 they may prefer using it after harvest, and yet not 

 have it wasting in the mean time. In that case I 

 wpuld advise that it be thrown inward where it Ilea 

 thin, just so tar that this work conjointly with the 

 work ol covering il, shall amount to the least labor. 

 Then cover the whole with straw or earth to protect ic 

 from the sun ; and couse it to be trodden down by the 

 eotile as firmly as possible to exclude the air, and pro- 

 vent fermentation. Some of yon inoy reeoliect when 

 forking up such matters after horvest, tboi the straw 

 In spots was bright and unchangeil. That was where 

 it was well trodden. All change is attended with 

 loss ; but as some change may be expected, strew 

 lime or marl and plaster plentil'ully over it, to absorb, 

 or arrest the fertilizing vapor. 



The elTect of plaster (composed of lime and sul- 

 phuric acidl has long been a source of wonder ; for it 

 was a wonder how one bushel could add more thon 

 2U times its own weight to a crop of clover. Inquir- 

 ing minds of course have been busy in trying to ex- 

 plain the mystery ; but I doubt if all 'he properties of 

 this manure are understood even at this day. Hum- 

 phrey Davy was inclined to think that plaster was a 

 necessary port ol the woody fibre of some plants, an- 

 alagous to the bony matter in animal structures. The 

 plant could not do wuhont it, though it wanted but 

 little : and hence so small a quantity had such a pow- 

 erful efl!eet. " Plants which seem most benefitted by 

 Its application," soys that eminent chemist, " always 

 afford it on analysis." 



When this theory woe announeedsome thirty years 

 ago, it was rejected In this country, where the effects 

 of plaster were much better known than In England, 

 but if he cou d have shown that it enters into sucli 

 plantain any definite proportion, some of the argu- 

 ments against him might have been refuted. It ap- 

 pears, however, that he never pursued the inquiry 

 with much interest. 



Judge Peters of Pennsylvania, had done more thon 

 any otiier person lo extend the knowledge of this ma- 

 nure, ond to favor its introduction. He had been very 

 diligent and minute In his Inquiries ; and though not 

 a professed chemist, became satisfied that sulphuric 

 acid was the active ingredient in plaster. He show- 

 edfromthe observations of Beraid, that lands near 

 Catanea in Sicily, abounding in volcanic matter, in- 

 cluding sulphur,! were very fertile ; and from an ex- 

 periment by the same person, that brimstone, pound- 

 ed, silted and mixed with ashes, had a surprising 



* navy's Atfri.ultural Chemistry. 



t A lute traveller writing from Italy, says of the f easanta 

 residing in the neighborhood of Vesuvius— " If the, r llouECfl 

 Bie liuri.eil, they return, when the lavauools, to bui'dnew 

 OLCs, and cultivate a soil inevliaustibly fertile,"' 



