116 



THE NEW GENESEE FARMER, 



Vol. 3 



On Daniels' Artificial Manure. 



The subjoined communication refers to the remarks 

 of our correspondent J. E. T. in our July number 

 These remarks it will be seen arc in some measure 

 qualified in his communication of this month, made 

 after having become more acquainted with the actual 

 constituents of this celebrated maniire. We sjive 

 place to this communication from the highest nnlhor- 

 ity, with great pleasure. Dr. Dana's valuable book, 

 the Muck Manual, has not yet received that attention 

 in our columns which is due, and y7hicli wp design to 

 give to it. This is owing to repeated disappointments 

 in " promises to pay" on the part of our correspon- 

 dents. In that book is illustrated more fully the 

 "action of carbonic acid" upon oilicates, which Dr. 

 Dana refers to in this letter as of so grept importance. 

 We shall presently give his views of it more at large, 

 leaving to others to determine how well they are 

 founded. 



Of this book, the Muck Manual lor Farmers, by 

 S. L. Dana, we find the subjoined notice in the July 

 number of Silliman's Journal of Science, which we 

 have no doubt is from the pen of Professor Hitchcock. 



*' In conclusion, we can cordially recommend this 

 work to our agricultural friends for its practical char- 

 acter. It is not saying too much to assert, that Dr. 

 Dana has done for the farmer in this treatise, what Dr. 

 Bowditch did for the sailor when he published his 

 Practical Navigator. In this respect this treatise con- 

 trasts strongly with such a work as that of Liebig on 

 the Organic Chemistry of Agriculture, &c., which, 

 notwithstanding its originality and the pliilosophical 

 beauty of its theories, is apt to make the impression 

 upon the farmer that he is not at present to expect 

 much from agricultilral chemistry but ingenious con- 

 jecture. We are sure that Dr. Dana's work will re- 

 move this impression, while ort the other band; the 

 chemist will see in it evidence of the rapid advance of 

 this science. Within two years, three able Europeon 

 chemists, Liebig, Daube'r.y and Johnson, have given 

 to the world most mature and vchinble treatises npon 

 it ; and now we have a cis-Atl'aiuic effijrt, v/hich will 

 not suffer by a comparison with any other. Tiuly 

 the genius of agricnltuie may exult in the bright 

 prospects that are opening before her." 



Dear Sir — The remarks of your correspondent 

 J. E. I', on the " new manure," like all things from 

 his highly gifted peri, are of great value. He does 

 not, however, seem to go to the root of the mat- 

 ter. After showing the value of nmmoniacal liquor 

 Irom gasavrorks, hesuppoBcs that the " new manure" 

 may be an attempt to form a substance or miiiuro, 

 which resembles pit-coal ; that this evolves ammo- 

 nia, by spontaneous decay, as coal does by dry distil- 

 Igtion. This is his explanation of the action of the 

 new manure. It is good as far as it goes ; but attrib- 

 utes too much to ammonia. When we consider the 

 very email proportion which nitrogen forms of the 

 whole mass of vegetable matter, averagino; about 0,173 

 ot the whole mass of cultivated crops, seeds, roots, 

 stalks, &c., when green, and that whatever may be 

 that proportion, nitrogen forms only 14-17 of any 

 portion of ammonia, the quantity of this element, 

 formed by the proportion of the new manure said to 

 be useu, must he quite too siriall to exert such effects 

 as are soid to be produced by its use. The proportion 

 of nitrogen in coal is rated too high by J. E. T. Dr. 

 Thomson assigns, according to Henry and Ure, quite 

 too small a portion of oxygen in coal, while his quan- 

 tity of nitrogen, though estimated according to the 

 best mode of analysis then in use, is much too high. 

 It was probably a mixture of oiygen and nitrogen 

 La;er analyses, conducted on more refined principles 

 by Richardson, give an average of nitrogen and oxy- 

 gen, of 8.852 in caking, splent, cherry and cannel 

 coal. What proportion these bear to each other, does 

 not appear ; but, since Liebig, deducing the compo- 

 sition of coal from woody fibre, by subtracting water, 

 carbonic acid, and carburetied hydrogen, excludes 

 nitrogen from coal, we may suppoae that it doos not 



amount to a much greater proportion than that actu- 

 ally formed by Dr. Scbafhaeutl, in Welsh anthracite. 

 The average of two samples aflTording of nitrogen only 

 962, or, in round niimbers, one per cent. This 

 analysis confirms what observation has long shown, 

 that the burning of our anthracites, produces abun- 

 dant nmmoniacal salts. The remark of J. E. T., 

 therefore, that antjiracite contains no nitrogen, re- 

 quires modification. Had not analysis detected ni- 

 trogen, we might have attributed (as no doubt itis, 

 in part,) the formation of ammonii in this case, to the 

 paesoge of moist air over tha ignited carbon ; o well 

 known and abundant source of the formation of this 

 alkali. It is a question whether the sppntan»ous de- 

 cay of coal ever evolves ammonia. It is on this point 

 that the c-:;planaiion of J. E. T. rests, so far as bitu- 

 minous substances forms part of Daniel's manure. 

 Spontaneous decoy is a very different process from 

 dry distillation in a closed vessel. It is quite probable 

 that the bitumen acts less than the Bitlphur. This last 

 acts by gradualjy forniingsnlphalee, and probbaly your 

 corroppondent is right iji attributing very little to its 

 effects. We have then, sawdust, alkali and lime for 

 the active agents. The effects of the new manure are 

 duo to other causes : 1st. 'to the evolution of carbonic 

 acid gas. 2d. To the alkali forming soluble geine. 

 with the woody fibre, whose decay is hastened by the 

 presence both of that alkali and of lime. Tho saw- 

 dust, coritaiiui all the elements of maiiure, organic and 

 inorganic. Dry sawdust expopel to air, decays — car- 

 bonic acid, water and ammonia result. While it 

 loses, thus 3 parts in 100 of carbon, it loses] 2 parts 

 of oxygen and hydrogen, as water ; or loses altogeth- 

 er 15 parts. l( the air is excluded, as in the present 

 case, End moisture is present, then the water is decom- 

 posed and a larger portion of carbonic acid is formed. 

 The loss of weight is now from 18 to ?5 per cent, and 

 the resulting mssB is £ei;)e or humus This imme- 

 diately combines with the alkali and abundance of 

 soluble manure is formed. The small portion of fixed 

 alkali here acta like ammonia in cow dung. "The im- 

 mediate effects of the " new manure'; ore due to the 

 evolution of carbonic acid among the silicates of the 

 soil, "rhese are decomposed by it. Their alkali is 

 let loose, and acts on insoluble geine in the soil; the 

 phosphates, combined with the silicates, are set free. 

 This action of carbonic acid upon silicates, has been 

 quite overlooked. The necessity of forming it, among 

 the silicates, where plants are sprouting and growing, 

 is of the first importance. The function of carbonic 

 ocid is here of the highest order in vegetable growth 

 and culture. It is the high function of fermenting 

 manure. It must never be lost sight of. No matter 

 how rich a soil may be, in goine, if that has lost the 

 power of sponloneously and readily producing carbon- 

 ic acid, it is is dead, barren — it must produce carbonic 

 acid, not for the food of the plants, but to decompose 

 the silicates. On thia turns the theory of rotation of 

 crops. I shall touch upon this hereafter. To the 

 causes above referred, is to be attributed the effect of 

 the new manure. I doabt not the same results would 

 follow from alkali and sawdust only — ihe same re- 

 sults w}iich follow from muck and alkali, a little 

 quickened perhaps, by a more free productio^i of car- 

 bonic acid. If so, we are taught an important and 

 practical lesson. Saw dust, or fine woody fibre, is to 

 be added to swamp muck and alkali, ii.ll this is to 

 be learned by trial. Let it be tried. 



In connection with this subject, this evolution of 

 carbonic acid, I would suggest to J. E. T. whether 

 his remark, that fat is useless among the offal of tho 

 slaughter house, may not lead to a waste of a very 

 good manure. 



Fat, &c., is useful in two ways : 1st. By exposure 

 to air, it evolves much carbonic ocid. 2d. During 



this process, it gives up its glycerine. This last is an 

 organic product, highly soluble in water. To this 

 fact, "spent ley'' owes no small part of its good ef 

 fects. S. L. D. 

 LmocU, July, 1842. 



Notice. 



Professor Liebig has a new work in the press on 

 Organic Chemistry and Physiology. It will be pub- 

 listed simultaneously in this country under the care 

 of Professor Webster, the able editor of Liebig's for- 

 mer work. The work has been tronslated by Profes- 

 sor .(Jregoryj who expresses himself as follows in re- 

 lation to it. 



"In my opinion, this work will mark the com- 

 mencement of a nsW era ih Tphygiology. In trans- 

 lating it, 1 hove experienced the highest admiration of 

 tlie profound sogocity which bos enabled Liebig to 

 erect so very beautiful a struclure on the foundation 

 of facts, which others hod allowed to remain for 30 

 long utterly imcless, and of the logical structure antl 

 extreme cogency of his arg.umcnis. There is hardly 

 a point in physiology occessiblo to chemisty (I mean, 

 of course, those on which experiments hrive been ac- 

 tually made) on which he has not, by the mere iorce 

 of his intellect, thrown the brightest light. In short, 

 we now feel that physiology has entered on the trae 

 path, and the rerjiis, before long, will, I prophesy, hs 

 altogether astonishing." 



On the use of Salt for destroying Urubs. 



We have much pleasure in submitling the subjoin- 

 ed communication to our readers. Jts suggestions in 

 regard to ngricultunjl experiments are of the highest 

 importance. Experience is the certain road to useful 

 knowledge. Every farmer can afford to make ex. 

 periments, if not on a large yet on a small scale ; and 

 experiments on a small scale may be eijuoMy /^oncja- 

 sive and satisfactory as others. All that is wanted in 

 these csECs is exactness of observation in regard to all 

 the circumstances under which the experiment is made 

 its progress thoughout and its results. Every practi- 

 cal farmer is continually making cxperinients. Jiis 

 whole course of culiivaiion is to-o degree, a course of 

 experiments ; here then let him carefully write its pro- 

 gress, its incidents and itp, results ; and let him jour, 

 nalise them for his own benefit, and communicate 

 them for the benefit of his neighbors. 



The " Plough Boy" we have never seen. It is we 

 believe the only agricultural publication of the State 

 that we are not in possession of. We wish some 

 friend would put v.e in the way of obtaining a copy ; 

 and we should certainly republish the communication 

 referred to. Nor do we recollect Cartwright's coni- 

 munication on preventing the rust in wheat. To the 

 concluding suggestion of our respected friend wo 

 must demur, as believing it wholly impracticable. At 

 a convenient season wc design to treat the whole sub- 

 ject of salt as a manure, a subject on which much has 

 been wriiteu but little is determined. Ed. 



Mr. Henrv Colman :— In yo;;r Jcne number is 

 a valuable communication relative to the efficacy of 

 salt in destroying the grub. By way of confirminjf 

 this information would it not be well to repuhlioh a 

 communication made by J^Iojor Smith of Albany, 

 upon this subject to the Plough Boy, as long ago ^ 

 1821. You will find it in the 2nd vol. 98ih page. — 

 I am induced to make this suggestion in consequence 

 of our mutual friend H. D. Grove remarking to me 

 that he had used the quantity per acre recommended 

 by your correspondent, without complete success, if 

 with any succeos at all — which according to Mr, 

 Smith is* quite impossible unless the salt is dissolved. 

 My experience confirms the truth of Mr, Smith's 

 statements--! have loiig since called the attention oj 

 the Cultivator to it as one of the most important com- 

 mnnications that liave been made to the farmers. 



Dr. Harris, in his report on the insects of Massa- 

 chusetts, has made mention of the value of salt water 

 in removing those aphides that prey npon the roots of 



