Vol. V. 



€n 3ntptnDB tljt Inil ml ib BinJr. 



ALBANY, MAY, 1857. 



No. V. 



Theory of the Uanagement and Application of Bam- 

 Yard Hannre. 

 Which is btst, fresh or fermented manure ? Nei- 

 ther is best always, and each is best sometimes. 



Perfectly fresh manure is probably not a fertiliser 

 for our cultivated plants. Doubtless it cannot bo ab- 

 sorbed and appropriated to any great extent by the 

 higher kinds of vegetation, until it has undergone those 

 changes which are comprehended under the terms fer- 

 mentation, putrefaction and decay. All evidence pointg 

 out the products of these changes to be the actual food 

 of plants. Wo are quite warranted in assuming that 

 stable or yard manure must ferment or decay before 

 it can exert much beneficial action on a growing crop. 

 It does not necessarily follow, however, that the ma- 

 nure must be fermented in the usual sense, i. e., rot- 

 tod, above ground, before it is given to the soil. Ma- 

 nure may often decay in the soil itself, so rapidly as to 

 become immediately useful to crops, though applied in 

 a fresh or nearly fresh state. 



It may also remain for a time unaeconiposert and 

 innutritive to the plant. This will depend chiefly upon 

 the character of the soil,— will bo affected also by 

 weather, and by the nature of the manure. In order 

 to enable us to decide what will happen to fresh ma- 

 nure if buried in the soil, we must in the first place 

 know what are tho conditions of decomposition. These 

 are, let, moisture, not wetness nor dryness— 2d, tcarmth 

 — 3d, occe.<s of atmospheric air, or of the oxygon of 

 the air. Furthermore, other things being equal, the 

 decomposition of manure is more rapid as it contains 

 more nitrogenous matter. Horse-dung ferments quicker 

 than cow-dung J it is richer in nitrogen. On tho other 

 hand, the more coarse litter that is mixed with dung, 

 the slower will tho whole ferment ; while the porosity 

 or division of it, which increases its contact with air 

 must facilitate decomposition. The last mentioned cir- 

 cumstances, it will be seen, are to a degree antagonistic, 

 and compensate each other. 



If our premises thus far, are correct, it is obvious 

 that in soils which are warm, porous, and neither too 

 wet nor too dry, manure will decompose readily, so 

 that it may bo furrowed under to a certain depth, in 

 the fresh state, and yet produce its maximum effect 

 upon the soil. It is also plain that manure, espeoiallj 



if mixed with much coarse long litter, may be protect- 

 ed more or less from decomposition, when buried in a 

 wet or heavy soil, and may therefore fail to manifest a 

 decided action, or so decided an action ae an equiva- 

 lent of previously fermented manure. 



From the above, we are not by any means warrant- 

 ed in assuming that fresh manure is best on all light 

 warm soils, and fermented manure on all clayey or 

 heavy soils. There are substances which exert a spo- 

 ciflo action on decomposing organic matters ; some 

 facilitate, others hinder their decomposition. Lime is 

 generally supposed to belong to the former class, and 

 gypsum is known to be one of the latter kind of bodies. 

 It is not improbable that oxyd of iron and alumina 

 when existing as such in the soil, may check decompo- 

 sition i probably too, the humus of the soil, when of 

 the acid sort, aa when formed in presence of much wa- 

 ter, may hinder decomposition. But of the precise 

 effect of the various ingredients of the soil we possess 

 no minute knowledge. These suggestions ore made 

 merely to show that probably there are many causes 

 that may modify the process of decomposition, and 

 consequently the apparent value of manure. 



The depth to which tho manure is buried is of tho 

 greatest influence. A case has just come to my knowl- 

 edge, of a garden into which stable manure was deep- 

 ly trenched by a former owner several years since ; 

 the present proprietor has recently found tho buried 

 manure just advanced to a medium state of decompo- 

 sition. If manure be covered shallow in a light soil, 

 especially if it be imperfectly covered, in dry weather 

 it may become too dry to be of service to tho vegeta- 

 tion. When managed as Mr. Clark describes, (Co 

 Gent., No. 8, p. 122, 1857,) the resulU are found to be 

 good. He turns the moist and solid manure under a 

 sod. Decay goes on with sufficient rapidity— the ma- 

 nure cannot dry up. Will Mr. Clark have tho goodness 

 to inform us how deeply he covers the manure — whether 

 he turns the sod flat or leaves it inclined — and what 

 are the characters of his soil ond sub-soil, — especially 

 how porous and how retentive of moisture and of water 

 they are 1 



Mr. Johnston of Geneva, and Mr. Norton of Farm 

 ington, Cl., if wo mistake not, experience least imme 

 diate benefit from manure plowed in when fresh. la 



