165 



do not choose to comply with this moderate re- 

 quisition, can neither wonder, nor complain, at 

 our taking the necessary measures to enforce 

 the payment of the full amount; which we 

 shall proceed to do immediately after allowing 

 due time for the effect of this, our last notice. — 

 We are very sure I hat three-fourths of these 

 delinquencies proceed from forgetfulness and are 

 due to the smallness of the amount involved : 

 therefore, it is only necessary to remind such 

 gentlemen that they are indebted to us, to pro- 

 cure the remittance. 



BOMMER'S MANURE. 

 We know of no invention that has excited 

 more curiosity than Mr. Bommer's new process 

 of making manure. We have had hundreds of 

 applications upon the subject, and we have re- 

 turned but one answer to all the applicants, viz : 

 " We have no personal knowledge upon the 

 subject, but we have put the matter in the hands 

 of a gentleman in this neighborhood, to be tho- 

 roughly tested by him, and his report, whether 

 for good or for evil, will be published in the July 

 number of the Planter." This report, which we 

 are happy to find is of the most satisfactory 

 .character, is contained in the letter below from 

 Mr. Woodfin. It is unnecessary for us to say 

 any thing in this community of the standing 

 and respectability of this gentleman ; to those 

 to whom he is unknown we will say, that we 

 selected him as one of those individuals whose 

 testimony would go as far as any body's. Mr. 

 Woodfin is also known to most of the readers 

 of agricultural papers for his skill and science 

 in agricultural chemistry, to which, of late years, 

 he has devoted much of his attention. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 Mr. Charles T. Botts : 



Dear Sir, — Having been requested by you to 

 give a candid statement of my opinion of Bom- 

 mer's patent method of making manure, for pub- 

 lication in your July number of the Planter, I 

 will now with much pleasure proceed to say all 

 I know about it. 



On the 13ih of May at night, I finished the 

 preparation of a heap, according to his method, 

 composed chiefly of dry wheat-straw, to which 

 I added a small quantity of coarse unfermented 

 stable litter, which was also, mostly, wheat- 

 straw, and proceeded to treat it according to the 

 directions laid down in his pamphlet. On the 

 18th day after the heap was constructed, it was 

 opened in the presence of a number of farmers, 



and other gentlemen feeling an interest in the 

 matter. It was found not to be entirely decom- 

 posed, but in a high state of fermentation, which 

 gave evidence that entire decomposition of the 

 materials would very soon be the result : in order 

 to facihtate it, however, I gave it another wa- 

 tering with the lees, which has efi'ected the 

 complete decomposition of the whole mass. — 

 According to Mr. Bommer's method, entire de- 

 composition should have been efifected in fifteen 

 days, and I have no doubt such would have 

 been the result, if it had been conducted with 

 more skill ; up to the tenth day, I had succeeded 

 in producing a very high degree of heat ; on 

 that day, I gave it a very copious watering, 

 thereby adulterating the lees too much, which 

 caused the fermentation to subside in a measure. 

 If the third watering had been properly made, 

 with the lees in sufficient strength, I have no 

 doubt the result would have been more satisfac- 

 tory. As it is, I have succeeded in thirty days, 

 in accomplishing that which I could not, by any 

 method known to me, have accomplished in six 

 months. I have never used any of this manure, 

 this being the only heap I have made, I cannot, 

 therefore, speak of its effect on vegetation ; from 

 its appearance, however, and my knowledge of 

 the materials used in its manufacture, I should 

 consider it of far greater value than the best 

 stable manure, made in the usual way ; I would 

 not now exchange mine, load for load, for the 

 best I ever saw. 



This method, as Mr. Bommer justly observes, 

 has the, advantage over all others by enabling 

 the farmer to have his manure when and where 

 he wants it. I shall make another heap in a 

 few days, mostly of green weeds, grass roofs, 

 &c. &c. when, if you desire it, I will give you 

 the result. 



To make manure by this method is not cost- 

 ly, but somewhat troublesome ; but what good 

 thing can be obtained without trouble or expense? 



I have thus, sir, given you a candid state- 

 ment of all I know at present about Bommer's 

 patent manure, 



And remain, very truly, 

 Yours, 



Geo. Woodfin. 



June 13, 1843. 



From our conversations with Mr. Woodfin, 

 we know, that this report is, as it should be, as 

 careful and guarded as possible. He felt the 

 responsibility of the task imposed on him, and 

 determined to say nothing, however sanguine 

 his anticipations might be, that could, by possi- 

 bility, induce the public to think more of this 

 invention than it deserved. For our own part, 

 from what we have seen and heard of this ex- 

 periment, we feel authorized to say that, which 



