THE SOUTHERN PLANTER; 



DeooteU to BijvUuimve, Sortfcultur*, antr tin fgoUEtfiolfc girts. 



Agriculture is the nursing mother of the Arts. 



Xenophon. 



Vol. IV. 



For the Southern Planter. 

 PIPE CLAY AND COMPOST HEAPS. 



Mr. Editor, — I have been a constant reader 

 of your valuable journal the two years last past, 

 and have hoped to find a plan for the improve- 

 ment of a particular kind of land, commonly 

 called pipe clay; but thus far I have been dis- 

 appointed. Will you or some of your practical 

 correspondents be good enough to put me on a 

 plan to improve a few acres of that kind of soil, 

 which forms frequent barren spots in m}' flat 

 land 1 Some of these spots are very wet, and 

 though I have ditched all around them, they 

 still remain so. 



In return for the information desired above, I 

 will give you some of my plans of proceeding 

 which you may publish if you think them worth 

 the trouble. 



First, then, as regards the making of manure, 

 the importance of which needs not to be pointed 

 out to an intelligent farmer. In order to raise 

 the largest possible amount. I keep my cattle on 

 the same pen during the year, and keep that 

 well littered with oak leaves or pine tags, ([ 

 prefer the tags,) and as opportunity offers, I haul 

 sand or other earth and throw over the litter — 

 taking care to plaster it well once or twice a 

 week. Lime, no doubt, would be better than 

 plaster. In this way twenty or thirty loads of 

 good manure may be raised a year from each 

 head. My stables I always keep well littered 

 with the like materials, and plaster them regu- 

 larly as the farm pens — cleaning them out only 

 when compelled by the mass of manure. Pre- 

 vious to this operation, I have in readiness as 

 much of leaves or other litter, and sand or other 

 earth, (ditch bank or from fence corners,) as 

 may be sufficient. I then commence (a rainy 

 day being most suitable,) by putting down a 

 layer of leaves twelve or eighteen inches thick, 

 with a little sand or earth over them, in a pen 

 of suitable size, and as near the stable as con- 

 venient. Over these, I throw a layer of the 

 manure from the stable, not more than three 

 inches thick, on which I throw another layer of 

 leaves, then a layer of earth, six or eight inches 

 thick, then plaster or lime. Lime is greatly to 

 be preferred in this operation, and should be put 

 one inch thick. Then comes the manure again 

 for a second layer, and so on, till all the manure 

 is taken from the stable. The manure of the 

 Vol. IV.— 13 



Tillage and Pasturage are the two breasts of the 

 State.— Sully. 



No. 5. 



different cleanings may be put in the same pen, 

 provided it be of sufficient size. I am not in 

 favor of having the heaps too high. They 

 should never be allowed to rise higher than four 

 or five feet, and at that frequent holes should be 

 made in the top with a sharp stake for the pur- 

 pose of letting in the water. The heap should 

 be carefully watched for a few days to see that 

 the proportion of manure is' not too great for the 

 other materials ; if it is, the manure will burn, 

 or fire fang, as it is termed. I have had to take 

 down one or two of my heaps on that account, 

 and add more leaves, earth, &c. since I com- 

 menced the plan. But manure enough from the 

 stable must be put in to produce the degree of 

 heat necessary to decompose the other materials. 

 In this w r ay from forty to fifty loads of manure, 

 a year, may be made from each horse, much 

 superior to that raised in the farm pens. 



I will here mention another valuable source 

 for raising manure that has been resorted to but 

 by very few farmers. I mean the kitchen. — 

 Have a pit thirty or forty feet square and two 

 or three feet deep, with a good bank around it. 

 In this pit let the same materials, viz: oak 

 leaves, pine tags, sand, earth, &c, be put in 

 suitable layers; on which throw all the slop 

 water, soap-suds, yard sweepings, ashes, con- 

 tents of chambers, and in short, every thing that 

 can be conveniently got together for the purpose. 

 It may be at any convenient distance from the 

 kitchen, so that the slop water, soap-suds, &c., 

 may be conducted to it by a trough, fie sure 

 that no water gets into it in any other way. If, 

 at any time, it should become offensive, (to pre- 

 vent which care should be taken,) start your 

 teams immediately and cover it over with sand 

 or earth sufficient to prevent the escape of any 

 effluvia. 



I consulted my rilrysician before undertaking 

 this plan, fearing that the; health of my family 

 might be endangered by it. He assured me, 

 that with proper care, it would not only not pro- 

 duce any disease, but in all probability be a pre- 

 ventive, by taking into it all matter that might 

 otherwise become offensive. In this pit, lime 

 should be used freely, always putting it on the 

 top after filling up. Lime, in my opinion, can 

 be used more profitably in this way (I mean in 

 manure heaps,) than in any other. I am not 

 able to estimate the quantity of manure that 

 can be raised annually in this way, as that must 



C. T. BOTTSj Editor. 



RICHMOND, MAY, 1844. 



