124 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
lo&l Iroin tnariure in bLilk, or in a situation that 
would cause it to heat and undergo rapid decoin- 
posit'.on ; and that the most lavorable situation 
lor a small quantity (so much, for instance, as 
we would place in, or on, a hill of corn) is that 
in which it is usually placed— the hill, where 
it derives both heat -dn&'nwisLurc from the sur- 
rounding soil. This being the case, i.s it proba- 
ble that the shallow porous covering ol earth 
will confine the gasses thus rapidly evolved, un- 
til taken up by the spongioles of the plants 1 I 
think not. 
I furthermore believe, that in top dressing or 
spreading the manure on the hill,, there is also 
something lost by evaporation — though not as 
much as when placed under more favorable cir- 
cumstances for rapid decomposition, but, that 
muck more is gained or saved by the solvent pro- 
perties of rain water, which, after taking up all 
that has become soluble and in a suitable state 
for food to the plant, conveys it directly down to 
the roots, to be by them taken up and appropri- 
ated to its proper use. And in this way, as the 
manure, from its situation, becomes more slow- 
ly decomposed, its soluble parts will unite with, 
and be taken down by each successive shower. 
It seems most reasonable that, as decomposition 
would progress much more slowly in the latter, 
than in the former situation, there would be less 
loss by evaporation from a surlace application, 
and that more would be saved by solution from 
manure placed fzi'cre, than Irom that placed 
low the roots of the growing crop. 
If manure is placed under ihe hill, and so low 
that the air cannot have access to it, then 1 ad- 
mit there would be no loss by evaporation. 
Nejiher would tliere be any decomposition, and 
hence, not much benefit to the plant. But. by 
placing the manure on top, it would (even after 
being by tillage mixed with the surface soil) be 
within the influence of the atmosphere —the 
oxygen of which would, in combining with the 
woody fibre ol the manure, f^nn carbonic acid, 
“the first and most important food for young 
plants.” Liebeg says : “Humus acts in ihj 
same manner in a soil permeable to air as in 
air itself; it is a continued source of carbonic 
acid, which it emits very slowly. An atmos- 
phere of carbonic acid, formed at the expense ol 
the oxygen ol the air, surrounds every particle 
ol decaying hurnus. The cultivation ol land, 
bytilling and loosening the soil, causes a free 
and unobstructed access of air. An atmos- 
phere of carbonic acid is therefore contained in 
every fertile soil, and is the first and most im- 
portant food for the young plants which grow on 
it.” Again; “ By foosening the soil which sur- 
rounds young plants, we favor the access of air, 
and the formation of carbonic acid ; and, on the 
other hand, the quantity of their food is dimin- 
ished by every difficulty which opposes the re- 
newal of air.” 
Upon the whole, I cannot agree with “Coats- 
wood,” that manure “does not sink but evapo- 
rates;” although, as above slated, I believe 
something may be lost. I doubt much, whether 
the atmosphere steals so great a portion of our 
manure as is suspected by many. What does it, 
take? Carbonic acid? This gas, notwith- 
standing it is said to,be heavier than the atmos- 
phere, has been detected in every part of it, 
where its presence has been looked for ; yet its 
specific gravity, being greater than that of the 
atmosphere, it may, 1 think, be doubted whether 
\\. ever does, in its uncornbined state, rise from the 
earth into the air, unless driven off from a heal 
ed body, and in a greatly expanded form. The 
ammonia of manures may combine with car- 
bonic acid and form a volatile salt (spirits of 
hartshoin,) and in this way sometning may be 
lost; but ammonia in all its forms, is extremely 
soluble in water, and in this way, as is the case 
with carbonic gas when gradually formed, may 
be saved by rain and even dev. Liebig says, 
“ Liquid animal excrements, such as the urine 
with which the sol id excrements a re impregnated, 
contain the greatest part of theirammonia in the 
.'tale of salts, in a form, therefore, in which it 
has completely lost its volatility ; when present 
in this condition, not the smallest portion of the 
t-inmonia is lost to the plants ; it is all dissolved 
by water, and imbibed by their roots,” Thus 
we may conclude, that such salts of manures as 
are only soluble in water, are not likely to take 
wings and fly out of our fields, 
I have been a constant reader of Agricultural 
papers since 1829, when I commenced with Mr, 
Skinner’s eleventh volume of the “ American 
Farmer,” and have, as “ Book Farmers” are apt 
to do, experimented much with manures. I have 
applied manure in almost all the different ways 
i have seen recommended since the above men- 
tioned lime; and 1 am confident that I have de- 
rived more lasting benefit from surface applica- 
tions, to the corn crop e-pecially, than in any 
other nrode of applying it, be the modus operandi 
what it may. But, sir, the science of agricul- 
ture is onward, and we shall, 1 trust, learn all 
about the matter in dispute before long. We 
have new lights springing up almost daily to 
point out the way to that heretofore benighted 
and contemned class— the most useful andrafy 
indispensable of creation — the Agriculturist. 
One of the first Agricultural lecturers of the 
day (Prof. Johnston of Scotland) is of the opi- 
nion that manuie (its soluble salts) both sinks 
and rises in the soil ; and that, although the wa- 
ter, which holds it in solufion, does, in a dry 
time, evaporate from the surface, none of the 
salts do, but are there deposited, to be, by the 
next rain, again taken down. In this I have 
no doubt he is correct, and it so, tor obvious 
reasons, the surface application is the preferable 
one; because, after a rain, the water, with its 
treasure, would necessarily have to pass the 
roots in its descent before it could ascend. 
Whereas, if the manure was placed below the 
plant, the salts taken from it by the descending 
water, would not come in contact with the roots 
until brought there by the ascent of the water. 
And this time, in which the plant would be de- 
privedfof the benefit of the manure, might be, 
under certain circumstances, greatly protracted, 
viz; in a .seasr-n of continued rains, sufficient 
to prevent evaporation by keeping the surface 
moist, as the water Irom below will not ascend 
until the surface becomes dry. 
But at the risk of being tedious — for the bene- 
fit of those of your readers that may not have 
the work, (all ought to have it) — I beg leave to 
make, an extract from Prof. Johnston’s Lectures, 
part 2d, p. 428; “ Hence, from the proportion 
of soluble matter present at any one lime in the 
surface soil, we cannot safely pronounce as to 
the quantity which the whole soil is capable of 
yielding to the crop that may grow upon it. 
For when warm weather comes and the surface 
soil dries rapidly, then by capillary action the 
water rises from beneath, bringing with it the 
sulunle substances that exist in the subsoil 
through which it ascends. Successive portions 
of this water evaporate from the surface, leaving 
their saline matterbehind them. And as this 
ascent and evaporation goes on as long as the dry 
weather continues, the saline matter accumulates 
about the roots of the plants so as to put within 
their reach an ample supply of every soluble 
substance which is not really defective in 
the soil. * They (.sandy 
and porous soils) absorb the falling rains with 
great rapidity, and these carry down the soluble 
matters as they descend — so that when the soil 
becomes soaked, and tlie water begins to flow 
over its surlace, the saline matter, being already 
buried deep, is in little danger of being washed 
away.* On the return of dry weather, the wa- 
ter re-ascends from beneath and again diffuses 
the soluble ingredients through the upper soil.” 
In conclusion, sir, if any of vour respectable 
class ol readers wish to hear any thing more on 
the subject of “ Surface Applications,” 1 refer 
them to an article in the “ Farmer’s Register,” 
vol. 9, p. 628, over the signature of S.. and to 
p. 645, where the article is noticed by Mr. Ruf- 
fin, also to p. 677 for Mr. Garnett’s answer to 
the same article. 1 might refef them toother 
writers that have handled the subject much more 
ably than has been done by the bungling hand 
of Pendleton, S. C., June, 1845. G. S. 
’This should encourage us to subsoil our laud before 
planting. 
Berkshire Hogs. 
Mr. Camak: — Sir — 1 promised you a while 
back that I would give you my method of ma- 
naging Berkshire hogs to profit. In compli- 
ance with my promise, I herewith forward you 
my prescription, without any other prelimina- 
ries than simply to say, 1 got in possession of 
some Berk'hire hogs about five years ago, and 
to be sure that 1 was not humbugged, I procur- 
ed them of diflTerenl slocks ; which, from their 
recommendations and appearances, 1 supposed 
were all of the choicest breeds. From that time 
until now I have experimented with them in all 
sorts of fashions. I have fed them bountifully 
on all sorts of grains, grasses, peas, potatoes, 
fruits, vegetables, meaiand slops, and I have 
fed them scantily; I have enclosed them in lots, 
and I have, let them run at large; I have fed 
them by themselves, and I have led them with 
other hogs; but in spite of my best person- 
al efforts, 1 have lost at least thirty of them to 
one of my common stock, notwithstanding I 
have had, all the while, five times as many of 
the common stock as I have had of the Berk- 
shire. They would die poor, and they would 
die fat ; they were subject lo all sorts of diseases, 
old and complicated, new and simple; they 
would take the mange, and they would become 
lousy ; they would die suddenly, and they 
would linger to death. 
What to do under the circumstances was of 
course a subject of much deliberation and in- 
quiry. Had these things happened to the com- 
mon stock, it would have been a matter of no 
great surprise ; but it was the Beikshire hogs 
that were thus affected ! To suppose them to 
be a humbug, as the signs seemed to indicate, 
would be to stake my judgment against the ge- 
nerally received opinion ol the people, and the 
positive declaration ol many good men. That 
wouldn t do ; I appealed to the sense of the en- 
lightened to learn the cause. None could tell. 
1 wailed on the ignorant to know tie reason; 
but they were ever strangers to the case. 
Whil.'t oscillating between the various conjec- 
tures of a bewildered mind, and conjuring up 
schemes to reconcile experience with the opi- 
nions and sayings oi others wiser and better 
than myself, I was cheered by the reflection that 
there was one experiment more to be tried ; and 
that I would try it. I did so; and it acted like 
a charm. I noticed the precise day on which 
the sows had pigs ; if it was before or alter the 
change or full of the moon, I noted it careiully 
in my memory ; and as soon as the circum- 
stances and age of the pigs would allow of it, 
I altered all the boars, spayed all of the sows, , 
killed the hermaphrodites and knocked the old 
hogs in the head. 
Judging from the time since this method was 
adopted, and the effects produced by it upon the 
stock, I am fully persuaded that this breed will 
soon pass away, and ihe sooner the better. 
Seeing the excellent results produced by this 
practice upon my hogs, 1 concluded to extend 
the benefits of my genius and discovery to my 
neighbors’ stock. To this end, I gave orders to 
my folks, whenever they saw a stray Berkshire 
hog on any part of my land, they must hal'ow 
‘Berkshire!’ as loud as they could squall. On 
hearing this word, as a signal, they must drop 
their business ol whatsoever kind it might be, 
hasten to the place whence the signal proceeded, 
and never stop, hands nor dogs, until they alter- 
ed or spayed the hog, as the case might be. 
Neu-born, June, 1845. John W. Pitts. 
Wheat Straw, a Substitute for Fodder. 
This is the season wheat is got out, and I re- 
«^ret to see the straw is thrown out to make ma- 
nir.e. I once had a meadow of thirty acres, 
producing good grass, (feather clover, arfd a 
broad leafed blue grass,) all of which made a 
very fine Quality of hay. 
To save the trouble of feeding, and to furnish 
shelter lor iny cattle, I put forks in the ground, 
and on them placed poles of such size and at 
such a distance apart that the cattle could draw 
