THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
27 
POUDRETTE. 
We feel particularly anxious to call the atten- 
tion of our farmers and gardeners to this conve- 
nient, stimulating and valuable manure. We 
had our own interest very much excited by the 
astonishing, and, we guess, rather exaggerated 
accounts we heard of its efects while we Avere 
at the North last fall. That it is one of the 
most powerful fertilizers known, and that it 
should be at least fairly tested by every farmer, 
who has an opportunity of obtaining a barrel, 
Ave do not hesitate to assert; and this, because 
the experiment cap be made at so small an ex- 
pense, and if it is all they say of it, it AA'ill prove 
the most important addition that has ever been 
made to the farmer’s resources. That it is ever 
to supersede stable manure, or that the day will 
ever come when it Avill be to the farmer’s inter- 
est to neglect his farm-yard and compost heap, 
we consider all humbug and nonsense. But 
that after the farmer has put out all the dirt, 
dung and compost that he can rake and scrape, 
that he may then purchase poudrette for the 
balance of his land, that would otherwise go un- 
manured, Avith a prospect of realizing tAAm or 
three himdred per cent on the outlay, we are 
strongly inclined to believe. 
All chemists agree in according to. this sub- 
stance the very highest fertilizing properties. — 
Prof Johnson, than Avhom none stands higher 
in the scientific world, says: 
“ 'Night soil’ is probably the most valuable, 
and yet in Europe at least, the most disliked and 
neglected, of all the solid animal manures. It 
varies, no doubt, in richness wdth the food of the 
inhabitants of each district — chiefly with the 
quantity of animal food they consume — but 
Avhen dry, no other solid manure, Aveight for 
Aveight, can probably be compared Avith it in 
general efficacy. It contains much soluble and 
saline naatter, and as it is made up from the 
constituents of the food we eat, of course it con- 
tains mostoftho.se elementary sub.stances, which 
are necessary to the groActh of fhe plants on 
AvhichAve principally live.” 
We have heard it estimated that oiae bushel 
of poudrette contained at least as much fertiliz- 
ing power as ten bushels of stable manure, Avhile 
the facility of putting it out AA'as much more 
than ten times as great. It has been applied in 
this country Avith great success to Avheat and 
com. Upon potatoes, peas, turnips and other 
garden vegetables, it is described as producing 
the most astonishing effect in hastening their 
maturity and increasing their products. In a 
letter to the “United States Farmer” Mr. Jos. 
Tyrell, of New Jersey, states; 
“In March last I planted six rows of early 
peas, four of the rows Avere manured Avith pou- 
drette sprinkled liberally over the .seed. These 
came up five or six days before the others, they 
grew more luxuriant, came in blossom ten days 
sooner, and yielded much more abundantly than 
those which had no poudrette. 1 have tested its 
merits as a manure for cucumbers and melons, 
and prefer it to any other for those articles.” 
Mr. Lemuel Soper, of Long Island, makes 
the following statement: 
“I have used poudrette on com at the rate of 
a gill to the hill, which produced as good corn 
as where I put a shovel full of yard manure in 
the hill. The worms were not as troublesome 
where poudrette was used as A^ffiere other ma- 
nure was Aised. I also used it on wheat, at the 
rate of forty, sixty and seventy bushels to the 
acre. When I used forty bu,shels to the acre, I 
got as good loheat as Avhere I used forty wagon- 
loads of barn-yard manure, and equally as good 
as where I used sixty or seventy bushels of pou- 
drette to the acre. 
“I also used it on all kinds of garden vegeta- 
bles, and never had better success. I consMer it 
letter for earn in the hill than hone.” 
Mr. F. W. Blydenburgh says: 
“On grass lands, in the month of May, it has 
a decidedly beneficial effect as a. top dressing. I 
should think twenty bushels to the acre would 
double the crop for one year, but doubt Avhether 
it Avould shoAv much on the second. Mr. Bly- 
denburgh has used it on nearly all the variety 
of crops raised on Long Island, and Avith a view- 
of te.sting its relative Amlue with other manures. 
He says, ‘I applied the article last summer to 
Indian com, melons and other vines, and ruta 
baga. On corn, a gill Avas put in the hill, again.^t 
eight tivies the quantity of hog-pen manure, and 
against five times the quantity of fi.sh manure, 
the latter a compost of ‘sting E.ales’ and earth, 
prepared the previous autumn, AA*ith results much 
in favor of poudrette for the first six Aceeks, af- 
ter Avhich its superiority became less manifest, 
until the general appearance and crop became 
so nearly equal that no difference could be per- 
cei\md. * * * In conclusion, I would say 
that for the hills of com, poudrette has no riAml, 
so far as the labor and expense on the one hand, 
and produce on the other, are to enter into the 
account. A gill to the hill is better than a lar- 
ger quantity, unless the first four Aveeks after 
planting should prove to be very Avet, or unless 
the ground is Ioac and moi.st. I have seen a strik- 
ing instance of the good effects of poudrette on 
a field of oats, applied by one of my neighbors 
at the rate of fifteen or tAventy bushels to the 
acre, on land of middling quality. The yield 
AA'as increa.sed at least 70 per cent.” 
For the inlormation of those Avho har-'e alrea- 
dy ordered the article, as Avell as those Avho may 
conclude to do so, Ave copy the folloAving direc- 
tions for its use, furnished by Mr. D. K. Minor, 
of NeAv York: 
“I recommend the u.se of 20 to 25 bushels to 
the acre for corn, on ordinarj' land. When the 
ground has been ploughed, and lays in furrows, 
I Avould spread by hand, at broadcast, about 14 
or 15 bushels to the acre, and then harroAv cross- 
\oise of the furroAA's, mixing it thoroughly Avith 
the soil. I would then mark out the rows with 
an ox chain, drawn on the ground, and drop the 
com, and put about half a gill in the hill, and co- 
ver it up with the corn. This Avould require 
near 8 bushels, making about 23 bushels per 
acre, — or three-fourths of a gill may be put in 
thehill at planting, and an equal quantity spread 
on at broadcast, and Avell worked in at the first or 
second hoeing — or, if not obtained in time for 
planting, the xchole may be spread on, and thor- 
oughly Avorked into the .soil at the hoeing. It is 
undoubtedly most effectual AA'hen applied at 
planting; but still, very important benefit will 
be obtained from its application Avhen applied at 
the rate of 14 or 20 bushels to the acre at the 
first or even second hoeing. 
"For wheat, to be folio Aved by grass, I Avould 
spread on at the senoing from 15 to 20 bushels to 
the acre, to be harrowed in ivith the seed. This 
Avill give it a vigorous growth in the fall, and en- 
able it to stand the Avinter. I would also spread 
ten bushels more upon it in the spring, and pass 
a light harrow and roller OA^er it. When used 
as a tap dressing for wheat or grass, without be- 
ing harrowed in, it should aXicaysho, just previ- 
ous to a shoAver. 
“It is found to act very favorably on grass 
seed, especially on clove'r. I have reports from 
Dutchess and Westchester counties, which say 
that where poudrette was used on wheat in 1839 
and 1840, the grass, especially the clover, is much 
better than Avhere other manure was used in the 
sartve field, so much so indeed, that it is readily 
perceived on going into the field. 
“For turnips, 25 or 30 bushels is a good dress- 
ing. If the seed is sowed at broadcast, the pou- 
drette should be applied in the same way and 
harrowed in Avithjthe seed. For buckwheat, 10 to 
12 bushels; and for oats, 15 to 20 bushels, accord- 
ing to the condition of the land, may be used, al- 
ivays to be harrowed in with the seed. For pota- 
toes, a gill to the. hiW, to be put in with the seed, 
is sufficient on ordinary land; a larger quantity 
will be likely to make more vines than are 
useful. 
"For cucumbers, melons, andi other garden ve- 
getables, it may be used in .small quantities at 
planting, and on melons, cucumbers and squash- 
es, it will be found a preventive to the striped bug 
and other insects, if sprinkled ever them in 
small quantity after they are faiily up. g^I 
find the same prejudice &nd dislike, on first ac- 
quaintance with it, among insects as among some 
men. On applying it to cucumbers and melons-, 
I Avas amused to see the ycllno lugs, and other 
like fasLidious insects turn their backs upon me, 
as I have often been to see gentlemen of delicate 
nerves turn up their noses at the mention of ‘pou- 
drette!’ This circuimstance, liowever, may not 
render this Auduable fertilizer of less value, anj’’ 
more than the opinion of gentlemen of ‘delicate 
nerves’ renders the enterprise one of doubtful 
propriety. I am satisfied from my own experi- 
ence, that it will be found veiy valuable on all 
garden vegetables, not only in producing a rapid 
growth, but also as a guard against insects.” 
Southern Planter. 
POUDRETTE. ‘ 
In rumring over the articles in the last num- 
ber of your valuable paper, I Avas particularly 
struck Avith the one Irom your correspondent 
Za. Drummond, Esq. — it made every cord in 
my heart vibrate, and I felt, for one, than I Avas 
ready “to go hand in hand” with him, if not for 
“twenty- fiA'e years,” at least to the close of my 
earthly existence, in attempting to improve that 
part oi the Old Dominion Avhich I call my OAvn. 
I believe it Avas General Miller Avho, during our 
revolutionarj’' struggle, when asked by his supe- 
rior officer if he could stonn a certain Ibrlifica- 
tion of the British AA'ith an inferior force, mod- 
estly answered, “I will try, sir” — he made the 
effort, and history has recorded the result. I 
haA'e adopted this as my motto — I am determin- 
ed to “try” Avhat can be done. I remember to 
hav’e promised you some time ago a short ac- 
count of my method of preparing manures 
Irom human excrements. I will now redeem 
that promise, hopring that it may be useful to 
many of your subscribers. First, I collect the 
stercoraceous matters separately in large vessels 
or hog.sheads, alter the urine has become putrid, 
Avhich Avill require but two or three days in 
Avarm, and ten or fifteen in cold, weather. I 
then add sulphuric acid to the urine slowly; if 
the urine is putrid, a poAverful effervescence 
Avill immediately take place; the acid mu.st be 
added until effervescence ceases. By this pro- 
cess, the carbonic acid in combination with the 
ammonia, is disengaged and driven off, and sul- 
phate of ammonia is formed, which has no vola- 
bility, except at a verj”- high temperature. Thus 
you secure the ammonia formed by putrefac- 
tion, whichotherwi.se AA'ould escape. I then add 
the liquid to the solid excrements, incorporating 
them well together, until a very thin batter is 
formed; into this mass I stir in finely pulverized 
charcoal, according to my judgment, without 
regard to any precise quantity; this done, I 
spread the mass upon boards made tight, in the 
open air — stir frequently until the whole is dry, 
then pulverize with a spade, and barrel it up for 
the use of crops. 
My drying boards are protected Irom the wear 
ther by a shed open to the south, so as to receive 
the benefit of the sun. Manure made in this 
way I call Poudrette, and of its A'alue I can 
speak in the highest terms. When properly 
made, it is inodorous, and the application to 
crops easy, and the effect poAverful. I made an 
experiment with it last season upon sugar beet, 
in comparison withbone dust, bone dust and sta- 
ble manure mixed, and stable dung alone. The 
beets manured with poudrette came up quicker, 
grew faster, and maintained a decided .superiori- 
ty to the last, making the largest and best beets; 
the quantity of poudrette was only a small train 
to each drill, I used it also upon corn Avith en- 
tire success. In this experiment I subjected it 
to a very severe test; I selected a verj' poor spot, 
put only one and a half gills to the hill as a top 
dressing at the time of planting, and the result 
was truly astonishing, proving it to be beyond 
all doubt a manure of great strength and power, 
perhaps surpassing all others now knoion. 
It must in all cases be used as a top dre.ssingi 
such is its strength Avhen planted Avith seed, the 
t 
