THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
187 
of the seed) not the enlargement of the straw, is 
most needed, and the last is increased at the e.t^ 
pense of the first. Taking all these circum- 
stances into consideration, there can be little ! 
question that the most economical way ol mak- | 
ing and using manures, is to convert the stable 
and barnyard manure into compost, by the addi- 
tion of peat, swamp muck) cleansing of ditches, 
Wash ol roads, leached ashes, or even common 
loam or earth, taking care, when the manure is 
wanted for heavy soils, that the earth used in the 
compost should be as light or sandy as may be; 
and where the soil is light, that the compost 
earth should be marly clay. Into such a com- 
post heap, all weed.s, straw, litter, animal matter 
of all kinds, night soil, &c. &c., mav be thrown, 
and upon it all the wash ol the yards and urine 
of the stables may be poure !^ and if the animal 
and vegetable matters as they accumulate, are 
kept covered and moist, the fermentation will 
go on successfully; the alkalies and salts of the 
animal matters will act on the vegetable part 
and saturate the earths used, and the whole will 
be converted into manure ol the most valuable 
quality. 
PREPARATtON AND USE OF COMPOST. 
The labor of preparing compost, it is true, is 
much greater than merely drawing it from the 
3’ard, but the quantity is so much increased, and 
the ^quality so much improved, that it is the 
most economical in the end. The only method 
that can compare with it, is to place these mat- 
ters over the yard, and let them be composted or 
lermented in that place; but there will always 
be a great waste in this way; and where turf or 
vegetable mold is used for composting with the 
animal manure, the compost heaps can Irequent- 
ly be made where they are to be used, and the 
labor of drawing materials greatly lessened. — 
Bommer’s patent manure is only compost made 
in a scientific and accurate manner, every part 
of the process so managed as to produce a per- 
fect krmentat ion, without the loss ot any of the 
valuable parts of the constituents used. From 
a knowledge of the process employed by him, 
we are able to say that where his directions am 
followed, a powerful and valuable manure can- 
not fail to be produced. The fundamental prin- 
ciple upon which composts have been made, is 
.that of impregnating the earths used in the pro- 
cess with the soluble salts and the gases^ which, 
in the ordinary m.e.thods of rofting, are wholly 
or partially lost to the farmer. Tiie discussions 
which ^ve been carried on, as to the propriety 
or impropriety of burjdng manures in the soil, 
have arisen from not seating the kind ol manure 
to be bf-ed. The solid and soluble parts of ma- 
nures have a tendency to sink into the soil; the 
gases evolved in fermentstiop a tegdfnqy to rise. 
The trq# principle; £b#p, is to bury unfer- 
pigntgd roa.fiera no deeper than js necessary to 
secure the moisture required for fermentation, 
while the fermented or decomposed dung, hav- 
ing no fertilizing gases to lose, may be mixed 
at once with the surface earth, Spipe pf the 
greatest crops of Indian corn eyer grown in the 
United States, haye beep produced by placipg a 
heavy dressjpg of pnfernieptsd fpanurg on turf 
land, and turning ft under with the plow. The 
surface is then rolled to press the sod close upon 
the manure, and afterwards harrowed, to loosen 
the earth for the reception of the seed. Into 
each hill, a small portion of fullv rotted manure 
or compost is put at planting, ' Thjs ppQtnqtes 
germination, gives thg young piapf, a vigorous 
start, and by fhe tirpe fhs rQots have penetrated 
beyond this, actiye feripentation has commenc- 
ed in the long manure, and thus fertilizing mat- 
ters are furnished in the greatest abundance 
when most wanted by the plant, 
psp op LI.Mg. 
Of the mineral manures used, lime, as has 
been already' stafed, is the most important, apd 
under all its forms, is extensively used in Eu- 
rope and in this country, The Gerrnan farmers 
of Lancaster, Chester, and the adjoining coun- 
ties of Pennsylvania, use lime more extensively 
than in any other part of phis countiy, ponsid- 
! erable discussion has been had at different times 
I as to the comparative value of limes that con- 
tain magnesia, or such as are tree I'rom it; but 
! the value of lime as a dressing for soils, seems 
I to be every where conceded in those districts 
where it has been used. It appears as the result 
ol experience, that lime produces the best effect 
on what are called stiff loams, or loams inclin- 
ing to clay, and in which a good proportion of 
decayed organic matter is found. It is found, 
too, that it opeiates more favorably ou soils na- 
tural to oak and its kindred trees, such as wal- 
nut, poplar, &c. than on those where the beech, 
elm and maple constitute the principal timber. 
It is singular that the richest limestone lands, as 
they are called from being based oa this rock, 
are frequently those ou which heavy dressings 
ol lime operate like a charm. If used as a top 
dressing, lime is usually applied to the sod in 
the fall; but the practice most approved, is to 
lime the corn ground in the spring, on the in- 
verted sod. Manure is applied to the wheat 
crop after lime. The quantity of lime used 
varies much. There is no doubt it has some- 
times been used in excessive quantities; and 
when used on soils nearly destitute of vegetable 
matter, can produce no go jd effect. On a medi- 
um soil, fifty bushels per acre may be considered 
an abundaet dressing; but three or four times 
that quantity is sometimes used. The best 
method of using lime, is to take it from the kiln, 
UBslacked, and deposit it in heaps in the field 
where it is to be used, not more than three or 
lour bushels in a place; and either slack it by 
pouring water over it, or, which is better, by co- 
vering each pile with earth, and letting them 
slack by the moisture thus furnished. When 
sufficiently fine, the earth and the lime are mix- 
ed by shovelling over, and the mass is ihen scat- 
tered ov'er the land to be dressed. The soil 
should be well harrowed after the application cf 
lime, to incorporate it with the surface earth. 
NECESSITY OF MANURING. 
It is obvious that the manuring of a farm 
should only be limited by the ability of the own- 
er. On a plentiful supply of manures, is de- 
pending the fertility of his soils, the amount of 
his crops, and consequently the extent to which 
his labor is rewarded. There Is no expenditure 
on a farm so safe. as that for manure; and the 
labor required to increase it, is never labor lost; 
at least, if directed by an ordinary share of ag- 
ricultural knowledge and skill. Every source 
of supply should be made available; nothing 
capable of fertilizing should be lost. The far- 
mer who takes fron?. his soil mori ih&.p hf re.- 
turn.s to jt, is sqrely Ipipovenshing it; and U he 
escapes such a calamity himself, he leaves to 
his successors a worn out farm. If he returns 
as much as he receives, his farm will retain its 
original fertility only; but the true farmer will 
scarcely be content with thi^/ To iperease its 
fertility^ apd fh# ^nd qualify of tlxe crop 
takep frotu fho soil, should be the aim ol the 
husbandman, This done, his labor is lessened, 
his profits are greater, his farm is worth more; 
nor must the pleasure arising from beautiful 
fields, golden harvests, fine animals, acgutnula- 
ting prosperity, be omitted in making up our es- 
timate of the advantages of successful culture. 
Manure jpay fie a homely subject, but on its 
preparation and us.e cyery ihidg fs depending. 
Without it, deep greeq of our pastures, the 
golden yellow of our corn fields, and the fine 
beef and white loaf of our tables could not ex- 
ist. To the farmer, manure must be the first 
thing, and it must be the last thing; with it he 
can do cyery thing; without it, nothing. 
“Honor and fame frojtji no condition rise.” 
There is but one way of securing universal 
equality to naafi— that is, tp regard everj' honest 
employment as honorable, and then for every 
naan to learn, in whatsoever state he may be, 
therewith to be content, and to fulfil with strict 
fidelity tfie duties of his station, and to inake 
every pondiiipu g ppsf of fipRor,^^, fp. f^arm. 
FARMERS’ CLUBS. 
Of the various methods that have teen adopt- 
ed to awaken inquiry among farmers, promote 
investigation, lurnish the means of interchange 
of thought, and create social harmony and good 
leeling, lew have been more successful than the 
assf'Ciaiions known by the name ol farmer’s 
clubs. What the agricultural society is to the 
county, these are in many respects to the neigh- 
borhood; and the good results, wherever they 
have been instituted and sustained, are not less 
apparent. The effect of such as.sociations does 
not so much depend on the numbers, as on the 
spirit, zeal and intelligence of the members, al- 
though where the right feeling prevails, the 
more that combine the better. There are few 
agricultural neighborhoods where a dozen men 
cannot be found willing to meet once a month 
to compare opinions, and communicate the re- 
sults of their experience and observations. — 
Even half a dozen, if they are men of the right 
stamp, will make the meetings of such a club 
most interesting and instructive. Such meet- 
ings are the places to discuss and settle all points 
ol a practical character in agriculture; soils, 
their qualities, and the crops best adapted to each 
kind; agricultural implements and their im- 
provement; new theories, and their rationality 
or practical bearing; questions connected with 
agricultural reading or education; in short 
every thing belonging to the farm, the orchard 
or the garden, will be found a suitable and fruit- 
ful topic of remark. Such a club should pos- 
sess an agricultural library, supported by the 
contributions of each associate, and open to 
every member, the books and periodicals to be 
subject to such regulations as to afi:ord security 
against loss. The best foreign as well as do- 
mestic works on agriculture and its kindred sci- 
ences might always be found, and all the most 
valuable of our periodicals useful to the farmer 
placed on file Ibr reading or for reference. To 
each individual the expense would be far less 
than if his labors for inlormation were alone 
and unaided, and the mutual advantages greater. 
Another of the benefits resulting from such an 
association would, or it might, be the formation 
of an agricultural museum, embracing speci- 
mens of the /arious soils cultivated by me mem- 
bers, or any of those remarkable for their fertil- 
ity or otherwise; specimens to illustrate the geo- 
logical character of the district, and show the 
bearing this science has on agriculture; speci- 
mens of the various kinds of grain and culti- 
vated plants, whether remarkable for size, nov- 
elty, or their valuable qualities; fruits, roots, 
according to tfie season; cogethcr With all 
such siatter.s a.s are calculated to intereh and im 
struct a body of men; the whole, as far as pos^ 
sible, to be preserved for the benefit of all. We 
have merely thrown out these few hints, in the 
hope that some of our spirited farming neigh*- 
borhoods may be indneed to further develop 
them and reduce them to practice. Wherever, 
in Europe or jn this country, this or kindred 
plans ha^'e been adopted, the resnlts have been 
most happy, and the cause of agriculture has 
received a decided impulse. — Cultivator. 
Corn Cors. — The most economical method 
of disposing of corn cobs, is doubtless to pound 
them up and grind them with corn, for stock.=«- 
Bnt as this is often neglected, another excellent 
mode of disposal is to soak them in pickle and 
feed them to cows or other catlje in the yard,-- 
A large tub, formed by sawing a hogshead in 
two, near the middle, should be placed in a con- 
venient place, near the yard, and being filled 
with cobs, a sufficiency of warm water, strongs 
]y impregnated with common salt, should be 
poured over them to render them soft and palate^ 
able to the Stock. 
Most animals devour them greedily in this 
state, but when it is not too much trouble, grind- 
ing into meal is much preferable, ’There is 
but little difference in the value of pure corn 
meal, and that made of corn and cobs, for feed*- 
ing most animals, The meal of the cob also 
makes excellent puddmgs.^Main^ Cnltivator. 
