202 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
eclldci, that all cooiplex compounds are unsta- 
ble. They are prone to tonn new combina- 
tions. The more complex, the easier decom- 
posed is any compound. The more complex 
the more liable to decomposiiion. bience, the 
moment lite depar.s, the plant or animal speed- 
ily undergoes new changes; its elements, which 
lile iiad organized, obey now, not the law oJ 
lile, but the laws ol chemistry, I’he solids and 
fluids of a living body, when life ceases, escap- 
ing in part as air or gas, leave in a solid form, a 
substance differing equally from any living or- 
ganic product, and from inorganic elements. — 
The product of the spontaneous decomposition 
of organic substances, still may exhibit the 
character which distinguishes this division, viz; 
complexity, great susceptibility and ease of de- 
composition. 
lienee, in the ] roducts of the decomposition 
of organic bodies, a variety is formed, differing 
according to the circumstances, and the time, 
and progress of decay. However varied, there 
is one constant product of organic decomposi- 
tion in soil, which is ever the result of that pro- 
ces.?, m or upon the earth. The product is term- 
ed Ctkinr. Ge i.s the Greek for earth, and the 
suliix ine, is in conformity to chemical names, 
given to those vegetable or other organic pro- 
ducts, whose independent existence nas been de- 
termined; for example, quinine, morphine, &c. 
While the great mass of organic matter of 
soil, is a well defined chemical compound, 
termed geine, consisting of carbon, hydrogen 
and oxygen, there are traces ol other general 
products of decay, which, in addition to the ele- 
ments above, contain nitrogen. There is thus 
naturally pointed out a division of the organic 
matter of soil, in two cla.sses; that which does 
not, and that which does, contain nitrogen. 
The first class, or non-nitrogenous, comprises 
three substances, which have been termed, 1st, 
extract of soil, or of humus; 2d, geine, or hu- 
mic acid; and 3d, carbonaceous soil, or humin. 
Tbese are chemically the same, passing from 
one >tate to the other, without changing the re- 
lative proportions in which they were combined. 
From the Southern Planter. 
IJOMMER’S MANURE METHOD PUT IN PRACTICE 
^V'e extract the following certificate of the 
value of the manure made by Bornmer’s pro- 
cess from the last number of the Cultivator. — 
We have in our own possession the most satis- 
factory testimonials ol its efficiency in produc- 
ing speedy decomposition, and of the apparent 
value ol the manure. Butnobody hereabouts has 
yet had an opportunity of testing its effects upon 
a crop ; aUhough no one who has seen the man- 
ure after it is made, seems to have any doubts 
upon this point. As far as our information and 
experience go, the ti !.e required to produce per- 
fect decomposiiion is rather underated. Of 
course different materials will be longer or 
shorter in rotting, but we rather think that the 
average will require from four to six weeks. — 
Bui our information is drawn from experiments 
made during tin: last summer, when the pro- 
cess was undoubtedly much retarded by the ex- 
cessive rains for which the season was so re- 
markable. 
Mesvs. Gaylord tf* Tucker . — Being a sub- 
scriber and con.stant reader of your valuable 
agricultural publication, I ftequently find there, 
articles on ‘Bommer’s Method of Making Ma- 
nure.’ As these articles are chiefly from the 
pens of agriculturists who have followed this 
method with entire success, it affords me un- 
feigned pleasure to be able, on my own behalf, 
also to bear testimony to the value of this me- 
thod, and through the medium of your paper, 
to make the re.sults of my experiments and op- 
erations known to my fellow-citizens- This 
I do, both for the sake of bringing before the 
public the great advantages derived from us- 
ing the method spoken of, and the benefits in- 
sured me by its application, and at the same 
time in order to render a deserted tribute to the 
truth. 
“ On purchasing Bommer’s method last 
spring, 1 immediately prepared a heap in the 
pre.sence of a few neighbors. I followed stiict- 
iy the directions laid down in .Bommer’s book. 
After the lapse of a forlnight, the heaj) was 
opened in the presence of a number ol farmers, 
and our astoiu.shment cannot be conceived on 
seeing the metamorphosis which had taken 
place, as we found all those weedy and strami- 
neous materials of which the heap had been 
constructed, reduced to rich black manure, hav- 
ing an ammoniac smell, much more pungent 
than the best stable manure. Beholding so sur- 
prising a result, the farm.ers pre,sent foruied 
themselves into a public meeting, and in that 
capacity nominated a committee from their 
midH, who were chai'ged with the preparation 
of a report of what we had seen, to be sent to 
the agricultural press. 
“ I ploughed in this manure into one-half of a 
field intended for potatoes, and in order to in- 
stitute a CO nparison of effects, I put the same 
quantity of my best stable manure into the oth- 
er half of the field. The effect on the soil was 
nearly the sam"’’ with both these kinds of man- 
ure; but the vegetation on that part of the field 
which had been furnished with Bommer’s man- 
ure, was more luxurious and the foliage of a 
deeper vei’dure, which I attribute to the rtch- 
ness of ihe saline matter which it contains, and 
which alone preserved the humidity of the .soil 
during the severe drought of this last season. — 
It is proper to remark also, that in the compo- 
sition of the Bommer manure, I employed sim- 
ply such doses of the ingredients as were abso- 
lutely necessary to insure success in the opera- 
tion of making it, and if I had increased these 
quantities, there is not the least doubt that the 
result of the Bommer manure would have 
been very far superior to that of any horse 
manure. 
“Perfectly satisfied with my experiment and 
its results, I have put up fixtures near my barn- 
yard for the purpose of preparing large quanti- 
ties of this manure; and within the last two 
months I have made three heaps, which have 
yielded me between 200 and 300 loads of excel- 
lent manure. The last heap was composed en- 
tirely of 100 loads of sedge grass, nearly dry, 
with which I intermixed 40 loads of swampy 
matter, such as exists on my farm. All my 
outlay in purchasing ingredients to form the lye 
for this last heap, amounted to between $20 and 
$30, and in disbursing this trifling sum, I have 
made a heap of manure, which I would not-dis- 
pose of for $250. 
“I shall prepare other heaps of manure be- 
fore the winter sets in, and those who may be 
desirous to see me at work and to assure them- 
selve of the truth of what I have said, need 
only call at my farm, and judge for themselves. 
The benefits which 1 derive from using this 
method are not inconsiderable. Before becom- 
ing acquainted with it, I purchased every year 
from three to five hundred dollars worth of ma- 
nure, which I needed over and above that of my 
own farm-yard, for the two hundred acres which 
I have. Now I do not purchase one penny’s 
worth, and I can make double the quantity if I 
choose. I have the advantage of producing 
my manure in the sowing and planting season. 
I can make it more or less strong, more or less 
fermented, so as to suit the soil and kind of 
crop for which 1 want it ; I spread and plough 
it while it is perfectly fresh, and con.sequently 
in all its strength. These are some ol the re- 
sults experienced by me in using Bommer’s me- 
thod of manuring land. 
Jerrit Kouwenhoven. 
Flailands, L. I., Sept. 15, 1843.” 
In seasons of distiess, the mind recovers it- 
self by taking hold first of one hope and then of 
another, until all its functions are restored; and 
it feels once more, that there is pleasure in look- 
ing forward and anticipating the light and 
warmth of to-morrow’s sun. 
The range of earthly good is narrow and soon 
trodden; after a short time there is no variety, 
and the enjoyment is without hope. 
CORN. 
We take the following extract Irom “a letter 
from N. Goldsbori/ugh, of d'albot county, Md., 
to .1. B. Skiiiner, as publi.shcd page ib5, in 
Amciican Farmei ,” for the purpose ol calling 
the atlcmion of our readeis in the Bouth to the 
mode of plaijiing corn where laige }ieldsaie 
made — of “cyjshering” a little' — and that we may 
ask it of some friend to try tke experiment of 
planting more corn' to the acre. To the extract: 
“I had grown as large coin as I had ever seen 
in field culture, at 4 to 4j apart from hill to hill, 
and 1 was satisfied that the only mode ol mak- 
ing a number of bushels per acre was, to in- 
crea.se the lUimber of stalks. Accordingly, an 
acre w as in drill 4 ft. G m. apart from row to 
row, and 18 inches distant in the row — two plants 
in a place — the product 123 bushels and a peck. 
The other acre was crossed at 3 feet each way, 
and tw'o stalks to the hill— 93 bushels and a 
peck the product. The first acre, however, was 
the best land.” 
Our readers will now please to note that at 4 
to 4j from hill to hill there are 2722 to 2151 hills, 
say 2722, and 5444 stalks; 4 It. 6 in.^y 18 in., 
0453 hills, and 12,900 stalks; 3 ft. by 3 ft. 4840 
hills, and 9080 stalks. 
By the single rule of three, if 9080 stalks pro- 
duce 93 bushels, 12,900 stalL will produce 123 
bushels, and nearly another, wanting some 70 
stalks — vhich was veiified by the turn out veiy 
nearly. Again, we find by dividing each num- 
ber of stalks by the pioductmade from them, 
that it required 104 stalks and a fraction :o make 
a bushel; and if we divide the smaller number 
of stalks, as we usually plant in this country, 
by the 104, we find the pioduct wouH be 42 
bushels and a fraction, which is about as good a 
return as we have of our choice lands. 
Our notion is, if a larger product be w’anted, 
we must resort to the same reasoning that Mr. 
Goldsborotigh adopted. We aie aware that we 
are met at the very threshold, by the every-day 
expression, that “corn will not bear close plant- 
ing in the South;” but this objection has become 
stale. Were we to listen to this kind of argu- 
ment, we might despair of ever seeing any im- 
provement eflected. 
Vve think pretty much of corn as we do of 
grain; if there be sun, air and strength of land 
sufficient to grow a crop of corn and such crops 
of weeds and grass as do grow, we might, with 
perfect safety, grow more corn. Would any 
one suppo.se that the land, having ability from 
named causes to grow such grass as it does, 
would not grow peas, or pumpkins or beans? 
Then why not some more corn? Admit that 
our summers are hot and dry; yet, if the land 
were shaded by early pea and potato vines, the 
crop would not suffer so much. And a matter 
of vast import — it we can, by any mode ol cul- 
ture, make double our present yield, we could 
take more time in the spring to plow deeper, 
plant better and cultivate earlier, so as to stimu- 
late the corn to a more rapid growth and earlier 
fructification, therefore eailier out of the way — 
and if thicker on the ground, would shade the 
land earlier, and create less necessity for the 
heavy plowing in of grass, &c. We would re- 
quire less land to make a larger crop, thereby 
giving us sometime to manure, and thus add to 
the great ultimate desideratum of all good farm- 
ers — the permanent improvement of the soil. 
We have had some Utile experience in these 
matters, if being told we would make no corn 
for the last three years should make it more im- 
pressive. Our crop of ’40 was left thicker than 
we had before grown, because we could not 
avoid it; several who saw it said “it was a pity 
it could not b: thinned out, it was so promising;” 
in ’41, we left it thicker, being pleased with the 
yield of ’40; we were told, “it is too thick,” “it 
will not make a crop,” &c, — but it did, and bet- 
ter than ’40, because not plowed so late nor so 
deep when it was cultivated; again, in ’43 we 
were told we had “left doubly as much corn on 
the ground as should be,” that we “would not 
make half a crop” — and so we feared at one 
time ourself. That field with which our N. G. 
