48 
THE CULTIVATOR 
CDriginal |3a|)ers from Contributoro. 
SOILING CATTLE. 
Messrs. Editors —From the many letters addressed 
to me since the publication in your November No. of a 
communication relating to Bokhara clover and soiling, 
it seems necessary that I should explain what appeared 
to my respectable correspondents so extraordinary—the 
having fed so numerous a herd from so small a quantity 
of land. 
My stock of cattle for the last three years, has not 
been less than 40 head, which, had I pastured in the usu¬ 
al way, would certainly have consumed all the grass 
on my farm, leaving none to mow, which I obviated, as 
I said, “ by keeping them in good condition on some 3 
to 4 acres.” It would have been better, had I said, with 
the aid of 3 or 4 acres in Lucerne, Rye and Clover,which 
enabled me to save more than one hundred tons of good 
hay. 
I must also add, or throw into the account, a lot of 8 
or 9 acres, in which there is a stone quarry. Its condi¬ 
tion may be understood when I say, had it been allotted 
solely to one cow for the season, she would have been 
doomed to short commons. There was, however, good 
water in the lot; this, with the change and exercise it 
furnished, made it of considerable value for the purpose 
of soiling. It may also be proper to remark, that I own 
a woodland farm, distant about two miles from the home¬ 
stead. Thither I send, in the spring, about a dozen dry 
cattle. This division left me on hand last summer, to 
provide for at home, about 20 head full grown cattle, and 
a few full blooded young heifers, and several calves. 
My resources were two acres in rye and clover; both 
seeds sowed at the same time, the previous August, and 
one acre of lucerne, in the spring of 1841. I also sowed, 
in order to be fully provided, an acre of Indian corn, 
broadcast, which was not used green; it was cut and 
cured for winter fodder. I began to cut the rye for the 
cattle in the middle of April; itwas very thick and quite 
tall, shooting into head; before through with it, the 
heads were formed. It was cut high, to save the young 
clover that stood with it. The rye fed off, the lucerne 
was ready; stalks as high as 2| to 3 feet. When the lu¬ 
cerne was fed, then the rye and clover was fit for cut¬ 
ting; and it was surprising to see the second crop of rye 
so thick and tall. This time, clover cut with it. This 
through, the lucerne, which may be called “ cut and 
come again,” was provokingly tall, and yielded a heavier 
crop than at first. Then the clover which had been once 
cut, was ready, and before through with it, the lucerne 
was again fit for cutting. It and the clover were cut al¬ 
ternately, or fed together, as convenience or fancy might 
determine. Before my season for soiling (the middle 
of August,) ended, the lucerne's third, and clover’s se¬ 
cond crop, wei’e not consumed. The remainder was cut 
for the hogs, who had all the leavings of the cattle pre¬ 
viously. In fact, this proved very beneficial to them. 
I had about 20 large hogs, and some sows and pigs. In 
the hot weather, confined as they were to their pens, 
what the cattle left of the rye, lucerne and clover, was 
refreshing and cooling to them. 
I said my season for soiling ended the middle of Au¬ 
gust. Why? Because I cut no second crop for hay. The 
cattle were then turned in upon the orchard grass and 
clover fields, “up to the eyes,” and from middle of Sept, 
till 1st October upon the timothy fields—in all, some 60 
acres, on which they made but little impression. Early 
in Nov. they were withdrawn, and put to turneps and 
other roots, of which I have generally a large supply for 
winter. 
No one can see my grass fields in winter, without be¬ 
ing surprised at the thick and closely matted sod that so 
perfectly covers them. Indeed, were a sensible farmer 
led over them blindfold, he could not but appreciate their 
condition, for their softness and elasticity would prove 
it to him; and this too, on some of the highest lands in 
the highlands of the county of Philadelphia, washed by 
the Schuylkill, and the more romantic and precipitate 
Wissahiccon, on whose banks, in my immediate neigh¬ 
borhood, the laurel grows as luxuriantly as on the shelv¬ 
ing slopes of the Blue Mountains. 
But to return to the feeding the green food. That cut 
late in the afternoon, was fed early next morning; that 
cut early in the morning was fed at noon; that cut about 
noon was fed that evening. This was the general prac¬ 
tice. No more was brought into the stables at a time, 
than what was supposed to be required for one feeding. 
When the cattle were fed in the morning, they were 
turned out to the yard, and there left to stand for at least 
half an hour, or while their troughs and stables were be¬ 
ing cleaned; then drove to the.quarry lot above described. 
The yard was then cleaned, every dropping put away 
carefully on the dung heap. Before, or by 11^ o’clock, 
they were brought home and fed; and by four in the af¬ 
ternoon, when the sun was declining, turned out as in 
the morning, drove to the lot; from which they were 
brought back by sun setting, and fed—remaining in the 
stables all night. The cattle had no other food, except 
occasionally a little good hay, which they were provoked 
to eat a handful of, as often as possible, and which is ve¬ 
ry necessary where so much green food is consumed. If 
the hay be thrown to them in quantity, while on green 
food, they will but waste it, not eat it. The best way is 
to tempt them by a handful, which, if they bite at, and 
eat, they may then be served with a small wisp in their 
troughs or racks. This, with a regular supply of clean 
salt, was all the food they had from middle of April, till 
middle of August, a period of four months. 
Now as to the expense. One man and a boy, whose 
united wages were seventeen dollars per month, did all. 
The patch from which the food was cut, was, as it should 
be, close to the stables. The supply was brought in on 
hand barrows, wheeled into the entry, and served by 
hand into the troughs. Sometimes, when the horses 
were not specially engaged, a horse and cart was per¬ 
mitted; but this led to bringing too much at a time, and 
its being tilted at the door, carried on a fork some dis¬ 
tance, tossed and turned too often, which rendered it ob¬ 
jectionable, to say nothing of the danger of the food at¬ 
tracting some dirt or rubbish. Cleanliness in feeding 
cattle, is at all times essential, but in soiling it is indis¬ 
pensable ; unless the troughs or racks are well cleaned 
after every feeding, and the stables kept clean and well 
ventilated, the cattle will assuredly fall off in appetite, if 
not take a specific disease. The expense of this practice 
was in reality nothing to me; it was some work super- 
added to the mqn and boy, who would be engaged tak¬ 
ing care of this number of cattle, in cleaning them, driv¬ 
ing them to and from the fields—the Durhams having to 
be milked three times a day—the keeping the stables 
clean, and taking special care of the manure. But sup¬ 
pose this man and boy to be extra help, then am I sure 
it cost me not a farthing. Every two horse loads of 
good manure, purchased in the city, laid down on my 
place, will stand me in $5.00. Then am I free to say, 
that the extra quantity of manure saved by soiling, was 
not less in the period of four months, than 20 loads. 
From this is to be deducted extra straw, rent of the three 
acres, and cost of producing the green food. But the 
great profit lay in the many acres producing two tons Of 
hay to the acre, which if the cattle had been turned out 
upon, by the 1st of May, would have been despoiled; 
and which was prevented, by feeding them from the 
three acre patch, behind the barn. 
Simple as these details are, they may seem to some 
difficult to put in practice. To such, I can only say— 
try; but let them not begin till they are prepared, hav¬ 
ing a good patch of orchard grass and clover, lucerne, or 
corn. Rye, I do not recommend; when quite young it 
may do, but when in head and filling, it is not good. I 
adopted it because it came early. How many are there, 
v.'ho, if they .would mow the headlands of grain, corn, 
and potatoe fields, might in this way furnish a conside¬ 
rable item of the food requisite for soiling, to which 
might be added the extra shoots in corn hills; all this 
would benefit the lands by clearing the weeds from the 
fences, and it would pay, so far as the growing corn is 
concerned. Our southern friends might derive much be¬ 
nefit from partial soiling. A close or strict soiling, in 
our climate, I would recommend to none. But the ap¬ 
propriating one field, where there is water or shade, for 
air and exercise, while many fields may be used for 
cropping, that otherwise would be made bare by the cat¬ 
tle, and their equivalent in grass made from three or four 
acres, is a practice that may find favor with all, on ara¬ 
ble, light, upland soils. Respectfully, 
James Gowen. 
Mount Airy, Philadelphia, Feb. 6, 1843. 
CHARCOAL AND ROTTEN WOOD AS MANURE. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —^From Liebig, Hearn 
that carbonic acid, water, and ammonia, contain the ele¬ 
ments necessary for the support of vegetables, and that 
as nature does not in general furnish these ingredients in 
quantities sufficient for the perfect and full extent of de¬ 
velopment of plants, we should supply the deficit by art. 
The best and cheapest mode of doing this is a mooted 
question, but it does seem to me, that if Liebig’s theory 
is correct as to the qualities and action of charcoal and 
rotten wood, they must be among the most valuable ma¬ 
nures in existence. We are informed by this author, that 
charcoal has the power of absorbing 90 times its volume 
of ammoniaeal fas, besides a large portion of carbonic 
acid; that decayed wood possesses the same power in 
the proportion of 72 to 90; and that where these articles 
are used as manure, it is by virtue of this power, through 
the medium of water, the roots of plants are supplied 
with nourishment; which supply is renewed as often as 
abstracted. There is, however, this difference to be no¬ 
ted between the coal and the decayed wood; the first 
enters into fermentation and putrefaction so gradually, 
that it will remain as coal for perhaps an age, while the 
last is decomposed in a year or two. The remains of 
coal will be principally carbon, and the remains of the 
wood will be principally humus or mold, both of which 
are yet valuable; as the first is a direct food of plants, 
and the last has the power, to a considerable extent, of 
condensing both carbonic acid and ammoniaeal gases. In 
addition to your answers to an inquiry, as to the action 
of charcoal as a manure, given in the last No. of the Cul¬ 
tivator, I beg leave, Messrs. Editors, to say, that from 
reading and observation, it has the further- property of 
preserving plants unchanged in their vital power, for a 
long space of time, so that the plant obtains time to de¬ 
velop the organs which are necessary for its further 
support and propagation. And let it be remembered that 
we know not what time nature has prescribed to the 
growth or productiveness -of vegetables; therefore it is 
our duty, by every means inour power, to stride forward 
as near to the goal of perfection as nature will permit. 
From experiments made by E. Lucas, it seems that 
coal of pine wood is preferable as manure, to any others, 
both on account of its porosity, and the ease with which 
it is decomposed; but from what Liebig says, I infer 
that if the coal never decays, so much the better, for in 
that case, it is ever acting, and ready to act, in all the 
means and ways above enumerated. As to the porous 
quality of pine coal, I do not know that it is more so 
than chestnut or poplar; out of which, I have lately 
made, and am yet engaged mailing coal. And now, 
Messrs. Editors, I must beg your assistance in determin¬ 
ing on its preparation and application. Last week I 
pounded about 500 bushels of coal, and cast it over the 
litter of my cattle yard; and if you do not advise to the 
contrary, I shall in the course of some ^40 or 50 days, cast 
on about 1000 bushels more. I am inclined to think this 
will prove to be the most expeditious, uniform and eco¬ 
nomical method of application; but what say you as to 
this, and as to the quantity per acre? And do you think 
that coal from the size of shot to the end of the thumb, 
is sufficiently fine ? 
On my premises, I have a large quantity of rotten wood, 
which I am mostly using as a compost with ashes and 
animal flesh. Please say as regards this process? 
And yet one other question if you please. What think 
you of the placing of sundry large open vessels, over 
ground needing manure. Ailing these with water, stand¬ 
ing till putrid, putting in pulverised charcoal, and letting 
off'by the spigot? 
I have several hundred acres of surplus timber, conse¬ 
quently the coal costs me only the burning. 
Amherst co. Va., Jan. 15, 1843. Za. Drummond. 
We are inclined to think favorably of the course 
adopted by Mr. D. in using charcoal. By spreading, or 
mixing it with his manures, he prevents the escape 'of 
ammonia, and secures a more equal dirtribution. We 
have no means of determining the quantity that may be 
used per acre, nor, from the nature of the material, should 
we apprehend any danger of excess. To produce the 
best effect, charcoal should be made fine. In the cases 
cited by Mr. Hepburn, in his valuable paper on the use 
of charcoal, in the Transactions of the N. Y. S. Ag. So¬ 
ciety of last year, the coal was applied in a fine state, 
and it is probable much of its value would depend on 
this. Rotten wood, like peat, or muck, to become effi¬ 
cient at once, should be composted with ashes, animal 
manure, &c. Where flesh is used in the formation of 
composts, charcoal will be an excellent addition, ab¬ 
sorbing all the disagreeable gases liberated, and retain¬ 
ing them for the use of plants. We should question whe¬ 
ther the advantages of the putrid water and charcoal, as 
proposed by Mr. D., although it would doubtless be valu¬ 
able in irrigation, would repay the expense of the pro¬ 
cess. Experience will doubtless prove that charcoal is 
by far the most durable of manures, and from its effi¬ 
ciency in the few instances where it has been used, pro¬ 
mises to be one of the most active.— Eds. Cult 
MANAFACTURE OF POUDRETTE. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —I promised some time 
last year, to give you a short account of my method of 
preparing chemical manures from human excrements, 
and I will now proceed to redeem that promise, hoping 
that it may be useful to some portion of your subscri¬ 
bers. First, I collect the stercoraceous matters sepa- 
arately, in large vessels or hogsheads; after the urine 
has become putrid, wich will require but two or three 
days in warm, or ten or fifteen days in cold weather, I 
then add to the urine, sulphuric acid very slowly,which, 
if the urine is putrid, will cause immediately a power¬ 
ful effervescence to take place. The acid must be added 
until effervescence ceases; by this process, the carbonic 
acid is driven off, a portion of sulphate of ammonia is 
formed, and the urine ceases to be volatile. 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 charcoal finely powdered, according 
to my judgment, without regard to any precise quantity. 
This done, I spread the mass upon tight boards in the 
open air, to dry, protected from the weather by- a shed, 
open to the south so as to receive the sun; stir well, fre¬ 
quently, until it is dry; then pulverize with a spade, and 
barrel it up for the use of crops. 
Manure made in this way, (without being nice about 
technicalities,) I call Poudrette. Of its value, I can 
speak in the highest terms. When properly made, it is 
almost completely- deprived of smell, the application to 
crops easy, and its effects powerful. I made an experi¬ 
ment with it last year, on sugar beets, in comparison 
with bone manure, bone manure and stable manure mix¬ 
ed, and stable manure alone. The beets manured with 
poudrette, came up quicker, grew more rapidly, and 
maintained a decided superiority 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 in the culture of corn with entire suc¬ 
cess. In this experiment, I subjected it to a very severe 
test. I selected a very poor spot, (I am sorry to say I 
have too much of this kind of land yet,) put only one and 
a half gills, accurately measured, upon ^ch hill, at the 
time of planting, and the result was every way satisfac¬ 
tory, and truly astonishing, proving it to be beyond all 
question, a manure of great strength and power, per¬ 
haps surpassing all others now in use. I shall make 
about 100 barrels in time for the next crop, at a cost not 
exceeding 75 cents per barrel, including the cost of bar¬ 
rel, which I shall use chiefly in the culture of corn, and 
as a top dressing for red clover, from which I anticipate 
the best results. 
Manure thus made, must in all cases be used as a top 
dressing. If planted with the seed, it destroys the young 
germ, and the seed will not come up well. Sulphuric 
is a cheap mineral acid, and may be obtained in New- 
York, for about 3^ cents per lb. 
Farmers who have the urine on their farms, after 
