THE CULTIVATOR 
159 
what might be made a valuable manure into a decided 
nuisance. A dead horse, covered with earth or vegeta¬ 
ble mold, mixed with a little lime or gypsum, will,when 
decayed and converted into manure and spread on the 
soil, add to the value of the wheat or corn grown, not 
enough perhaps to buy a valuable new one, but not un- 
frequently more than the worth of the original animal. 
A more disgusting sight can scarcely be imagined, than 
to see the fences and trees around a farmer’s yard dressed 
out with dead lambs or other defunct animals in the 
spring season. All such, should be bm-ied at once, and 
thus made available in other forms. 
FISH. 
Of the substances named above, fish is the one most 
commonly used as a manure. In the vicinity of the sea, 
large quantities of fish are annually used in enriching the 
soil. This is particnlai-ly the case on Long Island and in 
Rhode Island. They are sometimes spread broadcast on 
the earth and plowed in; at other times deposited in the 
hills of corn; sometimes spread over the meadows after 
the crop is mowed, and allowed to putrefy iii the open 
air. The stench, where the putrefaction goes on in the 
open air, is intolerable; and can only be endured by 
those whose olfactories have been accustomed to the 
nuisance. This is a most wasteful practice, and should 
long ago have been abandoned. Treated in this way, 
but a small part of the actual value of the fish is realized; 
and it is not to be wondered at, that where the methods 
of using this manure are so different, widely different 
ideas of its value should be entertained. Fish should ne¬ 
ver be used fresh, or thrown at once upon the soil. The 
true way of preparing them as a manure, is to make them 
into compost, by placing them in layers with muck, rock 
weed, peat, or even common loam, to putrefy. Where 
the soil is heavy or inclining to clay, where the compost 
is to be used, common shore sand, containing as it does 
large quantities of particles of carbonate of lime, will be 
found useful as a composting ingredient with the fish. 
When the fish are decayed or putrefied, the mass should 
be dug over, the parts thoroughly mixed, and if much 
ammonia or offensive gas is liberated, a covering of earth 
should be given, and the mass be allowed further to fer¬ 
ment before using. In this way, fish never fail of being 
a valuable manure. Rock weed, eel grass, or in short 
any of those vegetable or animal matters that abound on 
the sea shore, may be advantageously used in the prepa¬ 
ration of these composts. 
REFUSE OF FACTORIES. 
There are many manufactories, particularly those of 
skins, furs and wool, where large quantities of manures 
of the most powerful kind are annually suffered to go to 
waste, though to a much less extent than formerly. The 
refuse of such establishments, now frequently considered, 
and justly as now treated, a nuisance, may, by simple ap¬ 
plication to the soil, or still better by being made into com¬ 
post, be used as the best of fertilizers. One of the best farm¬ 
ers and most successful breeders of our country was driven 
into the business of agriculture, in self defence as it were. 
He was an extensive manufacturer, and the difficulty of 
disposing of the refuse and waste of the establishment, 
compelletl him to purchase a farm in the vicinity of the 
city, in enriching which, these matters have been most 
successfully employed. Those farmers who formerly 
could not be induced to receive such refuse materials as 
a gift, would now, after the proof they have seen of their 
value, be happy to purchase them at a liberal price. The 
furrier, the tanner, the morocco manufacturer, comb ma¬ 
ker, &c.- &c. are all dealing in materials of the utmost 
value, when applied to*the soil as manure; and the farm¬ 
er little understands his true interests, who, living in the 
vicinity of any of these, does not avail himself of these 
refuse matters to the utmost extent permitted. 
MANURE or WOOL. 
Perhaps there is no substance more rich in matters 
valuable as manures, than the washings and refuse of 
woolen factories. Chaptal was one of the first to call at¬ 
tention to this matter, and the instances he gave of their 
fertilizing power were of the most convincing kind. It 
is but very lately, however, that any attempts have been 
made in this country to render the refuse of our factories 
available. All remember, when around every factory 
and every clothier’s shop in the country, piles of refuse 
wool, clippings, pickings of cards, and sweepings, accu¬ 
mulated in masses, never thought of as of value, but con¬ 
sidered as matter of which the owners would most hap¬ 
pily be quit. The method of disposing of them, when 
they could no longer be tolerated, was to throw them in¬ 
to the river; to apply them to the garden or farm was 
not once thought of. Not long since, in one of our vil¬ 
lages, I noticed a garden, the vegetables of which had a 
luxuriance forming a striking contrast to others near 
them, and the cause of the difference was asked. “ It is 
all owing to the refuse of that clothier's and carder's 
shop,” was the reply. “I saw in the Cultivator a notice 
of the value of such manures, and the owner of the shops 
gladly availed himself of my offer to remove it at my 
own expense. I gave my garden a good dressing, and 
as this is the second year, you may judge of the value of 
the material as a manure. It is probably the last I shall 
obtain, however,” he added, “ as the mill owners, after 
seeing its effect on my garden, are now as anxious to save 
this refuse matter as they vvere before to get rid of it.” 
The oily or sweaty matter on unwashed wool, is a soapy 
substance having a base of potash, with an excess of oily 
matter, with slight traces of the carbonate and muriate of 
potash, all valuable as manures; and as all are easily so¬ 
luble in water, such water should never be lost. A wool 
merchant at Montpelier, had his washing house in tlie 
midst of a field, the greater part of which he had, by the 
use of this wash, with which he watered his plants, trans¬ 
formed into a fine garden. The experiments made by 
Judge Buel and by Mr. Bement, with hog’s bristles and 
horn shavings, were conclusive as to the value of these 
substances for manures. In short, as all substances of 
this nature are nearly pure gelatine, with a slight addi¬ 
tion of the phosphates of lime, it is evident their decay 
must furnish an abundant supply of ammonia to plants, 
and therefore render them valuable as a manure. 
LIQUID MANURE. 
There is but one other manure of anijnal origin to 
which it will be necessary to allude in this place, and 
that is urine, or as it is commonly called liquid manure. 
Analysis proves that this is a substance peculiarly rich in 
materials required by plants, and experience enforces the 
results of analysis; yet not one farmer in a thousand makes 
an effort to convert this mine of riches to any account, 
but the whole is most generally lost to him. Dr. Dana 
gives the following as the constituents of cattle urine, 
which may stand as the type of all others, though human 
urine and that of the horse differ from this in the cha¬ 
racter and quantity of some of the salts contained in them: 
Water,. 65. 
Urea,. 5. 
Bone dust,. 5. 
Sal ammoniac and muriate of potass,. 15. 
Sulphate of potash,.. 6. 
Carbonate of potash and ammonia,. 4. 
100 . 
VALUE OF URINE. 
Compared with cattle dung, it will be seen that while 
that gives only 2 lbs. of carbonate of ammonia to 100 lbs. 
of dung, the urine gives 5 lbs. of ammonia in its urea, 
and nearly three times that amount in the other am- 
moniacal salts. One-third of urine is composed of salts, 
whose action on vegetation is of the most energetic and 
favorable kind; and yet there are thousands who call 
themselves pretty good farmers, who use all reasonable 
precaution to preserve the solid parts of their animal ma¬ 
nures, that have never made an effort to save that which 
is of far the greatest value, the liquid part. But it must 
not be forgotten that soils must contain decayed, organic 
matter or humus for these salts to act upon, otherwise 
liquid manure or pure urine can do no good. Where the 
wash of the barnyard and stables is saved, the loss of a 
large part of the urine is prevented; but when, as is too 
often the case, this is wholly lost, not only is the urine 
thrown away, but a large part of the soluble humus of 
the manure accompanies it. It is an excellent plan, 
therefore, to have some reservoir for the reception of 
such liquid matters as would otherwise be lost. If this 
cannot be done, cover the bottom of your yards with 
muck, or even common loam, as this will absorb and re¬ 
tain much of the urine and liquid matters of the dung. 
Experience has demonstrated that a load of loam, satura¬ 
ted with urine, has a more powerful effect on vegetation, 
than the same quantity of best rotted stable manui-o. Hu¬ 
man urine is richer in salts useful to vegetation than any 
other, containing, according to Dr. Thompson, in 1,000 
parts, 42i lbs. of salts. The slightest attention on the 
part of the farmer, might prevent the loss of this; and 
many a load of swamp muck, or loam mixed with gyp¬ 
sum, might, when saturated with urine, be added to his 
available manures. Liquid manures, or rather urine, dif¬ 
fers much in the salts it contains, according as the food is 
rich or otherwise. White turneps give a weaker urine 
than the Swedish, and green grass is worse than either,” 
according to Dr. Dana. Turner and Liebig found that the 
urine of fattening animals is richer in salts than that of 
store animals. Indeed, the law so well known with re¬ 
gard to solids, that the richer the food the more valuable 
the dung, it is probable holds good in regard to the urine 
also. 
SOOT. 
Soot is a valuable manure, peculiarly rich in humus as 
well as salts, and in its composition more nearly allied 
to the solid substance of animals, than any thing else. It 
contains of humus or geine 30.70, of nitrogen 20., and 
of salts of lime 25.31 parts in 100. It also abounds in 
salts of soda, potash and ammonia. According to the 
analysis of Dr. Dana, 100 lbs. of soot contains as many 
of the valuable salts as a ton of cow dung, and its nitro¬ 
gen, compared with that manure, is as 40 to 1. The or¬ 
dinary farmer can make but little use of soot, as it is not 
to be had in the country in any considerable quantities; 
but those in the vicinity of cities may avail themselves 
of this manure with much profit. For the gardener or 
the floriculturist, soot is an excellent manure; but care 
must be taken not to use it too freely, as we have known 
tender garden plants at once destroyed by too liberal ap¬ 
plications of it, particularly in a dry state. Mixed with 
water, in the proportion of six quarts of soot to one hogs¬ 
head of water, it has been found a most efficacious liquid 
for watering plants, particularly those grown in green 
houses. 
ASHES. 
Ashes, leached or otherwise, are of great value as a 
fertilizer, especially when used on soils that are sandy or 
light. Unleached, the potash contained goes to form si¬ 
licate of potash, and gives the supply of silex necessary 
for the stems of the grasses or corn; and leached, al¬ 
though tile potash is the greater part of it separated, the 
remaining phosphates of lime and magnesia go far tore- 
storing to the fields on which such ashes are strewn, the 
necessai-y matters of which previous cropping has de¬ 
prived them. 100 parts of the ashes of the wheat grain 
contain 32 parts of soluble, and 44 parts of insoluble 
phosphates, in all 76 parts. The value of ashes abound¬ 
ing in the required phosphates, when used on grain lands, 
may be seen at once, as well as the folly of those farm¬ 
ers who waste or sell the ashes produced in their dwell¬ 
ings .—(^Conclusion in our next.) 
SELECTION OF STOCK, &c. 
Messrs. Gaylord & Tucker —For several past I have 
been a subscriber and constant reader of your truly valu¬ 
able journal, although but a few years have elapsed since 
my attention has been turned to that noble occupation, 
cultivating “mother earth.” Now, Messrs. Editors, al¬ 
though this is our first introduction, you may probably 
think that I am disposed to complain or find fault with 
every thing. Not so. Still there are some communica¬ 
tions that I do in serious candor think ought to be cen¬ 
sured. For example—the various breeds of improved 
cattle, hogs, and sheep. It is impossible for any one to 
determine the true merits of the various breeds, as I find 
that “ it is all fish that comes to our net.” Each breeder 
or importer is sure to laud his own stock to the skies. 
Self-interest is so strongly depicted that a stranger or no¬ 
vice can come to no certain conclusion. Now I am 
building machinery for horse power, and wish to pur¬ 
chase a threshing machine, crusher, cutting box, clover 
getting out machine, corn sheller, &c. I want them all 
of the most approved kinds. I take up the Cultivator, 
volume after volume, and read all the various puffs, and 
am left as much in the dark as though I had not read any 
thing about them. A. B. N. 
N. B. If you will tell us how to kill bamboo vines and 
ribbed leaf or French plantain, you will not only “ im¬ 
prove our minds,” but also our purses. 
Three Otters, Bedford co., Va., 1843. 
We wish to make one remark in reply to our friend 
“ A. B. N.” In the papers which we give from our cor¬ 
respondents, on the various breeds of cattle, the different 
kinds of agricultural implements, &c. &c., we are not to 
be understood as expressing any opinion on their actual 
merits or value. Where personal experience enables us 
to speak, we do so without hesitation; but w'e are not to 
be considered as endorsing the mere opinions expressed 
by others. There are many excellent breeds of cattle in 
our country, and that the owners and breeders of these 
varieties should express opinions favorable to the ani¬ 
mals of their choice, is what is to be expected. So with 
agricultural and farm implements. The maker or im¬ 
prover of what he deems a valuable implement, wishes 
to bring it to the knowledge of the agricultural public, 
and it is for their interest he should do so, and for this 
purpose a communication, or an advertisement in the 
Cultivator, is found to be the most effectual method. 
We spread these notices before our thousands of readers 
in all Darts of the U. States, and it is for them to decide 
whether the animals, or the implements, are, under all 
the circumstances, the ones best adapted for them. With¬ 
out the means of comparing their merits by actual test, 
we can only give ilescrijitions and opinions, and leave 
those interested to decide whether the animal or the im¬ 
plement, is the one most suitable for his location,'the 
condition of his plantation or farm, or the crops he can 
grow upon it. The animals which would succeed well 
in one part of the country, may not in another. Those 
that grow to a great size, and in a short time, require 
more and richer food than those that are smaller, and 
slower in their growth to maturity. The plow, and oth¬ 
er implements of the farm, require to be somewhat dif¬ 
ferently constructed on different soils. What may be ex¬ 
pedient in one place may not be so in another. We aim 
to furnish the facts- by which a farmer or planter, exer¬ 
cising his own reason and judgment, may determine and 
select for himself the most suitable animals and imple¬ 
ments—may find himself in a situation to improve both 
his mind and his soil. 
With the bamboo vine we are unacquainted, but should 
suppose careful cultivation would exterminate it. Our 
method of destro 3 Tng the ribbed plantain, is to prevent 
its going to seed in any case, and carefully digging it 
wherever it appears; and this method, it should be re¬ 
membered, will effectually destroy in a short time any 
weed whatever. 
CULTURE OF RUTA EAGA. 
We were furnished last winter, with the following 
statement relative to the cultivation of a crop of rutaba¬ 
gas on the farm of Geo. J. Pumpelly, Esq. near Owe- 
go, in the year 1842. The paper was mislaid, or it would 
have received an earlier insertion. The product was a 
large one—-equal to about 1,375 bushels per acre—and 
creditable to Mr. McIntosh, who had charge of the farm : 
“ Land—79-lOOths of an acre—sandj- loam. Year pre¬ 
vious in potatoes —no manure. Now thoroughly plowed, 
harrowed, and ridged, at 2i feet. Manure well rotted, 
and placed in the furrow, upon which the ridge ■was 
turned— say 20 loads. Seed sown thick—twice the usual 
quantity,—on 15th to 20th May. 3J days putting in the 
crop, with horse, team, and two men. 
First hoeing,.3 days, and 2 men. 
Second ‘‘ .2^ “ 2 “ 
Harvesting delayed by an early and hard frost. Tur¬ 
neps topped and clipped, and carried in cart to cellar— 
none buried. 
There were 58 cart loads, weighing upon an average, 
as tested by actual weight, 1,100 pounds; making at 60 
pounds to the bushel, 1,063 bushels.” 
Where is true happiness but at home ? 
