THE CULTIVATOR. 
243 
Composts—Muck and Barn Manure. 
In our recent article on composts of muck and ashes, 
reference was made to a still more profitable use of the 
first named material, viz: for composting with barn 
manures. We have also spoken briefly of the impor¬ 
tance of bringing manure into a partially decomposed 
state, before applying it to the soil for the immediate 
use of crops,—stating muck to be one of the most valua¬ 
ble of absorbents, and to be largely increased in ma- 
nuriai value, by being so employed. We will now 
bring the testimony of practical men on the point in 
question, and recall some directions as to the modus 
operand i, which have already been noted in our col¬ 
umns. 
“The most practical and profitable mode of using 
muck,” says Mr. Browne’s Essay, before quoted, “is 
to collect and store it in a dry state, convenient to the 
stalls, and then from day to day to spread upon the 
animal droppings, twice their bulk of muck. The late 
Elias Phinney, of Lexington, Mass., estimated three 
cords of manure composted in this manner, at a higher 
value than three cords of the droppings alone. Per¬ 
haps no other man in the country has given the sub¬ 
ject so much attention, or conducted his operations in 
a more extensive and systematic manner.” 
The mode of employing it in the stable , as an ab¬ 
sorbent, practiced by Mr. F. Holbrook, of Y t, {who 
needs no introduction to our readers,) is worthy of par¬ 
ticular notice in this connection. His stables are con¬ 
structed very much on the plan given in No. 15, of the 
last volume of the Country Gentleman {p. 236,) 
with a trench just back of the stalls. He says: 
“ This trench is the place of all places for manufac¬ 
turing compost manure. Last winter muck was used. 
It was dug the preceding August, and piled on dry 
ground near the swamp, to drain and lighten ; a part 
of the heap was carted to the barn, as soon as the cat¬ 
tle were to be stabled in the fall, and the remainder 
was hauled by the first sledding, and piled near the 
stable door under a shed open to the south. * * A 
bushel basketful was put behind each animal every 
morning. The solid and liquid manure droppings of 
the day and night fell into the trench upon the muck, 
the liquid droppings completely saturated it, and the 
contents of the trench, thus mingled, were thrown out 
the following morning. In the very coldest days of 
winter a thin sprinkling of straw, or other litter, was 
placed over the bottom of the trench, before putting 
in the muck, which prevented the latter from freezing 
to the trench. There were but few days, however, 
cold enough to make this precaution necessary. The 
cattle always had a bedding of straw or other course 
litter, which was daily thrown out with the contents of 
the trench, serving to swell the manure heap, to keep 
it up light, and to promote fermentation. The com¬ 
post was minutely and well mingled every day by this 
mode, and no shovelling over was necessary. The 
solid and liquid droppings falling upon the muck, fresh 
and warm from the animals, and coming in contact 
with every portion of it, produced an immediate and 
powerful action on it, so that a much larger quantity 
of muck was well prepared for use in the spring, than 
could have been properly prepared with the same stock 
by the ordinary means of composting.” 
The importance of this extract justifies its length, 
hut leaves little room for extending the present arti¬ 
cle. We would refer, however, to the use of muck to 
1 be spread over the barnyard in the fall, and then co¬ 
vered with the manure made during winter, the whole 
to be thoroughly mixed together and piled in the spring. 
After undergoing fermentation in this state, it will 
prove of high value for crops ; better, even, than the 
usual quality of long manure. Another method often 
practiced, is to draw the manure from the yard and 
place it in a heap of alternate layers of muck and ma¬ 
nure in the field where it is to be applied. We-have 
practiced this with good effect, and very little extra 
labor. 
That composted barn manure is in its best state for 
growing crops, and that an addition of muck prevents 
loss during the process and increases its value, we think 
well established. Hundreds of opinions aDd experi¬ 
ments on the subject might be gathered from our ag¬ 
ricultural literature, especially that emanating from 
New-England, where muck abounds, and where ma¬ 
nure is esteemed of greater importance and worth more 
pains-taking than in most other sections of the country. 
Drying Rlmharb. 
In a late number of the Country Gentleman, I no¬ 
ticed an inquiry from a gentleman relative to drying 
rhubarb. Rhubarb dries very well, and when well 
prepared will keep good for an indefinite period. The 
stalks should be broken off while they are crisp and 
tender, and cut into pieces about an inch in length. 
These pieces should then be strung on a thin twine and 
hung up to dry. Rhubarb shrinks very much in dry¬ 
ing, more so than any plant I am acquainted with, 
and strongly resembles pieces of soft wood. When 
wanted for use it should he soaked in water over night, 
and the next day simmered over a slow fire. None of 
its properties appear to be lost by drying, and it is 
equally as good a sauce in winter as that made from 
any other dried fruit. Very few varieties of rhubarb 
are suitable for drying, as most of them contain too 
much woody fibre. The best variety of rhubarb for 
any purpose, is the Victoria when grown in a suitable 
location. The Mammoth is worthless, owing to its 
fibrous nature, as are also some other kinds. The con¬ 
sumption of rhubarb is rapidly increasing in our cities 
and villages, as its merits become known. It is the 
most wholesome plant I know of, and makes dump¬ 
lings and pies, that might tempt an epicure. J. A. y. 
A Good. Crop of Cabbages. 
Mr. Blanchard of Lonsdale, R. I., plowed the spring 
of 1856, one acre of land eight inches deep, manured 
with 30 cords of good barn-yard manure and swamp 
muck, mixed thoroughly together. After plowing he 
harrowed and bushed it; then planted his seed one 
yard apart each way, four seed in a hill; thinned out 
when large enough, to one plant in a hill; run the 
plow or cultivator through every week, till the first of 
November. Produce 7,200 heads—average weight 
of cabbages from 12 to 36 pounds—sent to Providence 
22 heads, weighing on an average 30 pounds each. 
Sum received for the whole acre, $700. Peter Side- 
botham. Late of Valley Fails , R. I, now of Shir¬ 
ley Village , Mass. 
. - 60 ^.-- 
Remedy for Bites and. Stings. 
As many of our readers are preparing to travel or 
go to the country for the summer, it may be useful to 
remind them that an ounce vial of spirits of hartshorn 
should be considered one of the indispensables, as in 
case of. being bitten or stung by any poisonous animal 
or insect, the immediate and free application of this al¬ 
kali as a wash to the part bitten, gives instant, perfect 
and permanent relief, the bite of a mad dog (we be ^ 
lieve) not excepted; so will strong ashes-water. V 
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