THE CULTIVATOR. 
283 
CHARCOAL, ITS PROPERTIES AND ACTION. 
Messrs. Editors —Since the coming in of science to 
the aid of agriculture, there has seemed a wonderful dis¬ 
position in the minds of some men to run quite mad on 
some particular theory or opinion. And this has shown 
itself in nothing more than in the desire to make some 
one substance in small quantity, supply the place of all 
manures. But the search for such a substance will be as 
vain as that of the alchemist for the philosopher's stone, 
as long as plants are of their present compound nature. 
In some parts of this country, the mania has run on char¬ 
coal; and from the praises often bestowed upon it, it 
would appear that it is indeed a substitute for ail manures, 
although in itself, almost or quite valueless. No system¬ 
atic and correct experiments have been made with it, by 
which its value can be estimated, and it is highly desira¬ 
ble that such should be made. Wherever great results 
have been attributed to the use of charcoal, it has always 
been applied in connection with some other substance 
that might ivell dispute the credit with it. Theory can¬ 
not settle the. question, though theory is not altogether 
useless. 
Charcoal is often spoken of as pure carbon. This, how¬ 
ever, is not the fact. It consists of carbon mixed or che¬ 
mically combined with the earthy salts which constitute 
a portion of all vegetable matter. When burned in the 
open air, the carbon is consumed, and these salts are left 
behind in the small quantity of ash that remains. 
It is one of the most indestructible of substances. Ex¬ 
posed to heat of the greatest intensity, if air is excluded, 
it suffers no change. Moisture has no effect upon it, nor 
any chemical agent. It has been said by some writer 
that after being in the ground for several years, it is con¬ 
verted into a sort of coaly earth. But on the other hand, 
it is well known that charred wood will remain unchan¬ 
ged for years under these very circumstances. It is at 
any rate doubtful if it is ever converted into earth, or of 
itself, furnishes any food for plants. 
Its most important property as a manure, is its porosi¬ 
ty ; and if it has any power, it probably depends upon 
this. All porous bodies possess the power of absorbing 
gases in greater or less quantities. Charcoal, after being 
heated to redness and cooled without being exposed to the 
air, will absorb 90 times its own volume of ammonia, 
and various quantities of other gases. By this force, 
they are condensed into a solid form. If heated, and 
then cooled under water, and placed in a confined por¬ 
tion of atmospheric air, it will absorb all the oxygen and 
leave pure nitrogen. But holding these gases with all 
this force here, does it give them out to the roots of 
plants ? 
One class of theorists say, that the vital force of the 
plant will separate them. But they are locked up in the 
small pores of the coal, where the most minute fibre of 
the root cannot penetrate. Others say it is by the power 
of fixing gases that it is useful, without accounting for 
the giving them out. Now what is the fact ? Water ab¬ 
sorbs at the common temperature and pressure, from 600 
to 800 times its volume of ammoniacal gas, and will not 
part with the whole of it when boiled. Charcoal 90, 
water 800. The superior force of the water is seen at a 
glance; and what must be the result ? Simply this—if 
charcoal is put upon land as a manure, however much 
gas it may have in its pores, the first shower of rain will 
separate it and carry it into the earth for the use of 
plants, and the pores of the charcoal are filled with wa¬ 
ter. As soon as they are dried by the heat of the sun, 
the process of absorption commences again, and again it 
is washed out. This view of the case would indicate the 
use of charcoal as a top-dressing to crops. And this is 
believed to be the correct plan. Buried in the soil, it 
adds to its looseness, but is not exposed to alternate dry 
and wet as when on or near the surface. 
There is another mode in which this substance is used 
*nd with undoubted benefit, and that is, in the compost 
neap, or as an absorbent of the urine of men and animals. 
The general opinion seems to be, that in this case also it 
acts as an absorbent of gases produced during the decom¬ 
position of these matters. That this is not the case, will 
readily appear, by referring to its well known action on 
animal matter. If meat which has begun to putrefy, be 
packed down in charcoal, it is not only deprived of all 
bad smell, but the process of putrefaction is immediately 
arrested. No more gases are formed, and of course no 
more are absorbed. Its effect is to stop the process of 
decay. In this wajr any animal or vegetable substance 
may be preserved a long time unchanged. 
Thus when used in the compost heap, or when satura¬ 
ted with urine, all the substances it comes in contact with, 
are brought under its influence, and when applied to the 
soil, are gradually separated by the rains which fall up¬ 
on them, and undergo in the earth the decay which fits 
them to become food for plants. Used in this way, char¬ 
coal will undoubtedly be found very useful, much more 
than when applied alone. 
It is very desirable that those who have it in their 
power, should make Accurate and careful experiments 
upon this substance, to ascertain its individual and com¬ 
parative value; and I would suggest to those who can do 
it, to try its effects in something like the following way, 
unless some other should appear more convenient. Take 
four equal portions of the same land, and treat them thus: 
1. No ma¬ 
nure. 
2. Charcoal. 
3. A ard ma¬ 
nure. 
4. Charcoal 
saturated 
with urine. 
Newburgh, N. T., Aug. 3, 1844. 
A. J. P. 
TO BRUTUS. 
“ The blood will flow where the knife is driven; 
The flesh will quiver where the pincei's tear.” 
July 15th, 1844—My eye has just rested on the article 
of “ Brutus,” an appropo exponent of his feelings 
and taste. He asks whether I would deny ugly, vicious, 
and debased women, the benefit of a name ? I say no: 
and would reply in part by asking a few questions. 
Would you, if a fine field of wheat was struck with rust, 
call it Canada thistles ? or a sheep smitten with the scab 
or foot-rot, a goat or pole-cat ? Proper names are given 
in infancy, when the blank page of life is unsullied by 
vice; if in after years, immorality should harden the 
heart, and vice bedim the bright sunshine of youthful in¬ 
nocence and hope, they are amenable to a higher tribu¬ 
nal than that of man. But the idea of giving proper 
names to unthinking brutes, is fraught with such ridicu¬ 
lous bad taste, it excites a smile of pity for the weakness 
of man. Two years since, at the State Fair held at Syra¬ 
cuse, I saw Daniel Webster, and where do you think ? 
Tied to a pine tree, by a ring in his nose. Do you think 
if that illustrious statesman had been there, and seen him, 
he would have thought it a high compliment to behold 
a namesake in that condition ? What gentleman of refi¬ 
ned feeling, would think of applying the name of a wife 
or a daughter, to a great strapping Berkshire sow, with 
thirteen pigs ? If the name was to expire with the ani¬ 
mal, it would be quite an abbreviation of the error; but 
many of them are herd-book lordlings and princesses, 
whose names are recorded, and will be referred to, as 
long as man wields the plow and the spade for a subsis¬ 
tence ; “ yea, as long as earth bears a plant, or sea rolls a 
wave.” Who would think of looking in the herd-book 
for a name for a son or daughter 1 and what man of high 
tone of moral feeling, would think of looking in his fa¬ 
mily register in the old ancestral bible, for names for his 
sheep and calves ? If he did, I should expect his next 
act to be to make a golden calf and then fall down and 
worship it. What would be said of us as a community 
of enlightened farmers, if we should make it a common 
practice to name our male sheep, hogs, horses and cattle, 
after our most distinguished scholars, statesmen, orators, 
philosophers, poets and divines, and the females after the 
most accomplished lady writers of the day ? If we 
should ever arrive at that point of animal refinement, I 
would propose to give them these titles also; as for in¬ 
stance, my bull, the Hon. or Elder or Col. The ancients 
recorded the deeds and names of their sages and heroes, 
in song and sculptured marble; we polished moderns, 
practical believers in transmutation, apply them to soul 
less brutes; they deified their great men, we brutallrz^ 
them. To lend one’s name to another’s note, is granting 
