342 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
cattle are tied by chains. The floor of the cow-house, 
ox-house and stables, is of paved stone, and gutters cut 
from stone, lead to the cistern. The entire barn, stables 
cistern, &c. were erected at an expense of $2,000. The 
basement is constructed entirely of stone. Split stone is 
used for door-posts, supports in cellar, &c. The roofs 
are covered with tin, which Mr. P. says costs in the first 
instance, one-third more than good shingles; but it has 
been on eleven years, and shows no signs of rust or de¬ 
cay. 
The cow-yard (or barn-yard) is filled with mud, 
earth, leaves, &c., in the fall, which are put into heaps in 
spring, when the yard is again filled—the droppings of 
the cows and manure from the stables in summer, is daily 
put in with the hogs under cover, and removed to the 
compost heap every convenient opportunity, when prop¬ 
erly worked. 
SAYING MANURE. 
The effluvium, or gas, which arises from decomposing 
animal or vegetable substances, though exceedingly dis¬ 
agreeable to our olfactory senses, is the congenial food 
of growing plants. 
Arthur Young said, many years ago, “he who is with¬ 
in scent of a dung-hill, smells that which his crop would 
have eaten if he would have permitted it.” Sir Hum¬ 
phrey Davy demonstrated this. He placed a quantity of 
fermenting manure in a retort, ami ascertained that it 
gave off a liquid containing a large proportion of salts of 
ammonia. Seeing this result, he introduced the beak of 
another retort filled with similar (.lung, under the roots 
of some grass in the garden, and “ in less than a fort¬ 
night, a very distinct effect was produced on the grass 
upon the spot exposed to the influence of the matter dis¬ 
engaged in fermentation; it grew with much more luxu¬ 
riance than the grass in any other part of the garden.” It 
is hence obvious that by pei'mitting the escape of the gas 
evolved during fermentation, the valuable portions of the 
manure are dissipated in the atmosphere. 
“ The loss of gaseous manure ,” says Mr. Hannam, in 
in his excellent essay on the Economy of Waste Ma¬ 
nures, “ arises from the escape of the carbonic acid and 
the ammonia, of the vegetable and animal matters in the 
manure-heap, during the process of fermentation and pu¬ 
trefaction; both of which gases are essential in the nutri¬ 
tion of vegetables. * * * When this evolution of 
ammonia and carbonic acid takes place under the root of 
the plant, it is what we want; but when it takes place, as 
is generally the case, months before the compost is used, 
the manure is robbed of its most valuable constituents.” 
“It is worthy of remark,” continues Mr. Hannam, 
se that the richer the manure is in nitrogen, the more se¬ 
rious the loss is; as the more nitrogen a substance con¬ 
tains, the more prone it is to ferment and throw off am¬ 
monia.” The observation of every farmer will corrobo¬ 
rate this; for all have noticed that the richer the manure, 
the stronger the odor arising from it. 
The most effectual means, probably, of preventing this 
waste of the gaseous portion of manures, would be to ap¬ 
ply them to the soil before fermentation takes place. In 
this case, the gases would be taken up by the growing 
crop. Stable, or barn-manure, is sometimes deposited in 
cellars, where, from the low temperature and seclusion 
from the air, it undergoes little or no change. Thus kept, 
It retains its original strength, and is much more power¬ 
ful and enduring in its effects, than that which has under¬ 
gone decomposition in the open air. But there is often 
so large a portion of undecayed vegetable fibre, (litter, 
&c.) in manures, that they cannot be conveniently appli¬ 
ed in a green stale. Besides, for some crops, the action 
of green manures is not quick enough; and for other 
crops, as wheat and other small grains, they tend to pro¬ 
duce too great a growth of straw, and increase the liabil¬ 
ity to rust. 
It becomes, then, necessary, under certain circumstan¬ 
ces that manures should pass through a state of fermenta¬ 
tion before they are applied to the soil, and the question 
is, how can this object be accomplished without loss ? 
Reason teaches, and experience proves, that substances 
may be mixed with manure, which will absorb the gas 
eous portions as they are generated. Earth is a good 
absorbent. If a dead animal be enveloped in earth be¬ 
fore putrefaction commences, and allowed to remain, so 
till the carcass is decomposed, the earth will have ab¬ 
sorbed the nauseous fumes occasioned by the decompo¬ 
sing animal matter, and will be found rich in those prin¬ 
ciples which constitute the food and growth of vegeta¬ 
bles. This example teaches that mixing soil with ma¬ 
nure, or covering the manure-heap with a layer of soil 
while undergoing fermentation, will preserve much of 
its value which would otherwise be lost. There are 
other substances which are preferable to common soil— 
such as charcoal, (which it is said will absorb ninety 
times its own bulk of ammoniacal gas, and thirty-five 
times its volume of carbonic acid gas,) and peat, or 
swamp muck. The latter, in many parts of the country,, 
can be had in the greatest abundance, and it is, beyond 
doubt, one of the best means of augmenting the farmer’s 
stock of valuable manures. In its composition and ab¬ 
sorbing power, it much resembles charcoal—being prin¬ 
cipally the carbonaceous matter of decomposed vegeta¬ 
bles. Every farmer who can conveniently obtain peat 
or muck, would do well to place a layer of it under all 
his manure-heaps—to mix it with barn or stable manure 
in forming composts, covering the piles with a coating 
of it to prevent the waste of the gases, and throwing it li¬ 
berally into the stalls of cattle and horses, to absorb the 
urine. Results will show that the labor thus bestowed in 
the use of swamp muck, will be rewarded a hundred fold. 
Other substances are used as fixers of ammonia, &c., 
which act somewhat differently from those above men¬ 
tioned—such as gypsum, and various kinds of acids. The 
theory of their action is, that the ammonia, being an al¬ 
kaline gas, will by combination with any acid, form a 
neutral salt. Gypsum is a combination of lime aud sul¬ 
phuric acid. When this is applied to fermenting manure, 
the sulphuric acid of the gypsum leaves the lime and 
unites with the ammonia, the acid having a stronger affi¬ 
nity for the ammonia, than for the lime with which it 
was before combined. Mr. Hannam, in the essay before 
referred to, recommends that the manure-heap be cover¬ 
ed with peat, or some absorbent, and “ this coating kept 
well saturated with sulphuric-acid and water, say a weak 
mixture of ten gallons of water to one of acid.” Mr. 
Hannam adds, that any other acid which may be obtain¬ 
ed at a cheaper rate, will act as well, as the ammonia 
will combine with any acid. Either the application of 
gypsum, or the acid solutions mentioned, will soon effect 
such a fixture or combination, that little or no smell can 
be perceived. 
In regard to the use of salt, which has been by some 
recommended as a fixer of ammonia, Mr. Hannam says— 
“My own observation teaches me to prefer acid to any 
salt, as it is equally cheap, more easily used, and is, 
therefore, likely to be more generally efficacious.” 
“ Much increase is by the strength of the ox.”—jJProv. xiv. 4 
The following in substance, is Dr. Adam Clarke’s just 
commentary on this passage of Holy Writ. The ox de¬ 
serves more consideration than he usually receives, for the 
reasons here so correctly given: “ The ox is the most 
profitable of all the beasts used in husbandry. Except 
merely for speed, he is superior in almost every respect 
to the horse. 1. He is longer lived. 2. Scarcely liable 
to any disease. 3. He is steady, and always pulls fair in 
his gears. 4. He lives, fattens, and maintains his strength 
on what horses will not eat, and therefore is supported 
at much less cost. 5. His manure is more profitable. 
And, 6. When he is worn out in his labor, his flesh is 
good for the nourishment of man, his horns of great uti¬ 
lity, and his hide almost invaluable. It might be added, 
he is almost no expense in shoeing; and his gears are 
much less expensive than those of the horse. In all large 
farms, oxen for the common purposes of laboi’, are great¬ 
ly to be preferred to horses. Have but patience with this 
most patient animal, and you will soon find there is much 
increase by the strength and labor of the ox.” 
Pick carefully all winter apples for sale and for use, 
and save all other apples for pigs and other farm stock, 
for which they will be found very valuable in winter. 
