THE CULTIVATOR 
53 
with the closest scrutiny and observation. I have deduced the fid- 
lowing’ conclusions, which I cannot submit to a more competent 
judge than yourself. 
1 have applied stable manure repeatedly, in its recent state, ge¬ 
nerally ploughing it under, as it is troublesome when put on the 
surface, and requires a longer time to ferment. I have done what 
perhaps few have taken the pams to do; I have divided my manure 
heap in the spring with extreme precision—and after first survey¬ 
ing and dividing a field of very uniform soil throughout, I hauled 
the half of my manure heap in its recent state upon the half of said 
field, and ploughed it under in the spring; in September following, 
I put the remaining half of fermented manure on the remaining 
half of the field, and put the whole field down to wheat: I wi l just 
add that the part manured in the spring was sown with barley, and 
the other with oats; we consider oats the greater exhauster—the 
soil a heavy clay, u, on which recent manure in all cases is most 
profitably applied. I will not omit the result, which u’as percepti¬ 
bly m favor of that part of the field on which the fermented ma¬ 
nure was applied, not only in the wheat crop, but with the grass 
since. I regret that my space w ill not allow me to narrate other 
experiments, equally conclusive, with foosil manures. According 
to the theory which I have deduced from experiments fairly tested, 
the vital spirit in stable manure, or all the vegetable nourishment 
it contains (excepting water) w ill not waste or evaporate. I com¬ 
pare a manure heap, in this point of view, to a vessel of ardent 
spirits exposed to the air; the quantity will diminish, but in the end 
there will be nothing lost but water. The water will evaporate 
from manure, but I contend the alkaline salt of the manure will not 
assume a gaseous or aeriform state. I cannot, as yet, be persuad¬ 
ed to dispose of fossil manures on any different principle. I sav, 
after they are dissolved, they form a ley, which mingles with the 
soil, forming vegetable aliment, and adopting the theory, that the 
roots are the mouths of the plants, the sun, atmosphere and winds 
imparting in their turn, vigor, health and exercise to vegetation; 
it being obvious to the lax observer, that the winds exercise plants. 
1 now, sir, come to the point—will you do the agriculturists in this 
quarter, (whose esteem you have deservedly gained) the enduring 
favor to publish this letter in the Albany Cultivator, with your an¬ 
swers to the queries herein contained? The public g< nerally will 
greet your reply and remarks on a subject so important. 
I am sir, with much esteem, vours, &tc. 
WM. PENN KINZER. 
REMARKS ON THE ABOVE. 
My farm lies on what is termed a pine barren, being an alluvial or diluvial 
formation, principally of silieious sand, once covered with a heavy arowtli of 
white and yellow pine, of late years intermixed with shrub oaks. The surface 
is somewhat undulating, with some swamps, and abounding in springs, mostly 
perennial. The soil contains but a small portion of calcareous earth, and but 
very little clay, though it is partially underlaid with clay and clay mail, that 
is, blue clay, containing 20 to 30 per cent of lime. The products of this farm, 
when first brought under cultivation eighteen years ago, were certainly not 
very flattering; blit by draining, manuring, and alternating my crops I think 
it is now as productive, in net profit, as the alluvial bottoms on the Hudson,'or 
any where else. It is not a wheat soil, but is well adapted to Indian corn, 
barley, rye, turnips, clover and the other grasses. I have- used no fossil ma¬ 
nures but gypsum, ana that principally on my corn, potato and clover crops. 
Of animal and vegetable manures, I have used many kinds unknown to and 
unprized by many of our farmers. Crushed bones, horn shavings from the 
comb-makers, fleshings, oil and hair from the furriers, and (he piths of cattle’s 
horns, after the outside has been taken off for combs, are among the animal 
sol st trees which I have employed, always with success, and w Inch my conti¬ 
guity to the city has enabled a e to procure in large quantities, and often at a 
nominal price. I began with some of these rather as a matter of experiment, : 
and the result has induced me to continue to use them. I draw manure front 
the city in the winter and this, with the contents of my yards, is always ap¬ 
plied in the spring, in an unfermented, or partially fermented state and always 
to a lined crop, as corn, potatoes and beans, which mature their product after the 
manure in the soil has undergone fermentation there. The manure which accu¬ 
mulates belore mid-summer is appropriated to the rota baga crop. To induce 1 
healthy vegetation, and to enable me to work my land early in the spring, and 
with facility, 1 have constructed a great, length of under drains, and I am sa- ! 
lisficd the expense boars but a small ratio to the benefits which have already 
resulted from them. By these means, cold cranberry marshes have been trans- 
f irmed into fine tillable and clov er land. I have also used, as a fertilizing ma- ! 
ferial, large quantifies of swamp earth, either spread upon the uplands, or first 
made into a compost with recent stable manure. 
As to the corn which I cultivate, the favorable opinion I have expressed of it! 
remains unaltered. I usually plant it between the 15th and 20tli May, and! 
harvest it, that is, cut it up, in the first'half of September. In 1328 it was cut 
the last week in August, and deposited in the cribs before the 10th Sept. 1 
treat it as I would a good horse— feed it well. I have sent some grains to Mr. 1 
K. For my mode of culture, 1 beg leave to refer him to the first vol. of the 
Cultivator. 
We highly commend Mr. Kinzer’s experiments with manure. It is by re¬ 
pealed experiment, and close observation, that the farther is best enabled to 
apply general principles to his particular practice: and it is in canvassing each 
others opinions with freedom and decorum, that we often delect and escape 
error, and elicit truth. Although vve attach full credit to Mr. It's statement 
we cannot nevertheless subscribe to his conclusions, which are so contrary to 
the convictions forced upon us by reason and practice. Every particle of ve¬ 
getable and animal manure is capable of being converted into a liquid or gase¬ 
ous state. These p olicies (including water, or its elements, hydrogen and 
oxygen) have formed necessary constituents of plants, and they are all neces¬ 
sary in the organization and structure of other plants. If fermentation takes 
place in the f.rm yard, decomposition ensues, and a portion of these particles, 
suited arid prepared for the wants of the growing plants, escape- into the at¬ 
mosphere, and are lost.. Another portion commingle with the water of the 
dung heap, and in fact are converted into water, and are w ashed away by the 
rains. But if the fermentation takes place in the sod, both the gases and the 
liquids are imbibed by the soil, and afterwards absorbed by The mouths of 
plants. 
But there was an error in Mr. K’s experiment, which vve apprehend has led 
him to draw unsound conclusions. It was in applying his recent manure to 
the wrong crop—a crop which matured its seeds when the manure was in its 
mostactive state of fermentation—a circumstance which was calculated to pro¬ 
duce a luxuriant growth of straw, hut a diminutive crop of grain. Had lie ap¬ 
plied the unferinented manure to his corn or potato crop, he may rest assured, 
lhat, these would have experienced great benefit, and yielded an increased pro¬ 
duct. from the application. But as we read the text, Mr. K. is silent as to the 
product of the barley crop. And besides, barley may exhaust the soil of the 
specific food of wheat more than oats, although the latter, in the main, may be 
the more exhausting for other crops than w heat. To have enabled us to draw 
just conclusions, both pieces should have been sown with barley or bo'll with 
oats. Mr. K. has clmsen a bad il hist i at ion of his theory in regard to alkaline 
salts, in the vessel of ardent.spirits. Spirits are more volatile than w ater, and 
when combined m the still, arc driven off before it, by the application of heat, 
in the form of steam or gas. And if the salts of the dung heap do not evapo¬ 
rate. they are certainly liable to he dissolved, and earned uffby the rains. The 
application of Mr. K’s principle to fossil manures, is undoubtedly correct. 
These do not ferment, nor evaporate in the form of gas; but they dissolve and 
sink, and hence should be applied on tiie surface of the soil, or near it. 
We hope Mr. K. will persist in Ins experiments, and vve invite him to trans¬ 
mit to us the results.— Conductor. 
THE CORN CROP. 
Sir —I have long- been of opinion that the farmers of this coun¬ 
try were not aware of the loss they sustained, by reason of the 
careless manner in which Indian corn is usually cultivated;—or, 
rather, lhat they were not advised of tiie immense increase of crop 
they might receive, by a more careful cultivation of the most bene- 
cial grain we cultivate. 
I last spring planted several hills of com of different sorts, in my 
garden, with a view of ascertaining the relative productiveness of 
each kind. But the ground was not suitable, and the drought 
was so severe that I was disappointed in the result, so far, as ac¬ 
tual productiveness was in question. But still I was resolved to 
use the best data itt my power, to demonstrate the relative produc¬ 
tiveness of each short, by dissecting several plants. 
And here I would observe, that all plants that bear their blos¬ 
soms and fruit on the extremities of the stalk or branches, have 
the germs of all their parts and capacities for fructification formed 
in them from the time they come up out of the ground, although 
the parts may be so minute as not be detected. And this is par¬ 
ticularly the case with Indian corn. For so soon as the stalk comes 
fairly out of the ground, by a powerful microscope, we may dis¬ 
cover, cn dissecting the plant, its entire capacity to bear fruit. 
But I have not predicated my invest'galion on microscopic obser¬ 
vations, but on the dissection of the manure plant, taken up with 
roots. 
The first subject, was a stalk of what I call Natick corn, and is 
so called in some parts of New-England, where it was cultivated 
by the Indians, before the landing of the Pi'grims. This is an 
early blue and white or blue and yellow corn, and will grow on as 
poor soil as any other sort I have seen, as it is perfectly acclimat¬ 
ed to this climate. 
At the 1st and 2d joints, there were the germs of suckers. 
These, if the ground had been rich enough, would have produced 
blossoms to fructify the late cars, and would also have produced 
hermaphrodite ears with the blossoms. 
At the third leaf or joint, there was the germ of an ear, on their 
tops. At the 4t.h, 5th and 6th joints, there were perfect ears; 
then followed five barren joints, with leaves between the fruit bear¬ 
ing joints and the male blossom on the top. This variety of corn 
has eleven leaves and joints on the main stalk; the 1st and 2d to 
