I 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Treatment, Value and Application of Manures. 
Translated for the Country Gentleman by Sam'l W. Johnson , 
FROM THE GERMAN OF PROF. WOLFF 
Treatment of manure in the yard or dung-pit. — 
Three points must be attended to in a rational treat¬ 
ment of yard manure. 
1. The original virtue of the manure must be almost 
perfectly retained. 2. The whole mass should be made 
as far as possible of uniform quality throughout. 3. 
The process of decay or fermentation should proceed 
neither too rapidly nor too far; nor should the ma¬ 
nure shrink too much in bulk. The importance of 
both the first mentioned qualities is self-evident, and 
in reference to the third point, it need only be remark¬ 
ed, that while the nature of the soil and climate are 
often to be considered in determining bow far manure 
should be rotted ; yet generally, a medium between 
the two extremes is to be recommended. 
The manure must be spread evenly as soon a3 re¬ 
moved from the stable. If it be left with an irregular 
surface, with heaps here and there, the drying and fer¬ 
mentation will not proceed uniformly, and the quality 
will be different in different places. Care should be 
taken that all loose material, be well stamped down, 
as in such places the rotting goes on with great rapidi¬ 
ty and loss may ensue. Also under certain circum¬ 
stances in cavities and unpacked litter, mouldiness ap¬ 
pears which extends to the neighboring manure, and 
it becomes lumpy and balls together. In these por¬ 
tions of the heap further decay is thus checked, and 
the uniformity of quality is spoiled. Experience has 
also proved that such mouldy manure acts injuriously 
when applied to fields just before sowing. 
In cases where dung has become quite mouldy, it is 
often necessary to overhaul it, and pack it down anew 
in layers, each of which should be drenched with the 
liquor of the cistern. Between them layers of muck 
may be interposed, or the whole may be mixed up as 
a compost. It is to be recommended that the different 
kinds of manure be well mixed together; so that for 
example, horse-dung which heats so readily, be inter¬ 
posed in thin layers between the cattle dung, and not 
left to accumulate in one place. Especially important 
is it that the yard manure be thoroughly trodden down. 
By this means the access of air, and consequently the 
too rapid fermentation of the mass, as well as loss of 
volatile ammoniacal matters is hindered. To accom¬ 
plish the proper packing of the manure, nothing is 
better than to allow the cattle to spend some hours 
daily upon it. The heap must in this case not be kept 
too wet, and it is well to spread a little straw upon it, 
in order to attract them to it, and induce them to lie 
down upon it. This is especial Iy to be recommended 
when the manure is transferred from the stable only at 
intervals of 14 days or thereabouts. In continued dry 
and hot summer weather, the surface of the manure 
loses its moisture, and air finds access ; so that shortly 
too rapid fermentation sets in, and ammonia escapes, 
as is indicated by the smell. Bailey found that ma¬ 
nure from the stall which contained but 56 pr. ct. of 
moisture, evolved as much gaseous ammonia upon dry¬ 
ing at the temp, of boiling water, (212®) as would be 
equal to f of a lh. for a load of 1600 lbs. of fresh ma¬ 
nure. In the same amount of horse-dung, he observed 
a loss by drying of more than 1| lbs. This loss is 
much greater when a powerful manure in an advanced 
stage ©f decomposition, is- allowed to dry in free air. 
I found for example that sheep-dung which had been 
collecting in the stalle during three summer months, 
and contained 71 pr. et. of moisture; lost | of a pr. ct. 
of its weight of ammonia in being dried at 212“'. This 
calculated on a load of 160B lbs. is nearlj 7 6 lbs. having 
(in Germany) a value as manure of 75 cts. In the 
dry dung remained §, pr. ct. of ammonia, so- that by 
drying, it lost J of its nitrogen in. the form of ammonia. 
The loss by drying is of course prevented by main¬ 
taining a certain degree-of moisture in the manure. 
To accomplish this the contents of the cistern formerly 
described are intended to serve. This liquid should 
be pumped up—and. by means of movable troughs 
distributed over the whole surface of the heap, and in¬ 
deed so often and in such quantity, as the heat and 
drouth make necessary. The whole art of preparing a 
good yard manure; consists in great part in a careful 
regulation of its amount of moisture,, for this must be 
neither too great, nor too small. Where too much 
moisture is present, it is liable to become cold, and. 
sour; and humus-like bodies are formed which act 
unfavorably upon vegetation, r while in absence of suf¬ 
ficient moisture the ammonia escapes into the surround¬ 
ing atmosphere. By maintaining the manure mode¬ 
rately moist throughout its entire mass, a fertilizer will 
be produced, preserving almost entirely the- original 
virtue of the manure, and in a form well adapted to 
promote the growth of crops ;. and this without em¬ 
ploying chemical fixing-agents, as plaster, sulphuric 
acid, &c., whose application on the large scale is often 
too costly and troublesome. Swamp-muck,, peat,, 
brown-coal powder, or any earth rich in vegetable 
matter, may often be economically employed to assist 
in retaining ammonia. Whichever material be used, 
it should be strewed as a thin coating over the surface 
of the manure, from time to time, during the summer; 
and be kept moderately moist by occasional drench - 
ings with the contents of the cistern.” 
The application of chemical agents will be noticed 
in the next article. Trans. 
Lime for Sorrel Lands. 
Editors of “ The Country Gentleman. —Your 
subscriber J. F. B. of Otsego Co. N. Y. “ inquires of 
some practical farmer, the cheapest, and best mode to 
pursue with his land, to kill out the sorrel, and make 
it produce again.” Tie writes, that one neighbor says 
sore lime, another says swaashes, and a third says 
mix the two-, with gypsum or plaster, and the sorrel 
will disappear. We have had some twenty years ex¬ 
perience infarming, and in the use of lime and other fer¬ 
tilizers, and think that his neighbors are none of them 
