298 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
Oct. 
in spring, and will ferment sufficiently to be used for 
crops in three or four weeks, according to the state of 
the weather—the change being, of course, most rapid 
in a high temperature. 
Elias Phinney, Esq., of Lexington, Mass., one of 
our most judicious farmers, has ascertained that a cord 
of green dung will convert twice its bulk of peat into 
manure of equal value to itself.* 
The beneficial action of the manure in this case is 
ascribed to two causes. The ammonia of the manure 
being an alkaline salt, neutralizes the tannin, and the 
heat, in connexion also with the ammonia, renders the 
vegetable nutriment of the peat soluble. It is un¬ 
doubtedly one of the best modes in which the farmer 
can use peat or muck. But he should never lose sight of 
the importance of using a sufficient quantity of muck 
in his stables and yards, to absorb and prevent the 
waste of all liquid manure. 
If vats or reservoirs are formed for the reception of 
urine, t'he liquid may be used with excellent effect on 
peat. Urine is richer in ammonia than dung, and its 
action on peat is consequently more powerful. Chee- 
ver Newhall, Esq., of Dorchester, Mass., prepares 
large quantities of peat in this way, and considers a 
cord of peat saturated with a hogshead of urine, 
more valuable for any crop, than a cord of any kind of 
dung made on the farm. 
2. Doctor Dana, in his Muck Manual, observes 
that—“ the power of alkaline action is alone wanting, 
to make peat good cow dung,”—that “by the addi¬ 
tion of alkali to peat it is put into the state which am¬ 
monia gives to dung.” The effect of alkali is undoubt¬ 
edly similar to that of the ammonia of manure. Its 
chief value probably consists in its neutralizing the 
acid of the peat, though, as Dr. D. observes—“ the 
solubility of geine [vegetable mould,] is wonderfully 
increased by the action of alkalies.” 
Of the alkalies to be used, Dr. Dana gives the pre¬ 
ference to wood-ashes, soda, (or white ash,) and 
potash; and the proportions in which he recommends 
these substances to be used, are—for a cord of peat, 16 
to 20 bushels common house ashes, or 92! lbs. of pot 
or pearl ash, or 61 pounds of soda. The alkalies to 
be dissolved, and the solution applied to the peat in 
layers, as the heap is being made up. 
Leached or spent ashes may be used instead of the 
articles above named, but the quantity must be pro¬ 
portionately greater. Dr. Dana refers to George 
Robbins, of Watertown, Mass., who used for four 
years no other manure than one part of barilla spent 
ashes to three of peat, mixed together. The peat 
was dug in the fall and mixed in the spring. Mr. R. 
kept eleven horses, four cows, and one hundred hogs, 
but sold all their manure, and used only the compost 
on his land, which was a sandy loam. The effects are 
said to have been excellent Mr. R.’s crops being equal 
or superior to any grown round him. 
The “ salt lye ” from soap-boiling establishments, 
and soap-boilers’ waste of every description, can be 
used with great advantage in the preparation of peat. 
Dr. Dana greatly prefers ashes, or the articles 
above named, to lime. He does not, he says, “ go for 
lime, but for soluble alkali. Carbonate of lime alone 
is not expected to produce immediate results, and 
seldom haR, nor can be expected to produce visible ef¬ 
fects in the first year of its application. * * * Alkalies 
and peat or swamp muck, are within the command of al¬ 
most every farmer. Lime is not [always] within reach, 
and besides, requires no small skill in its management.” 
Dr. D., however, recommends that experiments be 
made with what he calls a “ soluble salt of lime,” 
which is prepared by mixing lime with salt. He ad¬ 
vises the manufacture of a compost as follows:— 
“ Take one bushel of salt and one cask [four bu¬ 
shels] of unslacked lime. Slack the lime with the 
brine made by dissolving the salt in water sufficient to 
make a stiff paste with the lime, which will not be 
quite sufficient to dissolve all the salt. Mix all the 
materials then well together, and let them remain to¬ 
gether in a heap for ten days, and then be well mixed 
with three cords of peat; shovel well over for about 
six weeks, and it will be fit for use.” 
Twice turning tlie heap over would probably be suf¬ 
ficient. The cost of this compost,-—reckoning the 
peat at fifty cents per cord in the bog, and charging 
one dollar per cord for digging and carting it, the salt 
at sixty cents per bushel, the lime at one dollar and 
twenty cents per cask—would be $6.30 for three cords, 
or $2.10 per cord. In general, however, the peat 
would be of trifling value before it was dug, which 
would make the cost of the compost less. 
3. The mixture of peat with animal bodies, where 
they can be obtained, forms a compost of the most 
powerful kind. In some instances, slaughter-house 
offal, fish, the carcasses of horses, and other animals, 
may be obtained with little or no expense. They 
should be at once surrounded by peat, if that substance 
can be had—if not, vegetable refuse and earth will 
absorb the gases which are disengaged by putrefac¬ 
tion. Dr. Dana says, “ it has been actually proved 
that a dead horse can convert twenty tons of peat into 
manure more lasting than stable dung.” Without 
vouching for the absolute correctness of this rule, the 
writer can say that his own experience has convinced 
him of the great value of animal matters in preparing 
peat for manure. 
4. When the substances- abote named cannot be ob¬ 
tained to advantage, charring peat has been found a 
useful process. Peat and peat rubbish, such as tus¬ 
socks, and turf mixed with the roots of bushes, may be 
either burnt.,' and the ashes spread on land, or they 
may be only partially reduced by fire, so as to admit 
of their being used for manure. Clear peat may be 
charred in large quantities at a small expense. The 
peat should be first partially dried; then a fire may be 
kindled, and the lumps of peat gradually placed round. 
When the fire is fairly kindled, it should be kept in a 
smothered state, because if it breaks out in a blaze, it 
will reduce the peat to ashes, instead of leaving it in a 
charred or half-burnt state . Two hundred bushels of this 
peat charcoal per acre, is considered equal to a dressing 
of ten to fifteen tons of yard manure. This, however, no 
doubt depends much on the quality of the peat. The 
heat which the peat goes through, dissipates its acid, 
and reduces it to a pulverized state, in which it benefits 
vegetation immediately. 
Income from Poultry. —It is stated in the report 
of the committee on fowls, made at the last Worces¬ 
ter (Mass.) Cattle Show, that Eben Lincoln, of 
Grafton, from 27 fowls, in seven months, obtained 199 
doz. eggs, which sold for $28; and 92 chickens sold for 
$23; total. $51—besides 29 doz. eggs used in his fami¬ 
ly. The food of the fowls was, “ some meat, some 
fish, all kinds of grain, some lime, or pounded shells, 
enough sand and water, a warm dwelling, and good 
roosts.” Reckoning the '29 doz. eggs which were 
used in the family at 14 cts. per dozen, (the price which 
those sold brought,) the whole income from these 27 
fowls in seven months, would be a fraction over $55. 
Value of Reading. —A Chilicothe paper says; 
“ We know a man who engaged his wheat, (600 bu¬ 
shels,) at $1.12^ cents per bushel. His neighbor, who 
had a like amount, engaged his a few days afterwards at 
$1.00 per bushel, getting for the same amount $75 less. 
The former read the agricultural intelligence—the other 
I did not, and lost enough to pay for a paper a lifetime. 
* Dana’s Muck Manual. 
