THE CULTIVATOR. 
147 
Comparative value of Green or Dried Crops as a 
Manure. 
Turning in green crops, such as clover, buckwheat, 
&c., while in full vigor, as the means of enriching or 
manuring soils, is a practice which has been extensive- 
’y pursued, and by farmers in general looked upon with 
great favor. Some have, however, doubted whether this 
was the better way, and maintained that more benefit 
was received from allowing the crop to decay, and then 
plow it in, than if plowed in while in a green state. In 
the course of his survey of the agriculture of Massa¬ 
chusetts, Mr. Colman found the opinion of some most 
successful farmers, to be in favor of allowing the crop 
to mature and perish, before it was subjected to the plow 
as a manure for the soil. As the opinion of such men 
was at variance with the commonly received one, Mr. 
Colman addressed a letter to the well known chemist, 
Dr. Dana, requesting his views on the matter, as a 
question for chemical investigation. Dr. Dana’s reply 
is contained in the report of the commissioner; and for 
the benefit of our readers, we give an abstract of his 
argument, or the reasons for the result at which he ar¬ 
rives 
The essential element of fertility in a soil, has been 
called humus, geine, vegetable extract, mold, as well as 
several other names, all meaning a brownish black pow¬ 
dery mass, the result of putrefactive decay, and the re¬ 
mains of decomposed organic matter. This substance 
combines with the alkaline, earthy or metallic bases of 
the plant or the soil, and constitutes the means of growth 
or nutrition in the new vegetable. Without it, there 
seems to be no power in the earths of producing vege¬ 
tation, and if in too great excess, as it sometimes appears 
to be in very pure manures, it is destructive or unpro¬ 
pitious to all growth. In the question now at issue, the 
inquiry of course, was, which furnishes to the soil the 
greatest quantity of geine or humus, the green or the 
dried plant. Dr. Dana decides in favor of the latter. 
Fermentation appears to be the great agent in the de¬ 
composition of organic matter ; and Dr. Dana’s survey 
of the several kinds, such as vinous, acetous, and de¬ 
structive fermentation, seems to have a direct bearing 
on the formation of the elements of fertility. The jui¬ 
ces only that contain sugar or starch, convertible first 
into gum and then into sugar, by the action of azotized 
vegetable principles, especially gluten, are capable of 
the vinous fermentation. The conditions necessary to 
this fermentation, are moisture, air, and a temperature 
not below 50 ’, or above 86°. 
“ If,” says Dr. D. “ we plow in green plants, we put them in 
a temperature favorable to the commencement of vinous fer¬ 
mentation ; we bury them full of sap, the requisite moisture for 
vicious fermentation. The sugar and starch of the plant, fer¬ 
mented by itsgluten and albumen, are converted into gases and 
alcohol; the former are lost in air, and the last washes away or is 
changed to vinegar. All that remains for the farmer, is the 
altered gluten and albumen, which soon putrefy and form 
geine. All the starch and sugar of the plant are thus lost.” 
In his remarks on destructive fermentation, Dr. Dana 
has the following: 
“Doubtless all green plants plowed in, undergo to a greater 
or les3 extent, destructive fermentation, which succeeds the 
vinous and acid fermentations, perhaps caused by the rapidity 
of these processes. Hence, in addition to the sugar gum, and 
starch of the plant, we lose a large portion of its other sub¬ 
stances, by turning it in green. The products of this rapid 
fermentation have been but little studied. Happy the farmer 
who never witnesses the process. He should never induce 
it, and may generally prevent its extension when once begun. 
It is a dead loss to him; but in all the other cases of putrefac¬ 
tion, the products are valuable.” 
Will not the remark made above by Dr. D. that the 
alcohol formed during the vinous fermentation, washes 
away, or is converted into vinegar, account for the fact 
of what some farmers complain of, as souring the soil in 
turning in heavy crops of green clover ? We have heard 
some very successful farmers and wheat growers assert 
that their experience in turning in the clover crop be¬ 
fore it had reached maturity, or while abounding in sap, 
had been so unfavorable, that they had relinquished the 
practice, and chose either to feed it off with sheep, or 
let it decay on the ground. 
Still, no one can doubt but that excellent effects are 
produced by turning in green crops, particularly such as 
buckwheat, of which three or four can be plowed in, in 
a year; thus evidently giving more geine than where 
the ripened product is turned under. The danger of 
the practice, appears to arise from plowing in the green 
crop in that condition, and under such circumstances, 
that the vinous fermentation and acetous one are so 
rapid as to convert the valuable products into vinegar, 
and thus seriously injure the land; or when the destruc 
tive fermentation converts the plant into substances un¬ 
fit for the food or nutrition of vegetables. 
It will be seen that the argument of Dr. D. extends 
only to plants used for manure while green ; we ima¬ 
gine it is partially applicable, so far as the escape of the 
gases is concerned, to the preparation, decomposition, 
and use of stable manure. The salts, and animal parts 
of such manures are doubtless available at once, but 
the vegetable part must undergo the decomposing 
process spoken of by Dr. Dana, before it can be¬ 
come available. It would appear, therefore, that the 
manure should be so managed, that the gases which es¬ 
cape during the necessary decomposition shall not be 
lost, and on the other hand, not in so confined or close a 
position, that the fermentation can reach the destructive 
point, and render the mass of no value. 
That the manner in which manures, or decomposed 
organic matter is useful in promoting the growth of 
plants, or the best manner of preparing this substance 
for their food, is fully understood, cannot be pretended 
by any one; and the vast importance of the subject to 
the agriculturist, fully justifies all the efforts that can 
be made to ascertain the facts that have a bearing on 
this subject. In developing the relations which geine 
bears to nutrition of vegetables, and the peculiar quali¬ 
ties of this substance, Dr. Dana deserves well of the ag- 
ricuitv-'T public for the aid he has rendered; and we 
trust lie will continue the investigations he is evidently 
so well calculated and qualified to conduct. The public 
also desire facts, practice, as well as theory; and those 
who have in the course of their farming, made such ex¬ 
periments as would throw light on the value or action 
of green plants as manures, would confer a favor by 
making them public. 
BEST AGE OF THE HORSE. 
Some difference of opinion appears to exist as to the 
time in which the horse is best fitted to perform labor, 
or rather respecting the age at which a horse intended 
for labor can be most profitably purchased. There is a 
general feeling in favor of young horses, and most indi¬ 
viduals who wished a horse to perform hard work for 
five or six years, would choose one not more than four 
years old to begin with. We doubt whether this would 
be the best course, and imagine that one of seven years 
of age, will for live or six years do more work, and can 
be more confidently relied on, than one younger. It is 
very true that where a farmer or other person is intend¬ 
ing to keep or wear out his horse, one at four, may pro¬ 
perly enough be chosen ; but where five or six years of 
severe labor, without regard to other circumstances, is 
required, an older horse is unquestionably to be prefer¬ 
red. 
A principal reason, and in our opinion a decisive one, 
for choosing a horse of a greater age than four years 
for severe work, is, that at that age, the horse is immature, 
and of course unfit for great or long continued exertion. 
They have the life and the spirit, but the muscular en¬ 
ergy is wanting. The bones have not acquired the 
hardness, and the tendons the firmness, necessary to pro¬ 
longed effort, and any action in which these elements 
are essential to success, must either end in a failure, or 
be accomplished at an injurious expenditure of physical 
energy and power. We may learn much respecting the 
capacity of animals for labor, from what we know of 
the effects of muscular exertion on ourselves. The man 
under twenty may be active and capable of a great ef¬ 
fort, but he is wanting in the powers of endurance. 
There is not that firmness of muscle essential to severe 
and continued action. Taking the comparative ages to 
which man and the horse live, as a standard, and allow¬ 
ing that the man is incapable of his greatest and contin¬ 
ued efforts until he is twenty-five or past, the horse 
should certainly not be less than seven or eight, to an¬ 
swer the same conditions. Overtasking does not pro¬ 
duce the same effect on the man, that it does on the 
boy; and the horse at twelve, will scarcely feel fatigue 
at efforts which would have ruined him at the age of 
three or four. Light loads, short stages, and frequent 
stops while traveling, may enable a young horse to 
make a journey without injury ; but where a heavy 
load is to be moved, or a quick pace is required, or on a 
farm a thick sward is to be turned, a horse under seven 
or eight, should not be chosen ; and at such severe 
work, the eight year old, will last longer than the four 
year old. 
It is a saying among English sportsmen, that what is 
required for a first rate hunter, or a horse of great 
work, is young legs, and an old mouth; that is, horses 
that have done little until five or six, and of course 
while their limbs are elastic, are at the same time in 
full muscular vigor. Elwes, Ihe great miser, never al¬ 
lowed a colt to be broken until six years old ; and when 
his horses were twenty or more years of age, his ani¬ 
mals always led the field in the chase. Stage coach 
proprietors do not consider a horse past the most severe 
pace, or age, until after their sixteenth year. It must 
be admitted, however, that much is depending on con¬ 
stitution and treatment, and when these are good, a 
horse lasts much longer than has been generally suppo¬ 
sed. It is stated in an English journal, that at this time 
there is a surgeon near Finsbury Square, London, who 
has a grey mare upwards of forty years of age, which 
still does her work in a admirable style. At thirty-six 
years of age, this animal perfonned the distance of 
eighty miles a day, on two successive days ; and one 
hundred miles in one day, and without exhibiting any 
indications of being severely tasked. An extraordinary 
instance of what the horse can perform, is given in the 
New-York Spirit of the Times of June 6th, from which 
it appears that the horse Filo, a six year old gelding, on 
the 12th of May, trotted between sun and sun, one hun¬ 
dred and six miles, carrying 470 lbs. The match took 
place near Boston. 
We think we hazard little in the assertion, that while 
no animal is more deserving of attention to his improve¬ 
ment than the horse, there is none to which, among the 
mass of our farmers, so little attention is paid. It is 
enough, if the animal attached to the carriage or the 
plow, is a horse; it matters but little what is his per¬ 
formance, or his bearing ; and not unfrequently, such as 
are unfit for the merest drudges, are selected to perpet¬ 
uate the race. For our farm horses, we do not want 
the Arabian or the English blood horse; we require 
more weight, more bone and muscle, than these afford ; 
but we do want some of their activity, and powers of en¬ 
durance, and all these desirable qualities, it is believed, 
can be obtained by a proper selection, and by crossing. 
Some of the best horses in England, for the carriage or 
the farm, are the produce of a cross between the Cleve¬ 
land bay, or the Suffolk Punch, and a half blood horse, 
combining the essential requisites of weight and action, 
as far as they can be united; and that a similar process 
here, would be attended with the same beneficial re¬ 
sults, does not admit of a question. Farmers should 
discard the caricatures of this noble animal, that disgrace 
their premises ; in breeding, give a preference to good, 
rather than to cheap cattle ; beware working their colts 
too young, or too severely ; let the food correspond to 
the labor; and always remember that “ it is the pace 
that kills the horse,” whatever may be his business, oar 
his condition. 
BEET SUGAR MANUFACTURE. 
Mr. Childs’ book on the making of sugar from the 
beet, derives much of its interest from the history of the 
experiments made the past season at Northampton, to 
test the new method of manufacturing by desiccation or 
drying the root before rasping, instead of using it while 
fresh, as has been heretofore practiced. The results ap¬ 
pear to have been very satisfactory under the circum¬ 
stances ; and in the opinion of Mr. Childs, establish the 
following positions: 
“ 1. That all the saccharine contained in the beet can 
be extracted by the method of desiccation. 
“ 2. That the raw sugar can be obtained without any 
bad taste, and fit for immediate consumption. 
“ 3. That American beets, though generally inferior 
to the European in saccharine richness, can by suitable 
culture be made inferior to none. 
“ 4. That 50 per cent more of crystalizable sugar can 
be obtained by the method of desiccation, than has gene¬ 
rally been obtained by the method of grating and press¬ 
ing, or macerating the green beet. 
5. That the beet, once dried, maybe kept an indefi¬ 
nite time without liability to injury.” 
In the experiments of Mr. Childs he constantly ob¬ 
tained from 7 to 10 lbs. of saccharine from 100 lbs. of 
fresh beet, or 14 lbs. of dried beet. Owing to some im¬ 
perfections in the process, too large a quantity of the 
molasses at first resisted all efforts at crystallization; 
but these difficulties were at last overcome, and the 
sugar was not only of a beautiful quality, but what lit¬ 
tle molasses remained, “ was of a bright amber color, 
and so pure and pleasant, as to be preferred by many 
to any but sugar bakers.” The actual cost of the sugar 
made, when the material has been good, was 11 cents per 
pound, the pulp and manure or scum, not taken into the 
account. 
Mr. Childs also made experiments on the stalk of 
maize or common corn, and on the pumpkin, and from 
both obtained good sugar and molasses. We imagine, 
however, that sugar from the corn stalk cannot be ex¬ 
pected to any extent, as they must be gathered before 
the ear could mature, and that would occasion serious 
loss. Should it be found on experiment that the pump¬ 
kin could be made to produce sugar to any considerable 
extent, it might possibly be worthy of culture as an in¬ 
dependent crop for the sake of its sugar, and its seeds 
for oil, the latter producing at the rate of a gallon of 
fine pure oil to one bushel of seeds. 
Taking into consideration the facts, that to those en¬ 
gaged in itthe business was entirely new ; that the beets 
were procured at a great disadvantage ; that the fixtures, 
implements, &c. were untried, and afterwards found to 
require alteration and improvement; we think the re¬ 
sults such as warrant the conclusion, that the northern 
states can produce their own sugar at a reasonable rate, 
though we have some doubts whether the opinion of 
Mr. Childs, “ that with proper and sufficient means beet 
sugar may be manufactured in the United States for four 
cents per pound,” will be speedily realized. Mr. Childs’ 
book contains a letter from Mr. Schuzenbach, a brother 
of the German artist, who discovered the important 
process of desiccation, stating that his brother was still 
improving his methods, and had reduced the cost of 
manufacture considerably below four cents per pound. 
This letter gives the nature and expense of the several 
items in the process, and is therefore interesting. On 
the whole, Mr. Childs’ book will be found valuable to 
all who take an interest in the beet sugar manufacture, 
or wish to prosecute it themselves. 
One thing more on this sugar question; if any of our 
readers have three or four acres of permanent pasture, 
or other lands suitable for the purpose, and will plant out 
some 150 or 200 of the sugar maple, they' will have a 
lasting resource for a supply of superior sugar. If the 
maple orchard is planted so as to break the wind from 
the dwelling, or the fruit orchard, so much the better. 
If you have no land you can conveniently spare for such 
a use, plant the sides of your roads, lanes, or fences, 
and you will beautify your farm, as well as lay the 
foundation of a sure ultimate profit. O, but it will be 
so long before the trees will be large enough to make 
sugar from, I may not live to want them, or the sugar"? 
Very true. Youmay not live the twenty or thirty years 
required to grow a good sugar orchard, and it is equally 
true you may not live to gather the harvest that is now 
ripening. But what if you do not? Is there no one to 
come after you, who will bless your memory for this 
or similar examples of forethought. No man has a 
right to enter the world and leave it, without at the same 
time leaving some proof that it is the better for his hav¬ 
ing lived in it. 
