The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-13 00:00:00

THE USES OF LIQUID MANURE

A few days since Mr. Moore, the secretary to the Me-
tr.politan Sewerage Manure Company, in compliance
with the request of several influential agriculturists, de-
livered a lecture on the application and advantatf.rs of
liquid manure, to a meeting of agriculturists, at the

atitution, at Staines.
The lecturer stated that the capabilities of the agri
cultural interest were not at present more than half de-
veloped in accordance with the present state of science ;
that in consequence of the deficiency of scientific know•
ledge, and inattention on the part of the practical agri-
culturists of the kingdom, fully one-half of the raw ma-
terial available for the manufacture of food was lost, and
that the annual present money value of that loss is equal
to the annual profit on the foreign commercial and
manufacturing. trade of the kingdom. As a practical
farmer, who had during the last twenty-five years
brought to bear on agriculture the science of the
day, be was compelled to admit that during twenty
years of that period he had been sustaining that pro-
portion of loss on the farm which he cultivated, and it
was only by accident that he was convinced of his error.
The loss referred to is sustained by the general neglect
of the liquid manure made on the farm, and also by al-
lowing the solid manure to ferment and decompose to so
great an extent before it is used that the principal part
of the most valuable portion of it (being volatile) has
been dissipated. The soil also, by improved cultivation,
is capable of bearing a considerable increase of crop. He
was glad to be able to admit that ninny of the farms in
this neighbourhood were in a high state of cultivation in
proportion to the depth to which they were cultivatted;
but he was convinced that if land was improved to the
depth of twelve 'or sixteen inches instead of six or eight
inches, such land would not only be less susceptible of
the vicissitudes of the weather, but would yield crops
approaching to doable in amount; the roots of the plants
could obtain fond at a greater depth, instead of being
forced to contend with each other fur food near the our
face in a limited sphere. But the first step in this im-
provement is that admirable system of thorough drain-
ing and sub-soil ploughing introduced by Mr. Smith.
of Deanston, and which is absolutely necessary for all
soils that are so adhesive as not to absorb all the rain
water as it falls upon them. Some years back Sir J.
Graham published an account of an experiment made
by him on this principle; he let a field of very inferior
land to a tenant at ss. per acre, who complained that it
was not worth the rent, as scarcely any animal would
eat the grass that grew upon it, which induced the land-
lord to take it into his own hand, and try the effect of
Mr. Smith's method of improvement. It was accordingly
thoroughly drained, and sub soil ploughed and annum('
for green crop, after which it was sown with a corn
crop and grass seed; after the crop of corn was re-
moved, it being then under clover, it was valued and let
to a tenant on a twenty-one years' lease, at a guinea per
acre. If his memory was correct, it was stated that the
proceeds of the green crop and corn crop covered the
whole of the expense s incurred in the improvement.
After the land had been treated as recom-
amended by Mr. Smith, it was necessary to
give it "an increased quantity of manure. It
might be asked, whence is the additional quantity of
manure to be obtained ? In reply, he not only sua-
gespie!aexapri:tmi,teynied,
htrt
farmers
theeoff
art necessitynb ,u,itg toa)
bfl savingsooursho ol
solicited
thetetdo liquid
trtemeenatniou,fnr e
ample
ato
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foremx
it theiet,supply
ample
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bf
yt
tehi
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steam
eo
thean im-
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so,fwt
which
ieehm metropolis peonlai sb
lien ttehe,t,he
Companycountry
of
ttoo
dis-
tribute spewage
ea
End" rpee
it in the fields for the farmers at so low a price
as it would cost them to cart it from their farm-yards
and distribute it in the fields. It is intet.di-d to lay the
main pipe along the main road through Ilatnmersmith,
Brentford, and ilounalow, and branch mains on to Chen-
sey, Staines, and Colnbrook, from which service-pipes
will be laid at about half-mile distances into the lands
theh a house
pur.
pipe can be attached where the manure will be required ; taps will he in the
service-pipes at chered taibnyd.itshtae cnceosm,
ptoanayn,
ys
men
pose %f. o c h
pose of distributing the liquid manure
facility and economy
h in the respective
fields as may be required.
of this mode of transmission and distribution
enables
the
it s
the Company to supply it on such low terms.
Some persons have imagined that i
solid part of this manure that is the most
valuable, but this idea is inconsistent with correct prin-
ciple and practical resalts. A reference to a very simple
fact, with which we are all conversant, will sufficiently
illustrate this principle ; we all know the great
__ow do they
profi-
ciency of the ladies in the making of tea— h
proceed ? They pour water upon the solid vegetable
that they put into the teapot ; in the course of a few
minutes they pour out the exhilirating beverage as clear
(but coloured) as the purest_ water. When they are sa-
tisfied in having thus exhausted all the virtue of the tea.
s hut becomes of the RO:id matter ? We all know that it
is thrown away as useless. Similar treatment is adopte,
with the liquid manure of Edinburgh ; small cesspool
are made along the main course, in which the soli
matter is allowed to fall as deposit befote the liquid '
put over the land, and this solid deposit, when occe
sionally cleared out, is disposed of as of very liti,
value. One of the very great advantages in the applies,
tion of liquid manure is, thatit is just in the vAty state
ready to be taken up as food by the vegetable kingdom.
as it is well known their no vegetal-•1, . I;ke up soli,'
manure before it is dissolved. The I,eti.ter- then re•
ferred to several other advantages attendant upon the
application of manure in a- liquid state.—Agricultural
Advocate.