Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-11-03

morally lost from 10 } OF its most usei,l!
constituent elements. II evidently skoaig
De applied as soon as ermeatofiou tssiiS, TIM
Il may erer ats .JhR action rpm tie L;aot. ant
fcsc more Of ITS nut,Ttirc powcrS. y
! $. The great object in The application
oil manure should be To make il afford as
much soluble matter ~ possible 10 the
roofs ot the plants, and that in Il slow and
! gradual manner, So tlaiIi may he entirely
consumed informing The sap'or organized
parts OF The plant.
q. Cow dung, as analyzed by MessrS.
/ NJ. NJ. Einhoia nd Tharr. coniaius matter
soluble IN water, and gives Out. curing
fermentation, nearly the same products
as vegetable substances, absorbing oxy-
| gen ana producing carbonic acid gas.
z. Tie Chinese mix their night soil
with one-ilird Gifts weight OF ial mari.
make II in'o cakes, and oiy il By exposure
TO tie SHn, IN which situation II forms a
common article of The commerce of The
empire.
Now, II these doctrines and facts lie
true, ami there seems no good reason for
doubling them as far as tbev go-how do
tbey apply 10 tie case IN question: How
are either the soluble or gaseous subs,an
ces produced by the decomposition OF
COW dung buried, VIC will say in the las,
spring or summer, 10 act upon grain not
planted until next spring or summer q
Niil the various constituent parts of The
atmosphere have an attraction sufficient.
~ strong Tor that portion of the food of
plants contained IN animalexCrrment iflefi
upon the surface, TO overcome the combiiI-
ed agency OF HE absorbent powers of the
ear,h and ihe pnnclple ofgravily acting on
The rain water occasionally falling on The
ali Il, -.
OF II, as are capable of solution by ihis
mcnsiruum sit best for spring grain or
corn, tina, The decomposition of cos dung
designed for IFS use, should be com
henccd and probably completed iii The
earth during Tie preceding spring, sum
mer, or autumn, as must be The effect O!
immediate inhumailon, or that this pro
cess OF entire decomposition should be
finished only some short time before the
grain is deposited, and begins TO GERM
nate One more, aud have done--ii the
supposed superiority of dry vegetables
as manure, instead of green, be admit
/ ted, and i, is so, believe almost upiycr-
sally, is not this an analogous case, suf-
hcicnily near 10 that of The fresh and dry
state of animal manures 10 account in
some measure, for the apparent difference
III the experiments, which | have cited
Alter all, perhaps, this difference NAV
have been caused chiefly by the pens in
tue enumerated cases, having been plough
ed III the usual way with flat, complete-
ly inverted surface. But be the reason
ing on the subject what il NAV, The facts
themselves ought, think, TO be deemed
important enough, TO induce practical
farmers, al least, 10 pursue the enquiry
farther; and without prejudice for or "a
| gainst either opinion, (the state Of mind
proper tor every XPerImentalist, } TO make
series OF trials on different Sois-at dif-
tereni seasons, and with different crops.
SO as 10 ascertain the truth, and to place
II beyond further doubt or controversy
Nothing is more prejudIcial to the inter
est OF agriculture, than 10 take opinions
Tor granted, when ihe slightest experience
sufhces 10 convince us, that scarcely any
one principle or practice III II, can be sa-
iisiactorliy established, but by long
course OF experiments accurately made,
ana 'r'ed under every variety of circum-
stances. A signal instance of the follv of
these prcconceIved notions occurred TO
myself last year. | had taken I'D frcm
hcarsay, The opinion that rye was not on.
ly poisonous TO land, but would produce
very little or no grain in oar climate: the
consequence of which was, that although
it,e owner 81 q farm for about thirty wears,
J mad never sowed grain until last fall.
nor should have done il then, | believe.
bui The entire loss of Il wheat Crop BIZ the
beSsian ny, urged me, as a sort of dies
pcrate adventure, 10 make very partial
trial OF another gram, on the poorest land
could select. TIE result was Weld of
eleven bushels OF rye for one, from land
which would not, in the most favourable
season, have produced four for one Of
wheat besides saving fully half The ex
pence IN horse feed, by giving chopt straw
ana rye meal instead OF corn But when
we see so many Instances IN liieraiureand
The sciences, OF opinions being exploded
alter an undIspuied aud despotic reign
OF many centuries, we surely ought rot
To be 50 very tenacious of our noiioss i'm
regard TO any OF The practical arts. as to
imagine that we have carried them to
their ne pins ultra Of perfection. The ana
lily calico obstlnaCy, NAV sometimes be
d good thing; II usually is a preatretarcer
of Improvement: but although some of
my very klnd friends, in the conscious
manifestation OF their own great impar-
tIdlity, have occasionally ascribpd TO me
more Than full share ofths joint-fenani
properiy-a striking example of which
nave Just recorded to my shame-vet i'm
most cases, as in lie present have ma.
naged to make il yield, at least 10 the evi-
dence Of my -OCn senses. To affect how
ever, to yield 10 The senses of Other peo-
pie, IS certainly a much better plan TOR all
worldly uses; more especially for pur-
chasing The reputation of deep learned
most ihiakiug," and uBprejudiced man
But TO return 10 The corn subject.
have Witnessed, during this summer. a vc-
~ remarkable instance Of the prompt ef-
hcacy OF mari upon cora. This substance
] which l. cauorall, 4