The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1822-09-17
Agricultural.
MANURE.


II * generally received opinion that IN some soils
Of loose texture, the fciiiiizng parts Of manure es-
cape by sinking be yond the reach OF plants The Hon.
Timothy Pickering in Address 10 the Essex AZ
ricutural Society. delivered May 5. 1918. marle the
following observations on this subject Speaking OF
what is sometimes called riddle tusd, Mr. remarks
But is ttrue. that on such land, or on any land,
the rtillzing parts OF manure escape BY sinking be-
low he reach Of plants II they do how happens IT, that
in lands which have been Guilty .cd and MANFRED for
ages every aver Of earth below the cultivated soil ~
nevertheless, found dead and barren Is it not for
this reason, that farmers ia general cautiously avoid
ploughing deeper than the SOIL lest by stirring that
dead earth, and mixing il with the soil, they should
lessen its fertility The result Of little experiment
which had made prior to revolution then occur
red to Its recital may in other respects be
useful.
Within stones throw Of nv fathers house. was
piece of sandy loan, which from its contguiiy TO
the dwe,lng-pace of himself and ancestors, for up
wards OF hundred and thirty years, have been
kept, large portion Of that time, in age, aud con-
sequenty have been often MANFRED. Yet the c0lorei
soil more then five six inches in depth.
This soil removed from spot, with three or four
inches of the earth next beneath it, OF the next red
earth, then took up as much measured peck and
half Dividing long box into two equal portions by
board, into one put peek Of the earth and
into the other half peck, intimately mingled
and incorporated with half peck Of cay-per-
feet clay TO the touch ; but il was taken
from the edge Of clay pit holding water where cattle
often drank and flock of geese batBed, during the
summer. Hence the apparent clay was doubtless im-
pregnaied, in degree. with the droppngs from
these animals This box placed. on the surface in
garden Adjacent 70 IL sunk. TO a level with the
surface, small eaubern pot filed with the sort
OF clay. In these three places sosved turnD seed
as late tue Goth Of August Tn few DAYS reduced
the number Of turnip plants in each TO three The
pot OF clay with the surface received sufficient
water from rains but regularly walered the par
GELS Of earth in the box bestowing equal quantities,
! and at the times each division. Near d q
close Of October carefully took up the turnips. ard
washed them leaving upon them the fbrous roots ard
leaves The three which had grown in the BOT Of
clay weghed ten ounccs-the bulbs hot to the TASTE
srngy aud tough. Tae three from the dead red earth
weighed only three ounces and the bulbs were SOFT
spuDgy and nsioid. But the three which had
gfown IN the mingled red earth and clay weighed tvver-
ty-tonr ounces and the bulbs were OF good texture
and well favored.
From the facts above stated, felt authorized 10
inter- thar all the lost manure, Chat is all the narts
not lmhIhed by the roots OF plants remaining in
the sc) instead Of sinking below the sphere of yeqes
tation. rose into the atmosp herc and that riddle
land, Gland on which the effects Of manure were NOT
issting however highly ranured soon lost its fer
ulity not by letting the OF the manure e;nk
speedily through IT. bur BY its ncapacitg ID yeta;a III
against the Posoer Of evaporation"
Prom these. and other considerations Mr. Picker
ing nfers, that manure arising from dung and fro1,
all animal and vegetable substances should he ~
posed as little possible to the SUM- tile all and wash
Ing rams and when applied 10 the SOIL be Immediately
pio'ghed IN Aud further that the aim of the hus-
bandulan possessing soil from which the essence of
which VIII render it more tenacious /; ike IL ali
which IN current language is said to hold manure e
For tins purpose nothing probably is equal "a cixy.
New England Farmey