Delaware advertiser and farmer's journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1831, 1831-10-20
MANURING LARGE FARMS.

MANURING LARGE FARMS.
The able editor of the American Far
mer, in his paper of the 14th inst, throws
out the following valuable hints on the
subject of Manuring Lands. These hints
are scasonable, and we trust will be con-.
sidered.-ED. AVN,
cit is common remark made BY farm
airs of the South, on the subject of manur-
ing, that it is impossible to manure their
extensive fields. Why, say they, | have
five hundred acres divided into five fields
and to think Of manuring all this land is
out of the question. II would require all
my labourers all the year to do so even if
l had the manure. But it is impossible
to get the manure, and tits, if no other OBJ
sstacle existed, renders it altogether use
less TO think Of it.
"The above is brief but comprehen-
give view of the arguments used by farm
ers generally against the system of manur-
ing their lands, and we propose Offering
few remarks on the subject, to show that
they are altogether unsOund, and predica-
ted upon most erroneous principles. There
are certain fixed principles or rules in the
science of agriculture which cannot be
disregarded except at the expense of pros
perity; and the first and most important
one is, that no more ground should ever
be brought under tillage than can be cul-
tivated well by the force at the command
of the farmer. 1t is to the neglect of this
most salutary rule that all the faults of
TfSurosir
farmer finds that his land is becoming un-
productive, and that he is unable to keep
1t upby manuring, he may be assured that
he IS cultlvating too much, and his only
remedy is to abridge his fields to the d.
mansions which he is able to manure, no
matter how small they may be. Ifhe has
force capable of cultivating one hundred
acres in the old way, let him put the
whole of that force upon twenty-five acres
and pursue system of high culture. The
tirst year he will probably not make as
much as he would have done in the old
way on the hundred acres; but the second
and for ever afterwards he will make more.
and this with less lab0ur. As to want
OF manure, this is generally imaginary
every farmer by judicious management can
get or can make enough for his purpose,
He cannot, of course, expect manure 10
descend like shower of mama, any more
than he can look for fine crop Of corn
without planting; but by proper exertions
every farm in the United States can be.
manfred with less expense than the sur
plus profits arising from the manure would
come to. This we sincerely believe. and
we have arrived at this conclusion from n
long and attentive observation. We new
er yet saw farm that we could not point
to means of manuring and bring into a
state of high and profitable cultivation at
an expense altogether incOnsiderahle when
contrasted with the advantages to be de-
rived from it. The means Of manurinr
are as various as the soils; but there are
some more prominent than others. One
source of manure is almost universally
overlooked, and that is swamp and marsh
mud. Swamps, creek bottoms and marsh
es, are generally allowed torun wild with
bushes and wild grass, and are really so
much land subtracted from the superiices
of the farm, besides becoming sources of
disease, and objects of disgust to good
taste. These should be resortcd to for
manure. The rich mud they contain is a
mine ofwealth to the proprietor. And vel
INV uhhNNto"iiJ uiC lnS1 llOb OUiY over
looked but absolutely passed by in utter
ignorance that they are any thing but a
pest to the farm. Select one hundred far
mers who have such places on their farms.
and ninety-nine of them shall not only
consent to sell them cheaply, but shall
gladly consent to give their valuable con-
tents to any one that will take them away.
There is piece Of land not far from Bal
timore, that has been worn out and turn
ed out as barren old field for ten or fif-
teen years past, that has bed of marsh
mud immediately adjoining 1t that would
cover its whole surface a foot deep, and
render it one of the richest and most val
liable pieces of land in Maryland. And
yet this valuable piece of land lies utterly
neglected and worthless, notwithstanding
the means for its renovation are so COM
pletely within the power of the owner.
We have often looked at this land with
establishment that such source of wealth
should be so entirely neglected. But this