Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-12-13
RURAL ECONOMY.
coMPosTs, MUD FOR MANURE, &C.


Sir John Sinclair observes, that ia making
composts it has been ascerained by num-
Der of experiments, that two bushels ofun.
Stacked lime are sufficient 10 each cubic yard
of earth of a medium quality, and as eighty
cubic wards are sufficient to manure an
acre. one hundred and sixty bushels is the
quantity required. A less quantity, howev-
er, will answer valuable purpose, and no
precise rules arc necessary: for a compost
is valuable for manure.
DIR. Deane observed that q "layer of
mud will be no bad ingredient in heap of
compost. But it should be contiguous to a
stratum of lime, if that can be obtained.
But where this is wanting, new horse dung
is the best substitute to excite strong fer
mentation."
The Albany Cultivator asserts, that
"composts in which no fermentation takes
place, can be of little advantage. There
is no volatile matter given off; and no ten
dcncy exists to render soluble ligneous or
woody matter. Lime operates more pow
erfully than dung in inducing fermentation
in vegetable matter, though it is not pru-
dent to use it in combination with stable
dung; have found by experience that it
causes too violent action, and dlsSipateS
nearly all the purifying properties. Gem
posts are particularly adapted to all the
family of small grains, and for top dressing
grounds; where this latter practice is loie-
rated, mere carthy matters add nothing TO
the compost pile :; they merely prevent the
waste of other materials which compose II.
In making composts, therefore, for field
use, earth should be preferred which abounds
in vegetable matter, and the litter, vegeta-
BILE refuse, urine, soap sudS, ashes, &c,
should be added, which are ordinarily vast
ed, and which form annually large aggrc-
gate on farm"
The too common practice of spreading
barn-yard manure over moving or meadow
land is very was:efnl and extravagan'. Most
people appear to think that they have no.
thing more 10 do than to pile on barn-yard
manure in great quantities on any soil, and
for each and every sort Of produce, and
their crops and fortunes are made. Bu:
the truth is that the application of unmIxcd
dung in tillagc is sometimes not merely USE
less, but absolutely injurious. We have
the assertion Of an experienced cultivator,
that he actually nearly destroyed his grass
in a moving lot, by spreading on his soil in
the spring quantity of fresh dung taken
from the pig-sty, 1.-The dung" he says,
"was. of TOO hot nature, and caused the
turf to be so much scorched by the sun,
that the grass was burnt up" 1t is true,
that fresh dung applied to ploughed land
does not often produce that effect. But
the manure in that case, by mixing with
the soil forms compost. and the dung is
rs it were diluted with earth. Still we hear
farmers complain in dry seasons, that the
dung which they appl " TO their sol does
more harm than good, by increasing the in-
furious effects of drought. But ii it were
well mixed before it was applied, with two
or three times its bulk Of earth. ii would pre-
serve against drought instead of increasing
it. A plant will no better grow on a muck
heap than on a sand heap; and in some
cases pure sand would be better ap-
plication to increase the fertility OF soil
than unmixcd dung.
n T. Farmer.