Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-05-10
AGRICULTURAL.
4 CALCULATION.

There are, by estimation, 100000 i'm
proved farms in this state, upon three
fiihs Of which, we believe, it is the prac- |
tice TO SHmmeT yard manure; that Is, to
leave Il in the yard to rot during the sum-
mer, by which one-half Of Its fertilizing
properties are lost to the farm. It will
not be considered extravagant to suppose,
that the manure thus permitted to waste
upon those 10000 farms, will average
ten loads to each. This would give an
aggregate Of one and half millions of
loads Of manure which are annually sum-
mered in our yards, and about our farm
buildings. II the calculation of Davv is
correct, that yard dung loses one half of
its fertilizing properties by undergoing
complete fermentation in the yard, there is
an absolute loss, from this reckless or i'll
Judged mode Of managing dung. Of $780,
600 loads, worth, to good farmer, one
dollar a load. Let Us now see what this
last manure would produce, il applied to
the corn and potato crop, in the spring,
instead Of being suffered to lay till autumn
IN the yard for no one will pretend that
dung wastes more in the soil than it does
upon the surface Of the ground, exposed
TO the weather. Won Thser, after a series
Of experiments, has stated, that the fertili.
ty of an ordinary soil is augmented so
per cent. by the application of twenty
loads OF dung to the acre. Although we
believe this estimate will hold good in re-
gard 10 the corn and potato crops, we will,
in our calculation, consider the augment
alton only one-third The 100000 loads
OF lost dung would manure $500 acres
Of corn land, al the rate of 90 loads to
the acre Assuming 80 bushels per acre
a as the ordinary crop, the manure then. BY
our rule, which is certainly graduated low,
would have added ten bushels to each Of
the 81 500 acres, or in other words, would
hare produced 275, 900 busheI. Of corn,
worth, now, nearly half a million Of dol
lars. But if we assume, what we believe
to be within the bounds Of truth, that eve
ry load Of long manure, under good man
agement, will augment the product more
than one busheL the grain to the state, by
general adoption of the mode recon-
meRded, Of fermenting all our long ma
nure in the corn-feld, would amount to
100000 bushels, which at present prices,
would be worth nearly million Of dol
lars. H.-
This is but one branch Of improvement
of which our husbandry is susceptible
Thorough draining. judicious system OF
alternating crops, the root culture, &c.
p may each be made to augment our crops
toa greater extent than the improvement
we have suggested. Every article Of our
produce has been more or less enhanced
by the failure Of our corn crops, and every
class in community are paying smGrt-moH-
az for the neglect and contumely with
which the interests of agriculture have
been treated in our Legislative halls
Days, weeks and months are spent in un-
probable debate, upon trivial Questions OF
order, the division Of town, or the incor-
Porution Of bank, in which the state
has but q modicum Of interest while not
aday. or an hours time, can be spared to
discuss the great business Of agriculture,
the whole base which supports the whole
hbricof society. Millions have been ex,
pended 10 endow schools of literature,
but not cent to endow schools of labor.
Though the lion now sleeps, he NAV be
provoked too Ear.
A., But we are straying from our subject,
which was 10 show to the farmer, the
importance Of applying his long manure
10 his corn and potato crops, and to urge
him, by the strongest considerations Of in
tarest 10 do II TINS spRINa-CnLfirnkor