The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1839-04-30
TIME EARNH H. ES.
From the Yankee Farmer.
ON BURYING MANURE DEEP.


t,af,on OF the Committee TO spread compost ma
nure, and harrow it in. 1t is remarkable how
old errors and habits adhere to people, and
how hard it is to persuade people from them.
Errors are the the easiest things to reach, be-
cause they so readily received, believed, and
practiced.
The reason that farmers are so slow to adopt
the true philosophy of nature, in the use and op-
plication Of manure is, that they have practised
the wrong course so long that it has become
kind Of second nature.
The reason generally assigned for spreading
manure is, that it produces a better crop Per-
haps it may be the first year, and perhaps not
But this is not the true theory of farming, to
get one crop and exhaust the land with that. A
man should so farm every year ms though he had
n thousand years to live, and then he would be
to bring his farm to good state of profit.
But this yearly way of manuring will always
keep man yearling farmer and he will new
or be any thing more Than yearling for his
whole life.
The philosophy of manure is, as it frments
and deconposes whether on or under the earth,
those properties OF the manure, which give
life and growth to plants, rise upwards; the
heavy and solid parts settle do Wn. Hence it is
that nanures on the top Of the earth decay and
disappear SO very fast, having no little residuum.
And this depends too very much on the natureE
Of the soil. II the soil is wet and cold, the des
composition will be slow, and tho evapora ton
slow. If the soil is hot and dry, the decompo-
tion is rapid, and the evaporation also. And the
more rapid the decay, the less residuum is left
on the soil.
Take sandy land. and spread manure on it, and
it W i'll decay very fast; ant, evopera,o very fast,
and leave little or nothing on the soil. And the
reason is that the superior heat of such soil pro-
duces this rapidly of effect. OF cold wet lands
it is the reverseRand more is left on the soil
The great argument among the farmers, in fa-
vor of spreading manure, is that the strength
leeches down. This is not the case. Where
ever the manure may be put, its vegetatin g
strength ascends. Examine all kinds of soils,
and it will DO found, Except it alluvias, and we
are not speaking of them) that the stain of the
top soil has not extended down by teaching, and
colored the earth but little ways. The reason
of this is tina, the earth very soon takes up and
Incorporates with it all the different salts that
the water carries down, and the water then be-
springs would become and continue filthy and
impure. We see therefore the very wise pro-
vision of nature, in preserving the health OF all
animals. Take the most impure and corrupt
water that can be, and throw it upon light soil,
and few inches of filtration will make it pure,
Wholesome and patable. This shows at once
that the impurities or salts of manure do not
penetrate much into the earth.
From these premises we derive double rea-
son for burying maunres in the earth, to prolong
the time of their decay. lfthis theory, that is,
the philosophy on which tits supposed TO be
based is right, it shows at one the propriety of
buryng manure deep. And this epth should
be in proportion to the nature of the soil, if we
that mostly But another very important thing
is to be noticed--the losening and keeping the
land light Therefore, in heavy soils, we want
the manure deep, that the rising grass may loos-
en- the SOIL and keep it loose. In light lands, we
want tho manure deep to protect it from too
rapid decay. Well, how deep? The probable
ity is that if experience could be brought prop
erly into this branch of husbandry, we should
find that one foot would be none too deep, and
perhaps deeper lay would be found much bet
ter. .r..s ....
II this system could be once adopted and
persevered in long enough to give fair trial. it
would at once break up our yearling system of
farming. .r4
My own views are hat whenever lands are
MANFRED, they should have enough spread on
and turned Immediately UNDER not less than one
foot, to last five, or more years. After this heav-
y dressing is turned in until the crops show that
the manure is exhausted, it should never he
poughed lightly, if kept for field culture. II
laid to grass NOW it at long as it will yield wen.
This system supersedes at once the notion OF