The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1842-02-03

,hal by spreading ihs manure On ihe sit.1
gaes araapd ihe corn, lio be covered by
I ths hrst Wafkiug,) ee ds1Fe mplsbental
fr0m i, dian Is aaY Oder mlunar 81 ap-
plying 4. WehsEe neVFFtTied q an cot
i0n, lll0ush Ne are Infomed Il Is noi m
common ID some Of The eOiion groHing
districts. 70 apply tie rottiRg cotton seed
N shal wsy. nor DO we spply manure Of
any kind Except colon sced. strictly 10
Ihe wheat crop. We are aEsTe. ihal 10
such persons Is heliese in he evaporation
az The strength al he manure, Rhen ex-
posed 10 de action u Ire sun and Amos
Pheres OF in other words. in The :. air con-
mining pitch or grand larceny On The
earh;" the above declaration Of our opIn-
ion, viii be someN hal startling. Ilwould
have been 30 10 rs. ! few years since.
But We must confess. we are raiheratfhis
time Anti AEaior on this subject. and We
happen 70 have al hand good authority 10
= back" " in our position. See Farmers
Register. vol. ID. page 6l3. In IN article
over the signature Of ]. NJ. c.. Our old
friend JANIS NJ. EARNETT. We presnme,)
the matter seems 10 ~ 10 be CLEARLY set al
resi. After commenting al some length
on former article signed J. ID. ihe writer
takes up the subject Of the application Of
manure-bui We beg leave 10 give bis
own Konls. In pari he says: :. Now,
if The admirable rule " follow nature" is
10 be any guide Tor rs in improving our
lands By manure. how is this 10 be done!
Is il BY applying them 10 The surface, or
bnrying them below III" The answer 10
these questions. if eandidly given, would
end the controversy forever. But ID will
be said, perhaps, By some who Loaf he The
trouble Of studying any thing thoroughly,
"ihis IS all ikeOry' What says practice.
Let Us try then, whether their great oracle
practice, lgrcal admit il 10 be, when tru-
u scientific affords no testimony con-
clasisely favorable 10 the opinion which
have yeniuled 10 advance. myself can
testify 10 four different experiments, made
with great accuracy, upon cowpens, alter
nately plouglied up on removal, and left
unploughed, having been made and left
from the earliest period in the spring at
which cattle are penned, 10 the latest time
in the fall. The pens were regularly re-
moved once fortnigh,-ihe size Of each
pen was exactly the same, as was also
The average number Of cattle, during each
fortnight, without any variation worth no.
iicing. In every case, without solitary
exception. puiLlind man might have
seen the difference. most distinctly mark
ed, in favor, not only Of the corn crop,
but of The wheat crop also, which imme-
diaiely followed. The rationale Of these
facts | have already attempted 10 explain;
and il such explanation be deemed salts
factory, your correspondent j. B., ! hope,
will admit them TO be truths also. Ex-
periments precisely similar, and with the
same result, have been stated 10 me by
moi less than ten or fifteen gentlemen Of
unluesiionable veracity-so that |, at
least, no longer entertain a shadow of
doubt, as TO the best management Of the
manure from spring, summer, and fall
cowpens. If ploughed in, The soluable
parts very soon Unite with The subjacent
stratum OF earth, at depth too great for
such iibrons rooted plants as form the
chief of our staple crops, 10 derive much,
il any benefit from them; while such por-
lions as have stronger chemical affinity
to the atmosphere. invariably find their
way to il, although somewhat more slow
" perhaps, than il Left on the surface.
10 suppose il possible for gaseous sub
stances to be confined below the surface
Of the earth, at any depth to which ma
nure is ever buried-nnless indeed, they
were Theoretically sealed up in vessels Of
glass, stone, or metal, seems to me sup
position that would never enter any mans
head who had the least knowledge Of the
simplest principles ofchemistry. When
manure is spread on the surface. as nature
spreads all her fertiliZing substances. the
parts Of II which naturally have greater
tendency to unite with the earth than with
the atmosphere. will certainly do so i'm
mediaiely after the rains and dews dissolve
them; and that too, to the average depth
best suited 10 great majority Of the plants
10 be nourished by them.
Ifhearsay testimony were admissible,
| could addnce much in which myself
entirely confide, to prove that surface ap-
plication is best, even for coarse farm-pen
manure. But unfortunately, ] have per-
sonal knowledge of only one ease. which
having happened on my own farm, where
all the circumstances occurred under my
own eve, will venture to state. In re-
gard to the result, there could not possibly
be any mistake; neither was there AIRY in
the farts which | shall detail. II my
hypothesis be deemed insufficient TO ex-
plain the whole, both as to cause ard ef-
feet, invite j. b., or any other Of your
numerous contributors, to try his hand at
expounding.
The case to which | allutle, was the
following. Some years ago. had spread
and plonghed under, according to Col.
Taylor's PLAN az much Of my farm-pcn
manure, as | supposed would suffice for