Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-10-24
COMMUNICATED
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF HANOVER
Essay on the subject IF making Manure,

on this subject any other connected with Agrcul-
ture, to be useful must be plain and practical, rs con
tradsting he'd from scientific and teo'e tica!. d.
design by this remark reject the aid Of science
Or In create an impressio that have abundant stores
of "earned lore, which am keeping in reserve for
more appropriate occasion Neither construction would
be true. Before the intelligent aud judcious farmer
will adopt any recomme ndatIon, requiring much labor
or expense, be have confidence in the result, and
give hm that confidence, he must fully comprehend
the nature and effect of the means he is using; other
wise, many years of slow experience will be required
10 test the merit of doubtful proposition There are
some distractions standing in the way Of considesa
ton of the best means Of ''makins manure which
seem 10 me, should be first cleared away. First, to
show that all have command of some maerals Tor that
purpose; and secondly that every farmer can afford 10
appropriate some portion of his Labor to The special bu
siness of making it.
will consider The last difficulty first, and lay down
the proposition that the amount Of crop profit which
| any given number of hands, &c, &C., could make
will not be diminished by curtaing the quantity oil
land cultivated and dcvoting portion OF the labor OF
the year 10 the special business OF making manure or
the land retained for cultivation will suppose ten
hands have field of 100 cultivate. which, with
all their labor applied to it, will produce 4OO barrels OF
corn barrels to the acre. Appropriate Two hands
fifth of the time of all the orce TO the business
of manuriug and curiail the field one-fth, rednc ng
il TO so acres. | will assume, what ! am confident
from experience is reasonable, that onehhh Of the 10
Dor OF such force, with It's ordinary compliment oil
teams and utensils, would manure 20 acres. | will
also assume, what oil practical men will acknow ledge
to be true, that good man rng will make any ordinary
land particularly poor land, produce at lsas. double
We have then 60 acres unmanured producing 24O bar
rels, and 20 producing l60-making, from 80 acres
! 20 Of which manured, result equal to the
| cultivation of one hundred without manure
Now, something must be added for the improvement oil
twenty acres at rest, and thing for the impor
ant item of addition TO ptal in the twenty
acres improved, which, in no case, could be fairly es
mated at less than $40 per acre, an aggregate oil
5000 To appreciate the advantage of the manuring
system, in adding 10 the productive capital of the
farm remember for the next year. the twenty manured
acres will produce, at least, indeed, believe much
than double crcp Of wheat, with another years
rest 20 twenty acres, whilst twenty
nured for corn some hoe crop-showing the additional
quantity of wheat, straw, and clear gain. But sup
pose concede, which should not be done that the
ployment Of part Of the force in manung, reduces the
crop or annual profit Will not any candid ad.
nit that the Improvement Of 20 acres at rest and the
enhanced value OF 20 acres, resulting in increase
Of crop, and corresponding addition to the materials
for future manurng, fully compensate for this supposed
loss Of crop FOR the first year. Bn my opinion Isl that
there will be actual addition 10 the crop prof l.
although have thought best merely to consider there
would be no loss of crop We have then all these I'd
van,ages TO contrast with the old system, having o
tendency to the improvement of the soil, and pro
gressive dimnu,on Of crops the deserted homes
the chaed and bleeding sides of our once fertile hills,
too plainly prove.
! will consider, secondly, the most common apology
for not making manuFe-lhe alleged want of materials
Whilst know that all have equal advantages yet
hazard but little in saying, that this difficulty, when
anaIyzed will be found in most cases. to have lis ex
isience in that disposition (Which strongly charac
terises VirginiaDs) follow the beaten track mark
ed by our fathers steps-a reluctance, or rather
want OF resolution to surrender old habits and adopt
ones, though the be palpable as thai
of the Duchman, who, being asked why he persisted
going along the old mry road, after fine turnpike
made by side replied. "mine farder travel dish
rood, and travels here too Let any farmer resolve
TO undertake the business Of making manure heaps,
and he will find many materials lying around HIM
which he has heen in The habit of passing by unheeced
and he will! in few months most loytully realise The
truth of the Scotch proveb that ia good many mckes
make mucke.' will not mention, in reach Of
sll, mari and green sand, lime and gypsum, but
ask, does every one who complains of want oil mate
rails, suffer nothing, which partakes of the nature
| OF manure, 10 remain unemployed: Has he no
ashes soap suds, brine, bones deposites of prlves
hair, &C. Has he no swamp or river mud or ditch
banks' No rich deposite near his dwelling or those
OF his negroes, throwing up rank weeds, filled with
the sort Of nourshment requisite for his crops:
Has he no turf in the corners OF fences, or
| at the different places of rendezvous of his stock
for being fed, or sheltered from The San : No spot
on his farm, which produces grass, weeds or briers
unnecessary for that spot: Does he not make some
surplus of the character Of offa of the CROP
sumed by his stock? Yes, he will tell you he has some
of all these and yet has declared, that he has nc
materials for making manure :! SILL this is no, the sum
and aggravaton OF his sn-He has ne. only uneratefu
y refused TO acknowledge, and neglected all these
various means, which kind, and patient, and much
abused mother Earth has placed at his command, tc
enable him 10 mike some amends for the many crue
injuries he has inflicted her hep ess body-but he
even denies his obligation for another supply the mos
abundant and universal of ALL the foliage of our noble
forests which she scatters around him annually, IL
richest profuson, descending like the rain and dew
/ Heaven, on the Just and the unjust-He denies ever
this notorious and papabe 1t is, and dsdainfully
trampng the rich boon under his feet, pronounces ii
worthless trash-mere soak leareS The leaves rakec
from, our forests, regard most valuable material
for making manure, if properly used.
Having demonstrated the economy of employing
some labor specially in manufacturing manure, ant
enumerated some of the materials at the command o
every farmer, shall proceed to explain the mode o
using them, which regard as The best-drawing my
conclusion from the lights of experience and plain
common sense, dscarding, as said in the commence
men all the mysteries of science. II will, presume
1 be conceded, that vegetable matter must commence
decomposition before it benefit plants as manure
will also assume, as generally believed, that in fer
mentation or decomposition of vegetable or any o.he
matter, an evaporation will occur, unless means ar
used TO prevent it, of what the chemists call by SOM
such hard names as oxygen and nitrogen gas, am
mona, &c, these being kind of atmospheric fu'
so TO speak-whch nourlsh plants, through tn
medium of the absorption Of the leaves and roots
To effect decomposition, and prevent evaporation
seem to be cardinal objects TO aim at. Some o
the materials 10 be relied on, Cor making manure, con
larger quantities Of ammonia and nitrogen gas, thai
are desirable for direct application to plantssuch
ashes, lime, and the urine of all animals, 60, DC :
They will destroy, if applied in large quantities. An
other important object, is to mnge all such material
with large buks OF other matterthus creating large
quantity and, at the same time, more wholesome ap
plicaon. The urine of our stock, is of thes
agents, capable of imparting the quality of manure I
very large Of other matter, especially in Sum
mer, and which has been much neglected among Us =
We read Of expensive contrvances, used by the mos
judicious farmers in and in foreign countries
for the purpose Of preserving it, who have not larg
quantity of absorbing vegetable matter at their com
mand They construct close tanks or reservoirs, will
conductors from the stables, for the purpose of NOR
eecuay securing it against the loss of any of its va
liable properties. With US, how easy to effect tn
came object, without expense, and, in my judgment
another very important one-thinking do, that TO
poor land, destitute of vegetable matter, preparation
of manure, of bulk, would be preferable to on
very small in quantity, though possessed Of the SAM
fertzing propertes-say, in liquid state, as thos
kl1