Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-05-03

that is, water, mould and salts. The yrea,
difference between the decay of animal and
vegetable matter, Is this; that as the annual
hodies are far richer in the substance Which
lorms ammonia, SO they afford richer source
OF manure. The animal bod, contains that
element, in quantity enough, not only to ill
the pores Of its own mould, but also enough
TO mpregnate large quantity of mould from
other sources. The vegetable body, on tho
contrary, contains scarcely enough ammonia
to fill its own mould. Vegetables differ in
the quantities Of the elements Of food which
can furnish flesh and blood, and hence those
vegetables are best for manure which furnish
most ammonia. We have already remarked
on the difference, in this respect, between
| slraws, grasses, and clover. But without
going further into this comparison, which can
nave no other practical bearing than to show
you the immense difference in value, in AMI
NAL and vegetable bodies, in forming manure
we may here resolve the subject into one
great principle. The substance which forms
flesh and blood, whether derived from plants
or animals, alone forms ammonia during
their decay, and the mould thence arising, is
rich or poor manure, just in proportion as il
contains the substance fl. to form flesh and
blood. Starting from this principle, we find
that animal substances, as flesh, fish, fowl,
the body generally, including its various
forms of covering, hair, wool, feathers, nails,
hoofs, horns, claws, &C., afford, in the pro-
cess of decay, about ten times more ammonia
that the s,raws and grasses usually entering
into the compost heap.
The animal bodies give more volatile al.
kali than their mould can contain. Its civ.
en- oil in such quantity tina, decay is rapidly
fastened. All the signs of putrefaclion,
therefore. rapidly take place. Tie quantity
OF mould being small nothing holds the vola-
tile parts-thcy escape and are lost. Now,
common sense and practical foresight have
stepped in here, from time immem and
taught mankind the necessity and the utility
OF preventing the waste of the volatile and
most valuable parts Of the decaying animal
substances, by covering them in with earth,
soil, Nc. These imbibe the escaping virtue
or strength, and become rich and f.rlilizing.
II remains to state, that every pound of ami
NAL carcass Can impregnare ten pounds Of
vegetable mould; Or, taking our arabic soils
as they usually occur, one pound Of flesh
fish, blood, wool, horn. &C., can fer,ilize
three hundred pounds of common loan.
You will see, therefore, reader, how little
you have now to learn of the necessity Of
saving every thing in the shape Of animal
matters, and converting them to manure, by
turning them into your compost heap. 1t is
to be remarked, that the dry forms of an.
imal substances undergo the process of decay
very slowl y, when left to their own aclion.-
Wool, hair, f1ocks, horn shavines. &C.. or
even leather chips and curriers' shavines,
bear long exposure, and seem quite indes-
tructible. They yet are rich in all the true
virtue OF manure. They want something 10
bring this out, to set them a working, TO
bring on fermentation. Well, on this head
we may lay down two rules the frs. is, that
II buried among heap of termcn,ing mat
ter, that communicates a similar change to
these dry, animal substances. This is slow
work. The second rule is, that if these dry
matters are buried IN the soil among the roofs
OF growing planis then these act more now.
eriuily than fermentation, and the dry sub.
stances are converted to manure with speed
which may be called quick, compared to the
lermenlng process.
The practical lesson to he drawn from
these differences of action between the fleshy
and horny parts Of animals, is, that when
you want quick and short action ofmanure
10 use the fleshy and fluid parts: where YOU
want more slow and permanent action, 10
commence and long last after the first is over,
10 use the dryer and harder parts.
u now we turn to the other division Of
mould, that from vegetable $, we find il lack.
ne IN the very thing which was snperabun.
liant in animal mould. That thing is volatile
'lkah. The great mass of vegetable mould
$ always imprrgnaied, but always slightly
charged with volatile alkali. There is not
'nough Of the flesh and blood forming Gle.
nent in vegetables to hasten the decay of
Vegetable matter, or to convert them after
Iccay into rich manure. Now here, again.
'"t science, but practical common sense
leps in, and did step in long ago. and as she
ansht mankind the necessity of adding soil
r mould to the decaying animal matter, SO
ere, to enrich vegetable mould, she teache,
nal animal matter. or that whicI, is its rem.
rsen.alive, alkaline salts, mus, be added to
rgetable mould, TO make It active. Ii is moi
10 mould alone which plants want. Wa
ave seen all along how nature proyides ,
prlain amount of salts in her virgin mould:
% by grouping exhaust these faster than the
'ould. We have tons of that, ye,out field,
re barren. They want, as has been or.
|ained, sails.
lConcudedn our nextl