Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1845-06-10
AG KICu LfU Il f
For Tic Enquirer.
nFsuLroRY OBSERVATIONS

"a. .,a cov ward has been mostly, and, as lar
- circumstances permitted, applied on me sur
&c ,be land End 10 clover. To most persons
this mode Of application may seem ing i'.o>'
wasrelul and destructive Of ierilizlns Prihc'Pes
RI, according 10 mY Limited exPern ne aho ~
formation, as well as ,oteason ana s"nho '"eo's'
his mode is the cheapest, The most convenient
and also The most profitable use that can be mace
of the ordinary manures for held crops Whe'e'e'
clover is suited 10 The soil and climate; ana " i
the more cheap and profitable, compaIe'' 70 'ue
usual modes Of application, IN proporloh as 'is
manure applied is in coarse and unro"eo con-
d,ion.
BEFORE proceeding 10 the details OF this process,
and epdeavorng 10 show lis peculiar advantages,
!, will be necessary 10 mahe some general o.
serva,ions on the action OF pn'resceni or Armenia
re rnapures, and The causes nd manner OF 'heir
waste; from which premises, II they Dc correct
NAV be deduced wha, would he The most or me
leas, was,eful modes Of application, even Without
The suppor, OF my experience and testimony.
pn,rescen, manures are composed OF vegetable
or animal matters, or mixtures OF b IN. an such
nanures are subject 10 deco opposition, or rohng'
and. therefore to The gradual change ana nnal
des,rnc,ion Of their substance and waste oil al
,be nars not pu, 10 use during the progress OF DE-
cav. The parts thus subject 10 waste are eapaoie
Of feeding and supporting plants; and hence, IN
their main value and proper use, pulrescen' ma
nures are (or ough, 10 oe) almost entirely afimf"-
tnrv in their action All vegetable manures
contain some mineral and indesiructible parts
e.r,hv saline or metallic. Blu, these parts are 50
minute in quantity, that they scarcely need 10 I've
mentioned as exceptions 10 the general character
=, nu,rescent manures as s,ated-ihat is, their be-
ing rioiiu fiji for the food OF plants, and as wholly
snbec. 10 waste il not s. used.
Fermentation is The process, or means, by which
nutrescen, matters become active manures or NJ
for the nourishrnenl OF plants, ana II they oe no
60 used when ready, fermentation proceeds 10 lhe
nuor destruction and waste II the manures fc:-
,nen,a,on may be either violent, as often is seen
in heapsd and heated stable manure, and rapidly
proiucing the greatest possible wase-or as $40"
and gradual as in the natural decay and rohn2
Of The leaves or grass fallen on the soils where
,hcy grew. Blu, fermentation cannot begin, or, u
ALREADY begun, cannot proceed, without Inc con
currence of three conditions. These aIe-l>'
moisture; 2i, te uperature above AZ degrees Fab
renbei.;. and. 81, the access Of atmospheric air
All these conditions are necessary, and i ehei
ore be wanting, there can he no fermentation OF
nroore.s ,owaris deccmposi,ion, and, OF cours'
no waste OF SIS Of ferlizing principles The''
nos;,;on, are among the established and receive
doctrines Of chemical science. and, therefore
need no proofs here From them tits an Obvious
deduction, TIA, it manure, or any pu'rescert maj
ter. be- supplied with Sufficient rnoS'nre AID air
but the temperature De kept below ~ degrees, t"'
whatever is,he minimum )ihen :he;e can be noief.
rnenla,ion, and consequently no waste Of Inc ma
nure. Or il air could he entirely excluded me mos
favorable conditions IS e moisture anc hea
could no, induce fermentation or decay. Ih-
total exclusion OF air. howerer, Qhoueh 70 =
obtained for chemical experiment. IS imPos-
sible in agricultural practice. Bui every 'aTmc'
must hare observed how much The commence
nent or progress Of fermentation in body OF ma
nure is retarded by lis being closely compresset,
and lis state thus approaching 10 he exclusion q
air; and how rapidly iprmenta'ion is excited O
received, (the other neceSsaf; Conditions being IA
vorabe,) hy the mere loosenins or heapins {"
the before compact mass, SO as 10 permit Ice en
trance and supply OF air.
Again: II air anc heat be furnished under IN
most favorable conditions, and vel moisture b
entirely waning there can be no termen,a.
zion, AMI no waste Of manure. And this latter
slate is nearly approached when manure has beeh
spread rhny on he unshaded surface Of p!oughe''
or otherwise naked and clean land, and remain
thrs exposed in warm ard dry weather. And
therefore, IN this s;a'e OF entire exposure 10 sur
AMI air, which IS deemed b. most persons 10 he
The most wa>iefal f'r manure, there is, in truth.
as le waste of Solid parts as can possibly &c
chr, 50 long as hot and dry weather continues
There may be some small loss Of volatile part.
only under these circumstances.
There has been presented ON many farms prac.
teal proof Of The truth Of This deduction, in Sum,
mer COW pens, Lett with The rich and highly puires
cent manure exposed on The otherwise naked sur
face Of the ground This was formerly the gene
raj practice Of Eastern Virginia. induced moi hy
correct reasoning bni IT, the general caEelesSnes.
and incidence Of the cultivaiurs. Our first dis
tiDguished agricultural author and Instructor
John Taylor, maintained the proprie;y and high
importance Of ploushine such temporary pens as
quickly as the cattle are moved 10 new one
He supposed "eva pora,ion" 10 be The Srea, agent
Of The waste and destruction Of manure; and is
being left exposed on The surface as The sure means
OF producing these results. Bnt this was one OF
the points on which this enlightened aSricuuris
and great public benefac;or was entirely mis-
taken. Most oi his many jealous disciples pro-
ceeded 10 obey this instruction, which seemed 50
reasonable Bul the mosl iudicious OF hose VINO
adopted this new practice, a. well a. many other
merely practical and ignoIan; farmers, Observed
that, on The COW pens thus poushed in Summer.
the manure was much less effective and lasting
than on similar pens not plorahed until Winter.
This result seemed so strange, and secondary, u
all sound reasoning, as well as 10 the highest au.
thorily, ina; many farmers could not Selieve The
alleged iacs; and, even 10 this time, some continue
10 be incrcdulous, no matter how strong the les
timony Of such facts But if tested by the che
mical truths above presented, il will be seen Ira,
they remove The opposing difficulties, and sustain
the position even more strongly lhan has been
done by experience and observation Of actual re-
suits in farming practice. The Summer COW
pens were no, Uttered, and the tramplng OF the cat
lie in few nights destroyed all vegetation, and
made hard and close, bare surface. On this
bare surface, the remaining manure consistingen-
tirey Of the excremen Of the cattle, VAS Jeff al CT
a week or two, when the ANIMALS were moved 10
enrich another space II this rich and very pu.
crescent manure remains thus exposed he ho
sun soon dries j, so perfectly, that fermentation
either does moi begin, or is soon checked; and
this state must continue as long as he weather
continues dry. When rain occurs. it generates
the dried manure 50 slightly, that il again BE-
comes DRY very Quickly. and before fermentation