Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-09-11
SAVING MANURE.

SAVING MANURE.
The elflugum, or gas, which arises
from decomposlug animal or vegetable
though exceedingly disagreea-
Die to our oliactory senses, is The congen-
lal food OF growing plants.
Arthur Young sad, many years ago,
che who IS within scent OF dung-bll!,
smells that which his crop would have
eaten if he would have permitted it." Sir
Humphrey Davy demonstrated this, He
placed quantity oil iermenting manure 10
retort, aud aseertained that 1t gave off a
liquid containing large proportion ofsa!is
of ammonia. Seeing this result, he intro
duced the beak OF another retort filled
with similar dung, under the roots OF some
grass 10 the garden, and ain less than a
fortnight, very distinct effect was pro.
duced on the grass upon the spot exposed
TO the influence OF the matter dIsengaged
in fermentation II grew with much more
luxurlance than the grass in any other
part OF the garden" 1t is hence obvious
that by permitting the escape OF the gas
evolved during fermentation, the valuable
portions Of the manure are dIssipated in
the atmosphere.
The loss Of gaseous manure, says Mr..
Hannah, IN his excellent essay on the E.
economy Of Waste Manures, "auses from
the escape of the carbonic acid and The
ammonia, oil The vegetable and animal mat.
tiers in The manure. heap, during the pro-
cess Of fermentation and putrefaction; both
Of which gases are essential in the nutri-
ton Of vegetables. When this
evolution of ammonia and carbonlc acid
takes place under the root Of the plant, IT
is wha, we want; bat when il takes place,
as is generally the case months before the
compost Is used. the manure is robbed Of
its most valuable constituents.
at is worthy of remark" continues
Mr. Hannah, "that the richer the manure
is in nitrogen, the more serious the loss
IS; as the more nitrogen a substance con.
thins, the more prone it is TO terment and
throw off ammonia" The observation
of every farmer will corFoborate this; for
all nave noticed that the richer the ma.
nure, the stronger the odor arising from it.
The most ctTectual means, probably, Of
preventing this waste ofthe gaseous por-
lion Of manures, would be 10 apply them
TO the soil before fermentation takes place.
In this case, the gases would be taken up
by the growing crop. Stable, or barn
manure, is sometimes deposited in cellars
where, from the low temperature and Sc
clus on from the air, it un1ergoes little or
no chance. Thus kept, it retains its orr
ginal strength, and is much more power.
lu and enduring in its effects, than that
which has undergone decompos ton in the
open air. But there is often SO large
portion Of undecayed vegetable fibre (lit.
ter, &c. in manures, that they cannot be
conveniently applied in a green state
Besides, for some crops, the action Of
green mauures is not quick enough, and
for other crops, as wheat and other small
grams, they tepd to produce too great
growth Of straw, and increase the liability
10 rust.
1t becomes, then, necessary, under GER
tain circumstances, that manures, should
pass through state OF fermentation be-
fore they are applied TO the soil, aad the
question is, how can this object be accom-.
plished without lossl
Reason teaches, aud experience proves,
that substances may be mixed with ma
nure, which wiIlabsorb the gaseous portions
as they ate generated Earth Is a good
absorbent. If a dead animal DO envelop-
cd in earth before putrelacton common
ces, and allowed to remain so till the car
cass is decomposed, tie earth will have
absorbed the nauseous fumes oecasloned
by the decomposing animal matter, and
will be found rich in those principles
which constitute the food and growth Of
vegetables. This example teaches that
mixing soil with manure, or covering the
manure-heap with layer of soil while
undergoing fermentation, viii preserve
much OF its value which would otherwise
be lost. There are other substances
which are preferable 10 common soil
such as charcoal, (Which it is said will
absorb ninety times It's own bulk Of am
monscal gas, and thirty five times its vol
ume Of carbonc acid gas,) and peat, or
swamp muck. The latter. in many parts
OF the country, can be had in the greatest
abundance, and il is, beyond doubt, one
OF the best means Of nugmening the far
mer's stock 81 valuable manures. In its
composition and absorbing power, il much
resembles charcoal--being principally the