The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1845-06-02
The Farmer.
Extracts from Edward S. MattOcks'

ESSAY ON MANURES. delivered before meet
ing of the Caledonia County Agricultural Society,
! April rs, ls45. (Concuded.)
| Application of manures There is no part OF the
manng ment OF farm that requires more judgment
than the proper and use of manuros. Great or
ror prevails in the proper application Of manures-
Grea, loss Is sustained by many by leaving their
nures in the field considerable time before they are
| ploughed, Many draw their mnnures into the
field in tho fall and leavs il in heaps during the win
ter They certainly loose more than half of their
value by evaporation The true way is ito tho
manure soon as possible. Every moment it is ex-
posed to the air it loses its strcngh. Where ii is
necessary 10 draw the manure into the field in the
fall, and it is convenient to plough 1t in soon, it
should be all placed in one heap and covered with
EARTH There is great difference of opinion as to the
depth that green manuros should be buried and how
they should be applied Tho theory that green ma
il covered and kept from the sun uud air, will
give out or later all their virtues to tho
succeeding crops, is very plausible, and many farm
ers are in the practice of conveying their
winter henPs and burying the whole by of the
plough This is found be good practice If the ma
nure ~ not too green and is not buried too deep
Some venture 10 bury it under the greonsward fur
rows, where it lies unmxed through the whole sea-
son. This will DO found to bo good way where
there is sandy loan, and the sward is not tough and
the is beat fine and tho burrows are not deep;
but in heavy loans with tough swards, the manure
Is buried too deep and lies there all unmix-
ed, and we find that we may bury manures too deep
for our interests all theories to the contrary notwh-
standing. Many put their green unrotted manures on
the surface after Poughng green sward and trust to
the harrow and roller to bury it slightly, and get
good harvest under the management although it con-
tradics very plausible theories on the subject In
fields that have been titled the previous year, the ma
mures should be plo ughed in for liz this case the
plough mixes them with the soil, but never wholly !
buries them. TO avoid the two extremes Of deep |
buryng and of suffering to lie on the surface
where they must necessarily loose much by evaporn-
ton, the best farmers now coming into The
practice OF making composts which be applied
near to the surface, and be mixed intimately
with the soil, without wasting much.
Great difference ofopinon exists as 10 the exact
legree Instrumentation TO which manure should be-
exposed before it is spread upon the SOIL Some ar
que that it should be allowed to till its original tex
ure be broken down and destroyed; others, that the
process should be carried considerable length but
checked about the middle OF its course; while others
lege that the least incpien state of putrefaction is
1t tho expense Of the gasses and should as much as
possible DO pevented till the be deposited in
he earth. The middle course, is probably tho best,
or long coarse unfermented manure may BIO buried
10 deep as to prevent fermentation and thus be pro-
luctive OF little or no good, while the other hand
blowing the process Of decomposition to proceed to the
asst stage and suffering the ferment till it
as down into black earh is the most gross and
'uipable violation OF all just agricultural principles
-ong before animal and Vegetable substances came to
his advanced stage of decomposition the nutrtve
asses gone, and have mingled with the grea, and
npershabIe elements of the universe. All that re-
Mains is the ha ok carhonaceous matter which
scarce a sixth part Of the original bulk in
clue. This question has lost much of its impor-
lnce since the invention and use of composts. Fer
lentatlon-that great destroyer Of all organic conGor-
nation-is not to be feared by the farmer il be
uctcd and carried on in the presence Of EARTH which
xes and secures the gases fast they liberia
3D. In the compost heap, the whole animal and
esetable structure may be dissolved and leave be-
ind trace Of existence, without the least waste of
ne principles Of fertility, because the ingredients SUI
GRADED with the manure have become fully satura-
I'd with them ?