The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1845-04-04
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We copy the following from an article
beaded farming in North Carolins, IN
the American A sriculiurist
MATURING AND DITCHING.

MATURING AND DITCHlNG. is
The application Of compost manure, form II
ed on the ground to be cultivated by mix :
ture Of swamp muck, stable manure, sod 0
from the woodland, sud about two bushels q
Of lime to the acre, with attention to Hill I
side ditching, has enabled me TO raise from I
80 TO 40 bushels of Indian corn on land be.
fore too poor for any crop. 10 another
experiment the success has far exceeded I
the expectation Of the most sangulne this
was on a fla, piece Of land, covered mos, Ct
the year with water, and with heavy
growth Of bamboo, briarsl where it was
dry enough, with weeds, iron wood and
ether noxious shrubs and plants. This was
cleared up, and etched about FIVE feet
deep; a, the bottom of the ditch, the hard
pan Of blue or white clay was perforated
with an augur, or occasionally Gu. thro' /
with the SPADE rocks [stones1 were put in
the bottom, aud carefully covered with split
lumber and then the bitches filed up. They
were entirely dry when finished, bu, short.
~ after they were completed there was
fall of rain, when The bitches began 10 dis
charge a considerable quantity of water,
and have ever since made good running
streams. The ground has become light,
loose, aud friable, and has yielded about rs
bushels, is barrels Of corn, 10 the acre
For the labor IN cutting the bitches have
been more than remunera;ed in the quaint
iy Of muck (or more properly speaking
clay furnished for compost beds, with which
che poor hill sides have been MANFRED.
When dug up, this clay was extremely
hard, forming the paa on which tho water
had rested and was not unlike brick when
taken from the mould IN four loads Of
this clay | alternately added one load Of
good manure, until the compost reached
from so TO 100 load.. This was done in
summer, or early in the fall, and suffered
TO remain 10 the heap until spring, when il
was applied to corn land. May no, ths
fertllIzng quality Of this compost have ari
sen from The enure dIsinlegratioB Of th'
clay by the frost And was not its capa
city TO collect end retain ammonia increased
as the affinity was broken up!
am great advocate Of atmospheric
manure, and have, come 10 the conclusion
tia, atmosphere is be nalrix Of al man
ure and tina, no other manure is yaluabl,
only as il is auxiliary 10 the atmosphere
This may a. first view sppcsr 10 Be star,
ling and dangerous doctrine il would mos
certainly be so, il carried to tho cxten, iba
Jelhro Tull did, tina. is, that all other man
ures were 10 be excluded. am 10 favor @
giving every aid 10 atmosphere in our pow
er, BY oil skales, composis, and such fixet
sails as will inpaH 10 the earth the great
est possible capacity to drink in and retain
the gases best suited 10 its support.
10 the compost beds referred to, there
were few bushs, Of ashe. put il vi.h The
swamp earln, bat 50 mixed as no. 10 come
IN rontas. with the stable maudre-he Oh
Iect was for the ashes 10 exert their full m
faence on the muck. They would MOI
have been ilIrious to tho stable matute
for find iha,in my COW yard i! Is beneficia
10 throw a few bushels OF wood ashes oveI
the litter ocea1oHaHy, 10 FIX the salts con
iained 10 the urine, and tail manure Thr.
~ wagon loads Of rich swamp mud, put up
10 heaps 10 the fall, with the addition Of two
bushels Of csustc Line, Is found to DO yalu.
able for the reclamation Of candy laud
resting on a clay sUbsoiI. The latter de.
scriplion Of compost was applied 10 sandy
land, too far from my house to aGd any sta.
bic manure, aud silh extraordinary effect,
producing about lbe same result that the
first mentioned compos. did on the clay
land, viz, 80 tc 30 bushels Of corn 10 the
acre where the land had been worn out.
Ia connection With thi. subject, hillside
diIchns must not be disregardcJ. 1t is
perhaps more important TO us, than in your
Climate The heavy rains Of summer have
done great INJURY to tie coil Of she south.
ern States, by working Of the most yalua.
bic Of the hills, aud draining the bottom
land This is efecluaiiy guarded against by
laying ofIhe land Judiclously, and dilching.
1t has the effect Of protecting both the %.
land and bottom, by preventing the los Of
water during hard rains on The latter, and
The washing or wasting Of the former.