Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-04-16
@gGe @a.3effe.
FROM rnE FARMERS cABisEr

THE ENJEDiCfOJs USE or MANI rs.
.nr. Editors--Knowing as DO, thata large
proportion Of farmers IN this county often
throw away their maHuTos when they sup
pose they are using them as they should, /
have thought that an article upon this subject
would uoI be out Of place.
IN consequence Of a want Of chemical know
ledge, agrlculturists use their manures without
judgment or discretion. and oiIontimcs TO their
most decided injury, an shall proceed 10 show.
Agricultural chemistry teaches us that Ger
tam classes q vegetables, such as gram, re
quifes greater proportion Of nitrogen than
others As nitrogen IS not very abundant
a-iele with most farmers, and vet Of the high
81 value to the grain grower, It behooyes hun
70 make an economical use o. it. If he IN
tends 10 raise fine crop Of good wheat, Il IS
highly necessary thai he should nOtWaste that
quantity OF Ibis element thai he has, or that he
can get hold Of
All such crops ~ potatoes, tnnips, beets,
pumpkins, eabiaces, peas, beans carrots. S@c,
including clover, herlgrass, timothy. and the
other grasses, need but very little Of manures
containing nitrogen, as they VIII receive ali
sufficient from the atmosphere, and RAIN and
suoW; while wheat, rye, oats, corn barley ana
bacbwheat, need larger proportions OF such
substances each differs from the other, how
ever as to the quantity needed. Wheat, for
instanee, needs more nitrogen than either OF
Tho others, for the formation Of the gluten
which renders It's -four so nutritious. The
substances yielding nitrogen most abundanuy,
are The animal manures. especially the mud
manures, and die dead bodies Of animals them
selves. Ia connection with this matter, Lie
big, in his work on Agricultural Chemistry,
s0ys " An increase OF animal manure gives
Use not only 10 increase IN the number oil seeds,
hnt also 10 a most remarkable difference in the
proportion Of the gluten which they contain
Here we have the highest authority ior stating
the importance Of animal manures.
Those farmers. then, who use their animal
manures upon those crops that need them not
thereby dppTHng their gram crops Of them,
although they cannot well DO without them.
IN a measure throw them away. Such crops
rs potatoes, umips, the grasses, SC, thrive as
wcil when given rotten hay, straw, leaves,
saw-dust, or swamp-nuck, and such substan
ces as when furnished with the richest animal
ananarcs. They supply their proper food, and
with a right proportion Of the right kind OF al
kslics On alkaline substances, they can dis
4anse entirely with animal nanures, leaving
them 10 be used for the gram crops.
Before leaving this subject it viii be well
perhaps, 70 say, that glaH0 is often iniudici-
ouslY used, and the money spentfor it thrown
away bringing thereby oIium upon what is
deridingy called sbooL farming" The prin-
cipal constituent Of gnano, different iiomtnost
1nanures, are those which peculiarly fit it for
grain and whosoever uses It fOr any other
purpose, could save his money by dispensing
with it and using cheaper and more accessible
luanures have no doubt that many com
plants will be made by those who use guano
upon vegetables, while those who use it on
grain viii be wen satisfied with its effect
AYe shall see CIEAIiCO.