The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-05-08
xCR.IE ECO.NO.H 1 8.
From The Genesce Fdrmer.


written and much has been said still II is
fertile aud lull Of interest. The subject
canno, 10 my opinion, be too irequenlly ag
tinted, or bfou hi into view, nor loo strong
ly urged
When we consider how much the pro.
ductiveness Of our farms depend on The ma
nure heap, and how much this matter is at
times ne elected, a few remarks, trust, will
not be unacceptable, an although tamIliar
TO most Of you, il they stimulate one person
TO apply them, who has hitherto neglected
to d. so, III. object IN making them viii be
attained.
The collection and application OF ma
nures consider 10 be the grand secret 10
good farming. Il gives US grass and gram
Its by liberia! application OF manure thai
extraordinary crops have been obtained
It's consequently all object Of minute at.
tention 10 collect as much as possible, and
TO apply it in the most advantageous man
nar. Although there IS little danger OF ap
plying too great quantity to land, u may
lie used 10 excess. Indlan corn is vora'
c;ous feeder, and will bear coplous dress.
ing, Dut Tue CTupS u siIdt S'u'b hag ~ "a
lured by manuriug too highly.
Mauurinr the soil forms grand item 10
farmlnr. both on account OF its expense and
its need 10 repleulsh the land Il - there.
fore very important TO know the art OF
managing this department. with the great
est economy and prevent waste IN any
possible shape.
The great principle Of all manures may
be understood from this fact, that whatever
animal or vegetable substance dies, IS con.
verified into manures for other plants 10 a
living state By the natural process OF Pc
trefactlon. By this process i is gradually
but etfsctualy dacomposed ard tho parts
are fitted for en,erln. into new combpna
tons, and Tor adding TO the substance of the
living plants. Thus, instead OF nutsa1ces
Nature furnishes manure, aud 10 substance
whatever Is lest. This IS one OF the beau
tiful and admired laws Of Nature; and
though we cannot Investigate her very min.
u,e operations, We are able, by observation,
10 learn much, and b. industry TO derive
great advantages.
A crea, deal has been said about the
fertility Of plants. PJlyerlz.d earth, wa
Ter a. an escfemen', carbouaceous matter
IN a soluble state, various gaseous subSsan
ces have been auccesslyely IN Eepuie sons
plants have been supposed 10 draw part c
thei, food from the atmosphere, IN large
proportion than others; and Il has bee
though. gram and green crops requires
be supported wiIA food proper to each class
and that one particular crop, on that &c
count eyhausis the substance on which
feeds il too frequently repeated.
Pfac ice has introduced more dlscoyerie
into agriculture, assisted By observation
than science. At the sane time, though
the man Of science will not presume to due
tate to The skil!u practical farmer, he ma
not ouly improve but en!ighien, and eve
give dignity TO agriculture as an art, b
rendering il in some degree science.
The application Of manure depends o
the natural state Of the soil, and on the puf
poses for which It is to BE- applied. OoseI
walton aud experience determine how /
act and when the application should be-
Yet il would be OF important use to tt
farmer, in remarkable cases, 10 call IN tt
aid Of science. Many expensive trials ha'
been made IN fedoemtu2 seine s5ls, {
turning them 10 useful purposes 10 yaIa.
The farmer knows, or ought to knoy
that some soils want soday, and othe
have too much that some exceed 10 coht
sion, others in looseness, aud that mod;
rate degree OF these properties IS CONSIDER
ed essential to fertility. With this view
sand is applied 10 tenacious clay aud ella
on sand aud gravel But these application
are not made 10 the strict Older oil manure
they are mechanically wanted ia order
give 10 tho soils proper conslsence
admitting plants to grow 10 them, aud
push their small roots without loosng hoI
and at the same time to feed IN regut
manner, lmbtblng IN just proportion Il
moisture aud nutrnneut Il Contains stao
being either parched or burned.
Putrld maaufes applied IN proper guam
ties furnish direct nu,rlmeni tor pauss; a
caIcarious manures probably do the san
10 come degree but they certainly iutuI
ii indirectly, by resolving organic substs
ces coutaiued 10 the soil tnio Il lHucus ass
ted by moisture. At the same time the
measures are always productive Of mecho
Ica effect, 10 opeoIng aud deepening 1
soils to which they are applied.
From my own observation aud exPl
ence, have come to the conclusion t
manure arising from animal aud yegeta
substances, should be exposed as latle
possible to The sun, the AR, and dfench
rains, and when applied to the soil, be
medla,ey pioughed in. 1t is my opln
also, that manure, when ploughed III, {
not be kept 100 neor the surface, provide
is well mixed aud covered that the esse
will be dissolved by raln, aud taken up
roots oil the plants. s. extremely min
are the mouths Of Tie plants, that The no
lshiug paris Of manure can enter there Of
in state Of solution by water.
Ny object and great aim e to make c
get manure and 10 carry tins tuso efe
uoth.n2 that would contribute n the lie
degree for increasing the manure heap
thrown away. have always made Il