The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1846-09-17

n
We have NOT rad On article in some
lime lhsl pleased ~ more without ALSO
lnlely convincing Us. ihan he following
from > rOHesPondcn. Of The Boston cul.
iiEalaT:
Afessrs. Edaors:-The system Of top
dressing. a subject Of which several ani-
elcs haze appeared 10 your columns,
seems 10 be ginning ground amongst Us
and from wlls, see and hear. consider
The topic BY no means exhausted; ysri-
Gus experiments going 10 show, that even
if il be "a waslelul practice" the loss a.
tending il cannot be great. however The
scientific pat % The practical community
may deprecate is use. have before me,
al The present moment, Geld Of six acres,
an old grass sod. Which was ihickly COW
cred in early spring with The contents Of
The barn yard. IN a partially decomposed
state. and. on which, if the crop be moi in
creased ihreefold. shall be glad 10 be told.
Now, then, the question arises, how
much greater would have been the in
crease and improvement, il the manure
had been . turned under as soon as spread,
To prevent The chance of loss by evspora-
iion," according 10 the books! For one,
/ | am content with the result, and cannot
conceive that. under any circumstances.
the effects could hare been greater, or
more plainly demonstrated. Then comes
the theory Of the system, and ! am free
TO confess am not ono OF those who be-
lieye il in the power Of man 10 improve
nature. She may be assisted, by placing
means within her reach, but after that,
"let nature have her perfect work" We
see that all natural dressings, whether We:
getable or animal, are confined 10 The sur
face Of the earth, the crops that fall al the
eioss og The gear. and The droppings from
the creatures which feed upon them; and
| vet we find iha, nature has the power OF
renovation within herself. or things, befole
this, would have been on, al the li.ile end
OF The horn. II is true we hear and read
Of the necessity Of fixing the ammonia
Of our stables, and OF heaps Of manure
while in state Of fermentation, TO pre-.
vent evaporation and loss; but ! shall pc
clad 10 know, If ihts be not 10 destroy il ],
/ admit we are told the result forms SO
luble substance; but its volatility is de-
s,royed. and ,l,a, consider an unnatural
process. Andfin answer 10 the question
" is not the ammonia which escapes into
the mir dead loss :" ! answer, by no
means, its province being TO form new
combinations. aud again 10 descend in rain
or dew (of which, in every instance. &C.
cording 10 Liebig, il forms parl) the on;
! ly state in which il can be made TO enter
/ into the conformation OF The plant.
i Blu, LEI any one form large heap OF
manure while IN state Of fermentation,
in the midst OF a barren tract Of land.
and see If he can discover that the fruc.
iifying principles Of the evapora,ing gas
\ ses, 80 precep,ible and disagreeab!e y
the nasal organs, can be made observable
10 The optics of any one! say nay ;
and not an inch can this influence be
found. farther than the moisture which
drains from The heaps can be traced on
the ground. So the idea that the man
who top dresses his soil is manuring''h The
land of his neighbour" is a matter oi
moonshine nay more hold i. that i
The light gases are prevented from eva
pora,ins,s so far mischief is done. for. as
has been already said. "planls are by no
. means gross feeders. and whatever devas.
,a,ion may be commiiied by the insect OF
fungus tribe 10 tees or plants. by far the
creates, extent Of injury, from what is
placed to the account Of canker. mlldew'
&c., If correctly investigated, would Prove
10 originate in the unwholesome supply
| or the impurity Of the food" All bene'
, fit desirable from manure OF any kind
proceeds from The carbonic gas, engen
r lered by an union Of other gasses. ESQ.,
when submitted to the "Alembic Of Ma
ture; !" and in such process she is the bes
: operator. The idea Of improving nature
is preposterous---l had almost said, bias
2 phemous. OF those who advocate Tho
f practice of Immediately turning IN ma
i nure with the plough, to prevent evapo
. ration. | would ask, have they The ide'
!. that it can be turned in by that implement
4 so eflec,ually as to prevent all possibility
n of evaporation! and if so, would not thi
= effect be, il buried before fermentation
had taken place, the destruction of thu
crop! according to the experiment made
in the cherry orchard Of Kent, where es
; ery tree died 80 soon as the roots had pen
!. e,rated 10 the dung, iha, had been buried
n by ,renchiug the land two feet deep, ant
|, by which ali evaporation had been effec
tually prevented.
Carb,,rettcd Hylroyen and Nitrogen,