The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-02-28
2 From Cslman's European Agric ulture.
as MANURES.

'ssss:es> si,s5.s,,4 MANURES.
~ proceed To the subject of manures, as
Sc presents itself IN continental husbandry.
'sFhe Flemish call manure"the god of agricul-
: tire OF its importance not word need
he said; and the Flemish, in the pains they
{ fake in lis accumulation and use, evince the
estimation in which they hold il. Manure
I IS indeed the foundation Of all good hnsban-
- AI,xEsRAL : MAsuREs.--Manures divide
themselves populatly ,nio three kinds. min:
elai, vegetable and animal. OF mineral
manures, such as lime, gypsum and mari,
s. The use seems well understood, but. within
my. dissertation. they are not applied TO 50
great . propouionalextent as 10 England
j ansi Scotland. Lime, or the carbonate OF
slIme, isgemplnyed upon lands which are
:clsyey, cold aad heavy; aad in such case i
daiswers double purpose, to divide the soil
, ant fenier'it light and friable; and second.
&c. ID warm the s,il. That plants take up
s,me portion of lime from the soil is estab-
siissaed: but thisls SO small an element in their
( cogpposition, that few soils are found def.
cient in the necessary quantity. That II
!, should be applied TO ihe land in a causl'c or
!. warm state seems likewise an established
1 puirst. Some of the Flemisi, farmers ad.
wise 20 the mixture Of lime with the earth ahd
so its application IN that form; but this seems
only an increase of labor without an obvious
! sadssntaee. Others advise to the mixture
saf Eme. with heaps Of vegetable matter, 50
Sos To reduce Il: bat. n such case, IS like To
destroy some Of the most valuable parts OF
tie maauee. The efficacy Of a dressing "f
time Is considered by the Flen,ings TO en-
sd0re three years. but this must obvn',sIy
depesM upon the quantity applied. Thirty
basheis of unsiacked lime after beIag slack
Cd is considered BY so,ne farmers proper
application; while others advise the applica-
! lion Of thirty bushels each year for three
years in succession.
- have met with the frequent application
{ sof mari to light lands and to the surface of
] peat lands, where il soon forms productive
ssssL The application Of gypsum can scarce
.igbe said 10 be general. II is sometimes
. applied In the ground to the seed Of potatoes
In tte planting, ia which case It is generally
admitted to improve the quality of the po.
) saias and il is applied also by being sow"
sistscadcsst upon young clover; in this latter
= case, ordinarily with success. The philnso-
. fphy 'ut hs aperatinn is still obscure. It is
difficult 10 say why Il fails; but il is moi less
: difficult 10 say why il succeeds. II will
!: ssrnetimcs he useful, and at o her times with.
! ,ssit reffeci, IN the same locality. A very
q competent farmer in the United States gives
4 q his apiinioa. and ahc result ofhis expe-
!. renee, ihal Il sometimes failed Of its effects
from being too coarseIy ground, but that Il
always succeeded when reduced TO an i'm.
! 5spaIpablc powder. =
= Much has been said Of the value and ef-
!. 6cacy of sea salt as manure, and IN France
great complaints have been made of,he
I heavy duty. which, in fact, prevented its
!, use in this way. A distinguished French
farmer and cxperimenter, who has devoted
sunch time and expense toihis subject, and
has furnished most exact accounts ofhIs ex.
Sperimenss and observations, has como fully.
10 the c0nclusion that il is7of no use what
sser as manure. and equally useless in the
faitening of any animals. These conciu.
Esions are different from the popular notions,
which seem always entitled to some respect;
hot they are fully bnrne out by the expert
bments repeated and varied, Of this indefati
gable inquirer.
fVEGsrABLE MANUREs.-Of vegetable
mauures have only TO say, that buckwheat
and clover are often turned in by ihe plough,
and with acknowledged advantage. The
! Flemish make a poiut Of collecting every
species Of vegetable refuse which they can
7 iind, all vegetable matter growing upon The
!. sides Of the roads and that which is found in
: the canals. They are careful likewise 10
!. pieugh in their s,ubbles. excepting where
there rs another crop ON the ground. such as
.clover'or carols. which arc sometimes sown
aansong the grain soon after the crop is har-
vested.
~ Under this head may likewise be palccd
ashes, of which the Flemish make great use.
: A large part aflhe fuel consumed IN Holland
Is peat or turf, and the Dutch ashes are high.
~ valued as dressing for clover. These
ashes are imported from Holland into Elan.
ders 10 large quantities 10 boats, and always
I fad purchasers. They are applied as top
dressing To dry meadows, as we'll as to clio.
! yer and likewise to fax. 1t is not well de.
fermincd on what their particular efficacy
dctsends. @
The asl,cs nf sea.coal or mineral coal are
likewise used as . manure, but they are
deemed very inferior to the Dutch ashes
properly so called. Heath lands are some
times lightly skinned, and the heath burnt
I for the sake Of the ashes; but fit is intend.
! ed 30 plant IL for trees. it is deemed hurtful
"a remove the ashes off the surface. Wood
ssi,cs and tie ashes from the soap boilers
are likewise most carefully saved and ap-