The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-10-17
AGRICULTURAL.

tracts:
Having spoken ofthe advantages Of throw.
inc litter in a mass, and of the disadvantages,
of the escape Of ammonia, Mr.. Summer goes
on to- say.
Next to gypsum, hut by far the most val
uablc material which can be used as frcr
nf ammonia, is charcoal-a material you
can all have at your command. If a supply
was burnt and kept on hand to cover your
manure heaps as each layer is deposited.
| you would prevent the escape Of all The vol
| a,ile gasses, and, when hauled out and pro-
per!v applied. YOU would have compost
from which every crop cultivated would be
benefited. Where charcoal is applied to
the soil in pulverizcd state II acts directly.
by rendering the sn more permeable, and
bv retaining at once the ammonia (such as
falls in showers) for the use of the growing
crops. The fertility and productvcness OF
those spots upon which coal has been fre.
quenly burnt, has attracted the attention of
every obscrver-yet VIC see large quantities
annually wasted Of this valuable substance.
and regarded as useless, which would be in
valuable if applied to your manure heaps, or
sown broadcast over your wheat fields. In
France it Is carefully prepared and prcserv-
ed. and it has been estimated that the wheat
crop has been doubled from the application
Of charcoal alone.
Bummcrs. Patent manure has been by
some persons, who ought to be good Judges,
pronnunced humhug. Mr.. Summers o.
plninn IS in its favor.
Bommcrs patent manure, if rope!y made
bv this method, will bc found most valua-
ble manure. The partial failure in some
few instances originated from the fact that
the cheapness Of the material used in IFS man.
ulaclure would (noD warran, such q mass OF
vegetable matter being converted into good
compost in The short space allowed. From
knowledge of his process We arc enabled
to say that. where his directions arc strictly
followed, a most powerful and valuable COM
post cannot fail to be produced. One great
advantage which should bring it into gci:.
era Use on our plantations is, that the heaps
can be constructed in the field. situated at a
distance from the farm.yard, and where the
vast labor of hauling would render it imprac-
ticable To manure them from manure pre-.
pared Gin the farm.vard. This compost is
made in scientific and accurate manner.
and so managed in the construction of the
heap as To produce perfect fermentation,
without the loss of any Of the valuable parts
used. The fundamental principles on which
this compost is made, is tina, Of impregna'Ing
the material used IN the process with the solu-
hle salts and the gases, which in the ordinary
method of rottng is partially lost.
Phosphate of lime is an essential ingrcdI.
ent in mos, Of The produc. of onr farms; cot
lpn i, is true contains but a small portion,
but that small portion is necessary to its very
existence. But the supply of this essential
element IF our great staple, is very limited
in soils, and cotton alone makes no return
for what is taken from the earth. The pro-
cess of impovcrshmenl is to be carried On,
and aud a fearful future awaits the South
Carolina planters. unless remcdyis is found.
The bones of native and imported animals
may furnish that remedy. The following
deserves the careful attention Of every plan.
ter in the State.
Bone dus, has long been extensively used
as a manure in England and large inpor-
ta,ions have been made from time TO Time
from the Baltic and German States; but the
supplies from these quarters is now fast d.
minishng; for not only have the bones been
scrapcd up over corner where they could be
collected, bu, the farmers on The continent
are more alive to the advantages which may
be derived to their own soil, that latterly
duty has been laid on their expectation. To
supply the demand, the vessels gather them
up in every port where they arc obtained!
and in recent conversation with dlStln-
oushcd and influential citizen OF our State,
he informed me that they were continually
taking them from the port of Charleston.
He said he had written repeatedly in the
papers and scol:led. hoping to direct attcn-
ton of our people to their value, but to little
or no 7urpnsc. would urge upon the mem
bcrs Of hi. sncicty, the careful preservation
OF all the bones to be tound:upon their pre-
misses. and in tho absence OF crushing mills,
and the use of suIphuric acid, to crush them
up in heap formed Of ashes and quick lime,
any7appIv them with charcoal to their turnIp
aud other small crops But i, is on tho ma
nure of the farrn.vard that VIC have mainly
to depend, and no substance capable OF fer
,ilizlnr should be lost. Every cxertIon should
be made TO create supply equal TO tho de-
| mand, and it will be found in the end that
there is no labor bestowed upon the farm
which paws 50 well. lie who takes from
his soil more than he returns to II IS surely
impovcrishng it, and If he escapes such a
calamity himself, he leaves to his successors
worn out farm. TO increase its fertility.
and the amount and quality of the crops,
should be his principal aim; his labor will be
made more easy, and he will have the salts
faction Of adding yearly to the value and
Improvement of his soil, and gathering
! - IL ,.,,c,ris and hlnsSinuS ni