The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-18

blrds) frequently produce live hundred OF corn or
| three hundred of wheat, why may not similar
elements OF crops III the eXcreons o ali domestic
animals, be alike concentrated aud drilled IN with
| the seed, scattered broadcast over the land!
| Why throw away more solid, hard work on lOO,-
OOO,00O acres, than all the mechanics aud manu-
facturers in the country perform, in attempt as
foolish TO carry freight IN knapsacks, and travel
| on foot in competition with modern railroads? If
| one hundred pounds OF the best guano Is better to
| augment crop OF grain than a like weight OF COM
| mon loam, stable manure, there must be
son nhy this is so. What Is tins reason! We can
only give few hints; and in the first place, let the
reader consider well the fact, that in one hundred
pounds of wheat there ninety five OF the elc-
| ments of water and charcoal, called carbon
| Now, wheat plants are not wholly dependent on
| the mould in the soil for carbon and the elements
of water; and the farmer should take advantage of
this fact. The other five parts In one hundred of
wheat being organized nitrogen, and the incom-
| busble part of the seed are less abundant, in an
available conditions; and these lacking ingredients
must be supplied by the husbandnan. OF these
elements guano really contains, when pure, and
| the dung OF pigeons also contains, more than any
| other product OF nature. Hence, when estimated
| in pounds, the dry excrements OF birds are more
| valuable than those of cattle, or man even, al
| though the man, the OK and the bird may each
consume corn wheat. There Is reason to be-
| lievc that when birds eat 200 ounces Of wheat,
their excretions dried will weigh about the same
those of pig person formed by half that
| quantity of wheat, provided neither animal nor
bird gains loses in weight. The solid eXcretons
of horse, and, SO far as is known, OF all quad
rupeds by the bowels and kidneys, are about forty
| per cent of the food consumed.
The other 90 parts III 90 escape from the system
| mostly carbonc acid and vapor given off in
breathings In birds, the weight the matter which
escapes through their lungs Is some 50 per cent,
and the guano about 20 per cent. If this estimate APP
| proxmates the truth, then pigeon must consume
| 800 grains in weight of wheat worms to form
100 OF dry dung; and, If nature is true to herself
| the fertilizer derived from 500 grains OF wheat
should re- produce the amount consumed. The ed
sentia truth in this matter is, that go much of the
elements of animal food escape into the atmo
sphere by respiration and insensbe perspiration,
may safely be dispensed with in feeding cultivated
plants The matter that escapes is mainly the ele
lnents Of water and carbonic acid. Although or
ganized carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, are far
from being valueless as manure, they are not so
indispensable TO be artihcially applied az ammonia
ana salts of potash, lime, and magnesia. Much the
larger portion Of the food of ANNALS taken into
the stomach, is absorbed and passes into the blood
vessels.
Ifany one branch of farm statistics is more i'm
portant than the others, il is that which relates to
the skilful production and of manure Few
are aware how much labor and money are lost
by popular ignorance on this subject. Bouss.n-
gault fed a horse, which neither gained nor lost
weight with 20 lbs. of hay, and OF oats, and AZ lbs
OF water day. In the food consumed there were
- lbs. OF. oil perfectly dry matter. The dung and
urine voided in "a hours, when equally dried
weighed lO4bs o.; showing a loss by breathing
and oats there were 10 lbs. or of carbon, (char
coal); in the excrements only lbs. II or. penny
weights; being loss of nearly 10 per cent.
In the food there were lbs OF. 2pennyweights
of oxygen, Vital air) in the excrements only b.
7 OF. 10 pennyweights. The loss Of weight in hy
drogen, (it existing in the food to eight Of
| oxygen,) was in about the same proportion There
were OF. pennyweights Of azote (nitrogen) in
the food, OF which 3 OF. Ia pennyweights appeared
in the dung and urine. OF earthly salts, there were
Id. OF. 10 penny weights in the hay and oats; in
the excretions, h. or pennyweights.
The critical study of the above data will show
that 100 lbs. OF hay aud oats yield about 40 lbs. of
! dry manure. IL IL known that manure heats, fer
| meats, rots, and loses weight. This chemical ope
ration be conducted as to reduce the weight
ono half without essentially equally reducing its
| icrtilizing power.
If pound of ammonia, phosphate of potash,
! Soda lime, and Inagncsia, il worth much in
! night as IN imported guano, then there is no
! need whatever of importing manure from Peru and
Africa, We learn from dealers in the article that
some 500, 900 paid for Peruvian guano year
! in the District OF Columbia alone. Not only can
this sum Of money be saved, but guano equal TO,
and identical with the Peruvian, can BIO manuiac-
tured and sold III the city of ashng ton at half the
price of the Imported article, a fair profit. There
10 not an element IN guano which does not exist IN
bread and meat; and taking the market value OF
this dung OF seabirds as the standard, 50 ton,
! aud the fertilizers annually wasted In this city
(Washington) arc worth sl50,0OO. If Congress
will give the agricultural department OF the Patent
Office : 500 TO test this matter in practical way,
the beat method OF preparing poudrcttc can be
published In the next annual report from this oice,
aud will be received with great satisfaction by the
farmers of every State in the Union. Ii Is no re-
Election on American agricuturists 20 say, that
the science Of preparing manures is little under
! stoodi Tor We have no agricultural schools IN the
country, and neither Congress nor any State Le-
gislaturc has given a dollar To foster the scientific
! Iuyestig alton Of fertilizers,
Some may say that this subject has nothing TO
4. H.. -. -
but such relate to the quantity and value Of crops
! and other products of rural industry should be
discussed under this head. But how is one to
know the value OF the hay and grain, grass and
roots made aud consumed "A farm, without re-
gard 10 the meat, wool, butter, cheese, horses,
mules and manure, into which these crops con-
verledi From lack Of practical knowledge OF
| farming in those who made out the official csti-
mates OF the worth OF crops grown in 1899, as shown
| ia the census OF 1910, errors made which APP
proximatc S2OO,OO0,0OO Professor Tucker, in his
! valuable work on the progress OF Population and
Wealth in the United States in Fifty Years" sets
down all the hay grown in the great States OF New
! York aud Ponnsylvania as worth nine dollars a
ton. Nearly all of this hay was consumed on the
| farms where II was cut, by cattle, sheep and
horses. Now, instead, Of being worth nine dol
| lars ton to rear young stock or feed sheep,
| four and a half dollars Is nearer the true csu-
mate. Bot while the farmers Of New York
were credited some thirty millions Of dollars
for their hay crop, 1.-TWO priccs,) they were also
| credited with the wool and dairy products when
this hay formed Ia part Professor Tucker u either
not practical farmer, or he is one who has paid
little attention 10 profit and loss in rural affairs
! All the hay grown in the United States in ls4s IL
estimated, in the last Patent Office Report, at s. a
ton. In making an agricultural tour through the
State OF Ohio in October, ls49 the writer met with
gentleman in Springfield who had three hay
presses at work north Of that city on the railroad,
and bought large quantities Of good timothy hay,
delivered, at 81 n ton. Tbis hay sent 20 Gin
cinnat, and shipped to New Orleans and other
southern markets.
In the last Patent Office Report, all the corn
grown at the west we'll in the Atlantic States
i estimated at fifty nine cent, bushel and all the
meat made from this grain is sct down at pro-
portiouatc price. Thus, Tennessee corn grower
who raises crop Of 10000 bushels, worth 20 cents
bushel, which he converts into fat hogs aud cells
for $4,000, is credited, fret with $500 for his
crop Of corn, and then like sum for his crop OF
hogs This system Is strictly adhered TO through
out the whole calculations, and, with other errors
/ results in an over-estimate Of some one thousand
millions Of dollars The late Secretary Of the
Treasury estimated the productive labor Of the
country equal TO $4,000 100000, which is toe
high by : ! ,s00,0O0,0OO. The money value Of q
good living to % 900 900 OF industrious people, who
both produce and consume IL in the course OF a
| year, il is idle 10 calculate.
|