Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1852-1852, 1852-08-13
From the America1 Farmer.
Collect Materials Tor Manure, and
Compost Them.

manure: tOr unless they 90 50, 1t Will be Impossible
carry on their cultivation, because loss instead to
Of profit will be the result of all such attempts.
! There is no mystery about this matter. The
reason must be obvious to every one who reflects.
At least y moictv of all that comprises the food
Of every plant grown, is derived directly from
the soil. Hence, then, as the continuing 10
grow annual crops, creates al inccssant drain
upon the natural resources Of the earth, and the
supply is from year to year decreased, it follows
as a natural consequence, that unless artificial
supplies Of manure be periodically applied, an
exhaustion Of the 1ood-yclding powers Of the
earth must take place.
Viewing the subject in this light, we have for
many years been endeavoring to impress upon
the agricultural mind, tie lropricty of acting
upon the principle, that manure m0hing, Wa$ Mc
first duty Of tie farmer: that it was lis busi
ness not only to carefully husband but to ap
propriatc, every thing on lis land towards its
fertility, that contained the clements Of nutri-
ton, or which, by its afiniticS, and powers Of
assimilation, could be made to SubScrvc the pur-
poses Of vegetation. Time after time, we have
named the various substances to be found on
most farms, which could be thus appropriated.
Time, after time, we have pointed out the means
by which they could be rendered available, and
We have frequently had the qualification to know,
that by following our advice, agriculturists had
improved their lands, increased their productive
capacities, and us a natural consequence, better
cd their own conditions. The knowledge Of
such results, while it has been fiattcring to our
pride, and grateful to our feelings has served to
increase our ccrgicS and render our tolls the
less irksome. But while such evidences have
como to our knowledge to cheer lis on in our
course, We have sometimes had to encounter the
prcjudccs Of those who. welded to those o!d
customs, handed down from father to son. for
ages, hooked upon every improvement is az in
novation, and therefore rejected it, notwithstan
ding they had the uncrrinT evidences before their
eyes, III the form of WORKOUT old fields, that the
customs Of thciriorctathcrS must have been found
ed upon erroneous principles, or such results
could not have occurred.
We have sometimes asked the owners Of such
farms, why they did not make IN effort to restore
fertility to their lands, Why they IL '.vt aa'he"
and compost the various refuse substances which
aboundcd on every hand? To this question, the
stcrc"iyrcd answer, WAS, -" they had not time :"
lis if time thus spent, WAS not. us il is III re-
alitv. the most lucrative part Of farm ccpnomy-
us if the dctacling part oi force t" collect
the rough materials to be wrought up into ma
nurc. would not prove to them the farmers gold
minc-as if the effect Of arpr"priatn@ such
time to such purpose, would not cnabr them to
produce more OH one acre than they HOW ret
from tl!rrc-tnd rs if they would not thereby
H.. L, a., l,I. -, ,,l.
no more force to cultivate an acr" Of rich. than
it does. one Of poor land: while there is this dii-
ference in the results. the first is sure TO end III
profit, the latter in disappointment and loss
Ii thcn"ccs>ily OF applying manure, to restore
the distractions Of cultivation, WAS Il new thing.
there might be some cXcu,c for the Indifference
manifested BY those who arc otherwise intr-
gent rlcn. But it is no new thing for .N0'rH$
C"to, th" earliest Roman agricultural author.
who iiour>hcd hundred and fifty years before
the christian cr;r-who WIS distinguished alike
for his clo1ucncc III the forum, for his enlightened
craftsmanship as ConSnl and CraSor in the adj
mini>tration Of government rs he WAS for his
skill and genius in leading armies, or us tcr
of the soil, incorporated this wise and saIutary
advice in lis wor; on agrivulturc:-
"Study to harc a hsrye monHrc hcGD; kccp
your compoA cnrgN'lHn
This WAS not the advice Of mere thcoriSt but
the counsclof IN emil. .chtcncd practical husband
man, who though welding the civil atlars Of
Rome in her days Of ~rcatnc>s--of one who We
find at one time, ccclrtyng her senate from the
forum, by his cloqucncc--an cloqucnce that
caused him TO be called the RomWn DcmoS,hc-
ncs-;n cloqucncc that enabled him to find the
WAY to the hearts Of the people, through Their
judgmuM though hc iattcrcd thcmnot--tho
he rcbukcd their p;r~>ion>-1nd who, ut another,
We find leading her lrgolIS to battle. 10 victory,
and to triumph, still had t.ar and derived plea
sure from cultivating the earth with lis own
! hand>,-;ul.l who i'll giving the above advice
spoke from the results Of his own rich experience
I'LL experience which had enabled linn to take
broad, comprehensive, plli!o<orhic view Of tho
constitution and nature Of soiIS-.Which had "l
ahlcd him to study and f,,hom their rIysic;t
wants, and i'll ten short words, to pronounce how
those wants could be supplied. And tLougl
two thousand year, have n.voIvcd since they wcr,
uttered, they are as true to day, is they wrr,
when first pronounced; for the farmer WHO doe
not take these precautions, will, in Il few Years
realize the sad truth, that the fertility Of III, land
has departed, u, the soil, like human beings alI
other animals, rcquIr" 10 be fed, to preserve iii,
integrity Of It's strength, and continue its produc
| tive powers
Best Method Of Applying GuanO.
am satisfied from experience and Observation