Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-01-14


feet
Many of the officers were seen to destroy them
selves rather than survive defeat. Thus greater In
its own defeat than any other corps OF men IN gam
ing victory the Cid Guard passed from the stage,
and the curtain dropped upon its strange career 1t
had fought its last battle.
COmposts, &c.
.- WILMINGTON, N c., Oct 26, 1852.
To the Editor Of the american Farmer:
DEAR SIR Il am a beginner, and you will excuse
the liberty take in applying to you, | purchased
farm the salt wafer shore. the soil much abused and
negeced-is light shelly and sandy. There is an
abundance of salt. marsh mud and oyster shell, and
appeal to You inform of their value and Low 10
use them the land. | am close student OF your
excellent work, and is very entertaining TO me fer
although my life has been spent in town, such is the
fascinating influence of the study of Agriculture that
am in hopes of yet being a farmer. As de-
sire to have reason for what do please inform me
of the chemical changes that take place in mixing the
salt, marsh mud and me-if Sulphate Of Lime-Gyp-
sum- is formed IF any ammonia is generated from de-
structon of anmacula of the mud land Suphate
| of Magnesa is decomposed to a Carbonate; and if
the noxous qualities of the mud are neuralzed so as
10 render the mud Immediately useful TO the land,
without the necessity of standing whole year IN
pile. Also pray answer me, If the application OF
lime would be beneficial in what quantity !-wheth-
er the Shell, Phosphoric the Stone and Magnetism
Lime is best ?-wheher to be used in a caustic or
slaked state. Aso be so kind say whether this
kind of land is the better for deep, or superficial
Iploughing.
There are very few, if any farmers here, and these
are just beginning feel interest in books like
your oarn--there being one of the kind, Farmers
Journal, Bath, N, CO. lately started The production of
turpentine shingles, timber and lumber, from being
Immediately lucrative, has engaged the people Of this
part OF the country, and our people are behind hand
in the knowledge of managing land.
Also, if the addition of clay would be useful and
the benefit to the land justify the expense of its ap.
lrlio and III for limo
OF scattering it?
Pray excuse the liberty and believe me Sir,
Your obedient servant,
VIM A BERRY.
REPLY BY THE EEIToR THE AMERICAN FARM
ER-If our correspondent will turn to our October
number he will find we have treated the subject OF
composts fully to have anticipated his enqui
res for what is therein said of peat is equally APP
plicable to salt, marsh mud' The object of com
posting peat marsh mud and all kindred sub
stances, is to reduce the brous matter which they
contain into the condition of mould in order that they
maybe thus prepared to dispense food to plants grown
upon the lands to which they may be applied, and
: at the time, to attract and absorb gaseous
: food from the atmosphere.
1 Our correspondent represents his land as light
, sheliY and sandy"-and hence we conclude, tina
there is already lime enough in his soil, and, there
fore, would certainly not recommend him to use
: lime agent for decomposing his "salt marsh
mud,n as there is no use in carrying Goals to New
ture. Better, far BETTER to barn yard and sta
BILE manure in the proportion of one load to every
d two of the mud, Is bushels of ashes to every
d three loads of mud.
1t is difficult for to say, defntively, neither in
v the Of the decomposition produced by the ad
l. mixture of marsh mud and lime together, such
chemical changes take place as to form sulphate
Il lime In all salt marsh mud there or les
salts of lime, and if there should be any free sulphG
= rio acid in the mud, and union between it and por
Q tions of the lime would probably take place, and
l. consequently. the suphate of lime would be the re
o sutant. But this is by means the important effec
g to be produced by decomposing mud-the object i
e to convert it into moud-to render it edible to tn
l. plants; do perceive that any Importance cal
1t result from the lphate Of magnesa being trans
e formed into Observation-Disclosures it changes from
h the acid into another, remains in the orgna
r form OF not But query is our correspondent sur
lie that magnesa exists in his mud or not? If So t.
is what extent? We think it probable that it does
e possibly in both forms but practica
e good from discussing the mooted question. Did W
or the mud his estate, should be content t.
Is apply such agents would make it ret, that ben
in our view the great desideratum--that being tn
sc condition to which it must be brought before tn
y crops feed upon it. If proper agents used
6 such pointed out in our Essay in Octobe
le No,--6 or weeks in warm weather. or IL or l6 il
e. cold will be sufficiently long for the compost to re
III main in bulk.
1T Judging from the description which our CORES
"a pendent gives of the constitution of his land hav
already stated, that believe 1t does not need
e. more lime. the shells which jnterminged wit
II his light sandy soil in progressive state of
= dalton, and continually supplying that mineral
81 his land If, however, any of his land should nee
ot lime, he has in his shells the best supply he coul
rs wish. Let him burn them into lime, Stake the lin
N with brine, apply it to his land topdressing
le ter he has applied 80 40 double horse
OF loads of his mud compost per ploughed the a
ter in, and narrowed his land and he need not fea
"a the result.
t. If his marsh mud partakes of the character of hi
e. land that is if sand greatly predOm1nates in its
re position, he will find that the addition Of clay, if
er silly procured, will pay we'll
Lime should always be slaked before being applied
ID if for other because, being thereby redr
TX ced to fine powder, it is more easily and equal
ve spread
III We go in for deep ploughing in all Ian is that ar
of not wetif wet, drain them thoroughly, give tim
for the drains to relieve the soil of its excess of
Z ter, and then plough as deep your team and in
m plement will enable you to turn up the earth ST
perfcial ploughing we look upon of the abon
s. nations of the age. The skim and kill system, O
the part of fathers, have driven thousands of sons