Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-03-04

From the American Farmer for October, 1852
Improvement of worn-out Londs-Modes of Form
Ing Composts-Agen.s for D.composing inert Veg
etabIe Matters, &c.
fCoNCLUDED.
son the east part of the farm, about three-quar-
ters of mile from the river, very elevated po-
sltlon, there is Dish. five six in extent, IN
which there is decomposed vegetable matter: leaves.
roots, branches, and the dead trunks of large
trees which have probed the depth Of fourteen
feet. small stream fed by springs runs through
1t, and receives the wash of the diacent grounds.
al have a railroad into this dish about 2SO
feet, which move dirt cart that will contain
about cubic yards, by pair of oxen from this
it is dumred upon the solid earth. This track is
capable, with little trouble, Of being shifted as may
be required. During all the winter, most of the
autumn. and parts Of the spring and summer, one.
and sometimes two men employed In getting
the muck out and two pair of horses an OK
team employed at the same time in hauling it
down to the barn-yard and those parts of the farm
where it is to be used. Indeed this is the business
gagged on the farm.
Last season. between August and April,
brought down l4l5 loads part of which was put
into the barn-yard and of course composted with
the manure of my stock, and another part was
treated will be hereafter particularly mentioned.
The first experiment made was by applying a
liberal quantity, part of that which had been in
the barnyard for about ten weeks, to field Of four
acres, after crop of corn; it ploughed in and
sowed with wheat and timothy The yield of wheat
was twenty bushels to the acre. and the growth of
timothy is most satisfactory.
The second experiment was on field of FIVE acres
and third from which a crop of corn had been
taken during the course of the fall and winter. !
drew on this field 433 loads, Ga load estimated to
contain twenty cubic feet) giving to four acres,
which measured off, 100 loads each. and TO the
fraction Of acre its portion. In the spring drew
from the barn-ya 100 loads which were put on
the fifth | applied to the
No. 80 bushels bone-dust one half bushc
to each load
No. 2-405 lbs. potash dissolved and spIinkled
over each load in equal quantities.
No. 300 loads, taken from the barn yard muck
and manure.
No. A bushels of salt, and bbs. of lime
(caustc) in a thin paste, divided into 100
No. 5-16O bushels of wood ashes
After being thoroughly mixed. the materials
were applied, the whole spread, ploughed in
and planted in hills with Mercer potatoes. The
yield was only 4474 bushels of all sizes
Acre No l-Muck and bone dust 65 bushels
very small.
Acre No 2-Potash. 81 bushels, large.
Acre No. 3-Muck and manure, l20 bushels
large.
Acre No 4-Lime and salt, 553 bushels, small.
Acre No. 5-Ashes. 80 bushels, small
of an acre, Raw Muck 43 bushels good size.
There very little rot in the field. and most
certainly much less in proportion in either acre
than in that where the manure applied. After
the potatoes were taken off the field prepared
and sowed with wheat, 2 bushels to the acre, and
timothy 10 lbs. to the acre, and both have up
satisfactorily.
The third experiment was with corn. put
230 loads, taken from the barn-yard muck and ma
nure, four acre lot, Ca very much impoverished
soil,) planted it with corn in hills, which yielded
39l bushels in ears and from one acre, esteemed to
be the best, which was measured off and gathered
by itself, l26 bushels.'
If published: wish such of your
readers as have experience, would advise me as to
the proper course to pursue.
g read the communication of Mr.. Hamilton,
from which the foregoing extracts are taken, with
profound interest, hut because of the success of his
experiments-not because his laudable efforts to
convert his peat into manure had proved triumph
ant for these experiments have but partially
ceeded in the crops of wheat and while those
the potato crop have been entire failures. feel
an nterest-a warm and earnest one-in them, be-
cause discover in Mr. H. that esprit de corps-that
indomitable zeal, which deserves, and must ulti-
mateIy command success, and because from his per-
severance and the desire he has expressed to be ad
vsed as to the proper course to pursue. in
gard to the mani ulation of his peat, | believe he
will listen to the voice of reason, whenever that
may be proclaimed by disintercsted source. Thus
believing, will venture to say to him. in the most
deferential spirit, that his applications to his pota
toes were all wrong. though applied in measure of
lberalitv. which reflects great credit upon him as
public spirited gentleman and enterprising farmer.
His lands he truly represents as having been worn
out by improvdent culture for soil cultivated for
series of years by tenant occupants, is to have
every element of fertility extracted from it-and
this result is not much the fault of the tenant
of the landlord. who, by the shortness of the lease.
prec,udes the tenant from expendng anything in
manures.
Il am among them who look to Geine, or Mould,
tb bSto hiph abp in the Of Ntr
Hamltons farm The soul, if my express my
SELF of every good soil-nay, believe no soil can
be highly productive without its presence in notable
lands, if it has to be applied, it must be in cond
ton, when applied: to yield up its virtues to the
growing plants-in other words, it must, before be-
ing spread on the earth to be poughed in, be re-
duced, by fermentation to state of active solnhi
ty This may be brought about either by alkaline
bodies or bv those Of an animal nature. Not hav-
ing any analysis of the soil in question, and left to
Judge Of it from the facts furnished by Mr.. H.,
can arrive at no other practical conclusion than that
when it came into his possession, it had been largely
robbed of its organic we'll as of its inorganic
original elements These he will find, to a consid-
cradle extent, in his peat when that comes to be
properly prepared-and may he replaced at much
less expense than he incurred In preparing MS peat
for his potato field
Law it down as q proposition true and sef-evi-
dent that any substance like that of peat, which
has lain for ages supersaturaed in water, excluded
from the air, is unfit for direct application to the
SOIL until it undergoes such process VIII infuse
new life into it, To effect this. however requires
time for as the world not made in single day
neither can life be inspired into dead body, unless
the proner agencies of resuscitation lie used in q
proper way, and time be allowed for their action
Now the agents used by Mr.. Hamilton were all ex
celIent in themselves, and used with liberal hand,