The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-07-12
@or the 5arMerS.
: From the Southern Cuurator
Hints OF Making and Preserving Ma


MtIr9S.
The Germans, HoIianders and Belsians are
generally considered the most advanced in the
art of making and preserving NATURES; and
therefore it is the part Of wisdom to study their
practices, and profit 10y the results of their long
and successful experience. Where they are
unableto provide straw other litter to ab,
sorb all the liquids produced by cattle, horses,
or Swine kept up in the usual manner they in.
variably construct tanks to hold all the urine,
into which the liquid eXcretons of a imals are
( conducted from stalls and stables. Such re-
seryors are made usually of water.iime cement
in the same way that ci,terns for holding rain.
water are constructed ia this country. They
arefvery useful appendages to stables where
horses or other stock are kept; and We will
add that one part of water lime. as sold in
barrels, mixed with four of clean, coarse sand,
wet and mixed as mortar, sets we'll, and If
used Immediately seldom fails to form a water .
tight cistern Or tank. p
Let us snppose afarmer has few barrels of
stale urine, more or less. ammonia is given of
to his Serious loss, how can he fix this volatile
alkali in tlieliquid a.the cheapest rate9 This
IS an important question, and one that has Civ
sen.rise to MANY experiments. On this subject
DIR. Stockhardt has the following judicious le.
marks:
"Sul2haric acid and green vittiol (coppefas)
will be here most admirable and convenient,
because they can now be everywhere obtained,
and at moderate cost; they occasion no ex.
pense in their transportation to and fro. like
the earths above mentioned and are far more
energetic IN their operation than Gypsum" One
espound 'cf commercial oil of vitrol is sufficient
in ordinary eases, for $50 lbs. Of urine; and
the acid is itself worth as manure about what
it costs, when purchased by the quantity. This
acidlargely diluted in the DRAWINGS from dung
heap is most advantageousy used to pour over
andsrnn through it, to fx,all the free ammonia
@hichis liable to escape into the atmosphere.
lnmany places, green vitriol, or sulphatc of
iron, may be obtained at cheaper rate than
oil of vitriol. Dr. Stockhards says, "Green
vitriol, (copperas) dissolving readily in water
acts Just as quickly us free sui phurc acid and
in one respect, indeed, still more completely, in
so far as'iron possesses the capacity of decom.
posing and depriving OF odor the sulphuretted
gas, (sulphuretted hydrogen) which is equally
generated in the putrefaction of manure, and
occasions the dsagreeable stencil of rotten
eggs. In Switzerland this salt has long been
generally employed for the preservation Of
DRAWINGS, liquid manure and more recent ex.
per;ments in France are affirmed to have shown
that stall manure, when mixed with green vit.
riol, has produced upon limey soils an increase
of oHe third in crops of grain, and upon grass
land, even FIVE times more hay than common
manure of equal quality and age" Having
been many years in the habit of using copperas
water, ora strong solution Of green vitriol, to
deodorize the offensive gases generated in, the
vaults of privies in cities, where such nuisances
often occasion sickness, as we'll As to fix am,
monia in urine and manure from stables it
gives us pleasure to find our views corrobora.
ted by the latest European authorities. In a
sanitary point OF view, the action Of iron. 1.-THE
base which the oil Of vitriol is combincd) in
decompounding sulphuretted hydrogen, as sta
ted by Dr.. Stockhardt, is important.
AS to the quantity of copperas that ought to
be thrown into 4 tank of liquid manure, no
precise directions can be given, as the farmer
uses barely enough I" arrest the anImOnilcal
smell and when it again al pears a little more
OF the green viriol i used as before
In making compost heaps, some care and
Skill are needed 10 prevent that KIND Oi heating
called "freJany," in which operation the
strength OF the manure is seriously impaired
Wet,ing the heap is the preventive usual re.
sorted to, either By pouring or pumping over
the DRAWINGS, or by adding fresh water Ma
nslre ought never to be hcaped over about four
feet, particularly in warm weather. as the
chemical action is liable to be too rapid, and
consume the mass. Moderate and steady dc.
cay is what is needed.
The larger the mass Of manure, and tie
higher it is piled, the greater will be the differ
ence in respect 10 the stages of decomposition
between the upper and lower layers the low
er stratum will he uncIofS, that ia the centre
merely mellow, and that above, altogether
strawy Turning over the heap is designed to
remedy this inequality and mix the manure
thoroughly together. 1t loses in weight accor.
ding to the extent OF decomposition, and the
amount of exposure to washing rains and at
moSpherc influences, without fixing either the
carboric acid Of ammonia generated in the
process Of decay. In no way can the carbo.
mic acid in m.aunrc he turned to u better ac-
rau.' a. >, m.yna leach Tor drippcd ashes
..'l g.. o.. .. -'', pnHlfiily 10 render III"
lriurc lu,".uulr >tac.ir, 81 tUt,>Ii and lime
whic.. loIm ;he main bu!A Of ashes, soluble.
naI suaahle Gocd for cultivated plants. The