Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-11-24

COMPOST MANURE. -The great value OF COM
post manure consists in being compounded of
variety of materials in such state of de-
composition as to be readily soluble in the
moisture of soil, and thus rendered nourishing
to crops.
The great art of making compost consists in
bringing mixture of animal and vegetable
materials into this decomposed state, without
loss OF its soluble matter and without wasting
any of its gases. Hence care should be taken
to preserve them both. When decomposition
or rotting commences, fluids are sometimes
formed and these should be retained by the
addition of something that will absorb and re-
tain them until applied to the crops. Gases
are also liberated, such as carbonic acid gas
which contains large portion of carbon,
very essential ingredient of the woody part of
plants. Also nitrogen and hydrogen, which,
when united, form ammonia, and in this COM
bination il is valuable substance of nutrition
to crops.
Compost heaps are in fact chemical labor
atory in which all these conditions are requir-
ed, and all these changes brought about.
They may, therefore, be made up of any thing
that will decompose.
The famous BONNER method of manufac-
turing manure or compost, consisted in col
lecting large amount of dry vegetable matter,
such as straw, canes, sc. &C., moistening
them, and then adding every day or two a
drenching Of liquid, saturated with animal
excrement in putrescent state, and also ad-
ding occasionally plaster of paris or some 9TH
er material which would absorb or hold on to
the ammonia and other gases which arise dur
ing the process of decomposition.
little chemical knowledge in regard to
the nature Of the material used, will be of
great service in guiding one in regard to what
should be added to it in order to change its
character so as to hasten the action required.
A young lad, while shovelling muck, this sum-
mer, inquired of bis father why his shovel
rusted SO much quicker while shovelling this
than it did while shoyelling manure, which
was equally as moist.
Here was a chemical fact observed by the
boy, the cause of which he could not explain.
and he applied to his. father for more light. His
father told him that it was undoubtedly ow-
ing to sour acid matter in the muck, and that
this acid matter must be got rid of, or its
character changed, before the muck would
come into condition to be dissolved, or its
material fit to become food for his crops. To
do this he intended to put what ashes he
could get into the heap, the potash of the ash
es would combine with this acid matter, and
the vegetable matter Of the muck would
then soon be decomposed and rendered fit for
use. If he could not get ashes he should use
lime, which would doit, though more slowly
than the ashes would.
We have known very valuable compost
made, by having vat on wheels set near the
sink spout at the back door, into which the
dish water and all the waste fluids of the
kitchen and chambers were thrown, and,
when fully saturated, hauled off, and a fresh
supply placed in its stead, to be also saturated
in the same way. p bess
The observing and enquiring farmer viii
find materials enough around him, to keep
up raw material for his compost factory all the
time. and little study and application Of the
knowledge thus gained, will easily direct him
in his labors successfully.