Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-03-08
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PHILOSOPHY or AGRICUL,rui2ES.

Men are divided as to the proper depth
Of burying manure. Some hold that it
sinks in the soil, is washed downward by ]
teaching rains, and should therefore be
applied near or at the surface. Others
assert that it's volatile and most valuable
parts rise by fermentation. andthat, conse-
quCnlly it should be buried very deep.
Now it usually happens, when doctors dis
agree, that both are partly right and
partly Wong but in this case, they are
both little in the right, and great deal
d, in. the wrong. r'
d, Manure usually stays very nearly where
II is put II buried near the surface, il
remains near the surface if buried deep,
there it remains if ploughed under in
large Jumps, it has but little power to rise,
sink, or in any other way TO intermix it.
self, hence it is that thorough pulvcriza-
ton. or narrowing. before manure is turn
cd under, gives result in large crops.
The power which clay has to absorb
the EertiIzimg portions of manure is very
great. Soils which possess medium
amount OF clay or loan. with medium
degree Of tenacity, will absorb all that is
valuable in ordinary manure, equally to
nearly their own bulk. Forty loads of ma
nurc TO the acre form heavy coating
yet this is only one load to four square
rods, constituting depth when spread, Of
only one third Of an inch.
Consequently, when the coating of forty
loads TO the acre is pIoughed UNDER, the
volatile parts have only 10 pass one third
of an inch or SO before they are all alb
sorbcd by the soil. Hence the error of
supposing that they can possibly, in ord.
nary soils, rise or sink to any practicable
depth and hence, the great Importance
of mixing the manures very intimately,
through all parts Of the soil. The plants
are to get their full benefits, and not be
over fed at one part and their roots starved
at another. n--
There arc many proofs Of the correct.
ness ofthe position here taken. We have
made large piles ofcompost. consisting of
One-thrd rich stable manure and two
thirds Of loan and turf; yet all the odor
was completely retained, and not the
ceived by tho smell. We have buried
. large dead animals with a coating Of only
nix inches of-loam, and not the fainlest
indication Of decomposition below ever
reached the surface. On the other hand,
the soil which forms the bottom ofmanuru
yards is not found even within few in
ches Of the surface to be at all enriched by
the piles of fertility resting on it.
The true ralc for burying manure is 10
place it at such depth in the soil as the
roots of the crop usually extend, Nv hich
will vary with different plants. Some OF
the grasses. for instance, form turf very
near the surface, and hence an autumn
dropping will soak in sufficient to benefit
them essentially. Glover roots run deep
err and this crop is consequently but lit,
tie benefited by top dressings, when of
much size, except SO far as they operate
keeping the surface moist. The roots
OF fruit trees are still deeper, and they de-
rive but little advantage, except from
manures well Spaded or worked in They.
however. possess an important advantage
over annual or perennial rooted plants
By continuing in growth for successive
years, those roots which happen to turn
into the region of fertility soon throw OFT
numerous ibers, and secure an amount OF
nOurlshment of which annual plants, in
consequence of their more limited powers
Of extension, are not able 10 avail the M
selves.
There are. however, not many crops
which do not need the full depth
afforded by ordinary ploughing. and henc e
the best practice Tor nearly all kinds of
culture, is to spread the manure we'll, har-
row it most thoroughly, in order to breake
it As finely as possible. and at the same
time to mix it Intimately with the surface
then turn it under BY ordinary ploughing,
and the lower half Of the inverted earLh,
will furnish thoroughly enriched bed
for the roots to penetrate. II greater
depth OF fertility is needed than ordinary
ploughiny affords. the coat of narrowed
manure may be thrown under ten or twelve
inches, by means Of double mould board
or Michigan plough, and then another coat
of manure spread, narrowed and ploughed
under by light gang plough. The
young plants of the crop are thown rapid
ly forward by the upper stratum of ma
Hure, and at later stage Of growth are
equally stimulated by the lower stratum.
STATE OF FUGITIVE SLAvE-Georrc
Lattimer, a black man, whose case as a
fugitive slave, made SO much noise ten