The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1855-05-19
The sewing and Manufacture OF Manure.

1t has always been a matter of surprise will
us that so little interest is manifested by til,
planters Of the South in regard to the manu-
featuring and saving Of manure.
They see their lands year after year falling
Oft in its productions, and are continually com
planning Of short crops but still never stop t,
inquire achy their crops are becoming " small
by degrees and beautifully less"
| They have, perhaps, fifty, sixty, or hundred
mules, horses COWS, etc., which make manure
enough in the course of year to cover thu
whole farm, but all Of which is wasted by care
lessness mot pound Of it saved. So.
Take and build shed in such manner as
to keep the manure from being exposed to the
weather, and let one Of the servants be special,
detailed every morning to gather the manure
from all the stables and placed n this shed. He
should be first made. however, before cleaning
the stable, to sprinkle the manure well with sui
and uate,, which neutalizes the ammonia con.
tained in the manure, and forms it into the
carbonate Of soda, thus preventing the enrich
ing quality, yiz ammonia, from escaping du-
| ring the process of removing it. Have, Also a
pool dug some where in the field, partly filled
with water, and have leaves and branches from
the woods, straw, weeds, and every thing that
will make manure, carted and tumbled into it
and soon as rottcd to muck, let it be hauled
out upon the field.
Planters will say, It is too much trouble
we have not the hands to spare" But still they
will toll and squeeze the last drop from the be-
neyolent earth, and never return her any when
twenty hands will raise double the quantity by
following out this system Of manuring, and by
q rotation OF crops do what forty will do under
the present system Of farming in the South.
We see fields which every year for forty
years have borne the same eternal crop, viz
cotton, no change, nor even an ounce Of manure
has been put upon it with the exception, per-
haps, Of a few cotton seed. And this planter
will, every year, with elongated yisage, cry
=" short crops" Poor fellow how unfort,t-
nate. We say, he deserves it. They must
not think that their plantations are like the
widows cruise of oil, that they can constantly
take from it, but never return any thing.
We see the New England farms which,
when first settled, were barren rocks, now
blooming like the rose and supporting an i'm
mense population. Why? Because they have
reduced the saving and preparing manure to a
science, and use it without stint. They will
make soil on barren rock while here, in
the South, with the advantage of naturally
lertlle SOL anu genial climate, we see our beau
tiful plantations becoming but little better than
waste land.
We do hope that our planters will bestir
themselves in this matter. If they do, the
eternal wailing cry Of /" short crops " will soon
be heard no more. Southern Organ.
BARON HUMBOLDT AND LIEUT.. MAuRy.-
The National 1ntelligencer publishes letter
from the illustrious Humboldt, dated Berlin,
February 3, and addressed to Lieut. Maury.
The letter speaks in complimentary terms Of
the benefcent influence on the commerce Of
nations" which has been exerted by the " i'm
mense labors," of Lieut.. Maury con currents
and soundings and the direction of winds at diff
ferent seasons and in different latitudes. y
Baron Humboldt also informs Lieutenant Maui
ry in his letter, that the King Of Prussia desires
to give to him a mark of gratitude, by pre-
senting to him. through the hands of the Prus-
sian Minister at Washington, medal destined
as reward for distinguished works of science.
The Baron also sends to Lieutenant Maury
another medal, that which was ordered to be
struck by the King Of Prussia upon the publ
cation of Cosmos. Both medals are Of gold,
and are said to be beautiful in design and ex-
ecutiOn,