The Richmond palladium., 1856-05-29

MESsRs. EDITORS: "A Few years ago L
had occasion to occupy new garden. 1t
had been worn by continual cropping with
out manuring, till it would not produce halfa
crop of any thing. l had no manure to put
upon il. / could have bought open barn
ward rnanures that had been washed and
bieached through the year till most Of
the salts and all the urine was gone, but
I thought it would not pay we'll. Nor could
I any better afford TO cultivate garden at
the halves. There was half acre in the
garden. l planted about one-third Of it to
white sugar beet. The remainder to corn,
potatoes, onions, squashes, melons, cabbages.
tomatoes, beans, peas, &c., &c- There was
one thing that / could do. l had family
of FIVE children, one an infant i placed
half hogshead. convenient for receiving the
dirty slops Of the family, including the urine
Of the chambers. This was filled about once
a day through the week and two or three
time on Mondays. My method Of applying
of the garden, and with pail and dipper l
threw It upon the hills and beds Of every thing
planted, till the tub was emptied. The
second evening, began where | left off the
Grst and continued on till the tub was again
emptied So continued on till | had gone
over the whole garden. i continued to re
peat the same process through the entire sea-
son, or until the garden had become so ma
tured as to need no more food. The first
time going through the garden, as the seeds
were not up, used a large watering pot with
coarse nose. The second time through, |
used the pail and dipper. and applied the Ii
Guild around the young plant. As the plants
became large and nearly covered the ground,
] applied the liquid 10 the ground wherever
it was naked.
And now for the result. l had neigh
Dor, DR.. c., competitor IN the gardening
line, that summer. His joined mine, the
same size and the same quality Of soil. He
had plenty of open barn-yard manure and
plenty Of time to work his garden. He
often boasted Of having had the best garden
in town, and thought he should have the
best, Notwithstanding mine. But no sooner
we're the gardens both we'll up, than the DIR.
began to show signs of suspicion that he
should be beat. About the first of July he
came into my garden and said Il have come
. inquire into the secret of your power over
Il vegetable kingdom. The rapid growth
cf Your garden is great mystery to me.
] cur garden was plowed once, mine twice, I
md dragged we'll Yours was run down and
Mad no manure, mine vas III better order, and .
besides, had plenty of manure. Mine also
has had little better attention than yours,
and now the first of July, yours is certainly |
thirty per cent. ahead of mine. Tell me
what you have done to II" "Well, Doctor. /
come with me into my wood house" said l. /
There, that tub, with the help of my good /
wife, contains all the secret there is about it.
i have been feeding my garden just as you
do pigs" well, now l see what you have
been doing all summer. supposed you were
watering Your garden all summer, and won
dered why you should be doing that when
there has been plenty of rain. Now l see
the mystery
That garden Messrs. Editors, had the
reputation of being the most thrifty and the
most productive of any garden in the eoun-
try. That was my first experiment with the
waste of the family. And as that was APP
piled to half acre of worn-out land for only
a part of four months in the year, l came to
the conclusion that had the whole been judi
ciously applied one entire year it would have
been amply sufficient TO keep, i'll high pro-
ductive order, two acres. But III this estimate,
have not included the exerement from the
privv NV opinion then formed, and
has been confined BY later experiments, that
the manure from the family would be amply
sufficient to enrich many acres for all the
purpose Of agriculture as there are members
at the family, and this, TOO, exclusive of ah-
orbents to be used. But judicious Use of
absorbents the amount could be easily douh-
j ed or quadrupled even. And this would be
the true way of saving and using the liquid.
With the expense of one-halt ton of guano.
- permanent frings, and farmer could make
ii, m his house one ton year through sew
cral generations. 1t will certainly pay.
j. l.. EDGERToN.
CoKstry Gentleman,