The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1857-01-14
lgrrultural.
EXPOSURE CT MANURE I'M
BARN-YARDS-W AKING OF COM
p0STS

we once nau an eccentric TREND who
insisted upon wearing the nap, or soft side
Of his stockings toward his foot, or what
is usually called wrong side out. He in
sisted upon it, that the stockings would
wear for Il longer time, and that, as be
had more respect for his foot than his
boot, he should SO continue to wear his
stockings. When asked why others did
not follow his plan he answered, tina, they
followed example rather than TO take the
trouble to think. 1t is not so with our
farmers, il permitting manures to lie con.
~tInuallv exposed on the surface OF an open
ground When they cart out azure
to spread on ground before p,pwing, they
are always anxious to spread no more
than they can pillow under the same day,
to prevent loss by evaporation and still
are willing 10 leave it exposed all winter
to continued evaporation. And not onlv
do they lose the volatile part of the ma.
nure by such exposure, but the treading
OF The cattle upon it is continually displac.
ing atmosphere from between the part
cles, and enabling new quantities to enter
for further evaporation. All the LIQUID
manure are lost at al accelerated rate bv
being kept in continuous motion, mot only
10y the feet of Cattle, but by capillary at.
traction from straw, corn stalks, &C.
Notwithstanding that it has been clearly
established that rs per cent, of the value
of manures is lost by such treatment, still
the treatment is adhered to without
change. Instead of such exposure and
loss of manures, why not build sheds IA.
cling the barn yard to hold manures, and
throw the quantity produced under these
sheds each morning before the sun has
had FULL power upon ii, and 10y there mix
ing it with muck, headlands or other d.
visor increase the quantity of manures in
addition 10 the saving Of rs per cent. by
preventing evaporation. Every one who
has tried II, knows that one load of fresh
manure miXed with several loads of muck
or even headlands. under covers, will
cause each load of the mass to become
equal 10 its bulk Of clear manure for pur-
poses Of fertilization, and that this arises
from the escaping gases given OIL from the
manure during fermentation, beng ab.
sorbed 10y the d~ivisor; and still we see
farmers continuing this barn yard deposit
Notwithstanding the fact that il manv ca.
ses they are compelled to buy manures in
the spring. Let them, if they will contin
ne the barn yard system ut leas, throw
mnck, charcoal dust, gypsum, or all three
OF them, on the surface ofthe ground each
day after cleaning up the yard, and thus
save a larger proportion of the liquid ma
nures by retaining the ammonia. We
have found hat by placing proper absor
bents in our OK, COW and horse stables. so
as to receive the fluid manures before they
lose the animal heat, that eighteen loads
of muck may readily be used with every
load OF fresh manure, thus giving us nine.
teen times the bulk of mauures that We
should have on the old system, and even
with such divisor the heat of our manure
heaps is fully sufficient for the purposes of
decomposition but our cattle do not run
at large in a barn yard. nor do we bell, We
1t is necessary Tor tn ir health lhat they
should do So. For working cattle, Ger.
tain!y, exercise is unnecessary, and as to
air, II weIl.regulated stable, having nc es.
cape gases from manures, will furnish bet.
ter air than a purified and offensive barn
yard. If the object be TO fatten cattle, il,
has long been decided that they fa,tcn
more readily without a continuous motion
than with it; and for mich cows the stall
system cannot be doubted as being the
most economical, both as relates to the
quantity Of milk and food, as well AS in
the saving ofmanure.
A moderate Quantity Of salt should be
used in the manure or compost heap. 1t
is well known that although a large guam
tlty OF salt will prevent active fermenta-
ton, still a moderate quantity will accele
rate decomposition, and at til, same time
destroy the seeds Of many kinds Of weeds,
grubs, &c.
Farmers who raise wheat, rye, corn.
oats, barley, clover, turnips and potatoes,
should either have in their soil, or add TO
their compost heaps, a variety of morgan.
lc ingredients which these crops contain.
Thus, il after having An analysis OF their
soil, they should find it to contain potash
soda, lime, ~magnesia, phosphoric acid,
sulphuric acid, soluble silicates, chIorides
end aZotized matters, there they may raise
any or all the crops before named. by on
Iy adding 80 much manure as will suppIv
The c~arhonaceous substances REQUIRED. or
If the soil be well TILED, this carbon will he
supplied from the cnrbonic acid of the At.
mosPhere. But should any Of these in.
gradients be missing from the soil and no,
be contained in the manure used, the CROP
for which 1t is required cannot possibly
succeed, however rich the soil NAV be in
other ingredients.
After ascertaining in what the soil is
deficient, the farmer can readily supply il
In the Compost, and generally from cheap
materials; thus, potash from ashes, soap
suds, DC. soda chlorine from dirty salt or
the salt ley (soapers' waste,) of the soap
boilers; sulphuric acid and lime from plas
ter OF Paris ; phosphoric acid from bones,
and asmasl portion is contained in shell
lime, night soil, and indeed most animal
matters viii supply both p~hosphoric acid
and azotized matter. Soapers' waste il
rich in the soluble silica too nj, ;f.b