The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-11-12
CAROLINA SPARTAN.
ORIGINAL ESSAYS.
Spartanburg Agricultural Society.
REPORT ON MANURES.


Your Committee are at loss to know
on what branch of this prolific subject to
write. The kind of manure. the manner of
making, aud the mode of application, might
each we'll engage our attention for an hour,
and report three hours long would be
more tedious than profitable. We must
therefore necessarily be general in our re-
marks. We concur unanimously that the
most important matter about manures is to
have enough Of it, Of some kind or other;
hence how to make it the cheapest and
most abuudautly becomes Of the greatest
importance, while applying it TO the land is
comparatively a small matter.
We do not deem it necessary TO enter
into learned chemical analysis Of manures;
this we leave 10 Vanquelin, Petzholdt,
Thaer, Liebig, and other agricultural chem
lists; as what is contained in them is not of
as much importance to the farmer as how
to make it and use it.
A knowledge Of the constituent elements
OF mauures would be Of little value w;,hou,
ga corresponding knowledge of the consttu-
ent elements of the soil and atmosphere, as
all plants derive their sustenance both fiom
the soil and atmosphere; and in order to
know what kind of manure TO put upon any
given soil, you must know what quantity
ot those elements necessary 10 vegetable life
Is contained in thai soil, and what is want
ing in order to ~rr'y eucn manures as will
supply the deficiency needed
The principal elements of plants arc car
bon and nitrogen, humus and ammonia.
The most of their carbon and nitrogen is
derived from the atmosphere, and hence the
best manures are those which contain the
greatest quantity Of huurss and ammonia.
Humus is decomposed vegetable matter,
while ammonia is the principal l,melt Of
animal manuies. Pure ammonia is deslruc-
tive Of vegetable life, and therefore those
manures which have too much ammonia are
not SO good, unless mixed with humus or
earth. The best and most expeditions mode
OF making manure, therefore, within the
means OF every farmer, is by mixing his
vegetable and animal matters together, viz:
his leaves, straw, stalks, DC, with his STA.
BILE manure, to which little lime added
will expedite decomposition, and improve
his manure.
In few words, therefore, if farmer
would make The largest quantity of manure
possible in given time he should pen his
COWS, hogs, sheep, and horses, every night
during the winter, and keep their stalls and
pens constantly covered with dry straw and
leaves, and whenever they get SO filled up
as to require cleaning out, take out tn c
leaves or straw, mixed as they will be with
manure and saturated with urine, and throw
them in pens in the lot or in the fields where
the manure will he needed; and if you have
1t, or can get it conveniently, mix little
lime with it, cover it over with earth. and
leave 1t exposed TO the rains. In this way
any farmer may make every milk COW make
manure enough in the winter to pay for her
food during the whole winter. The prac
lice of burning the leaves in the forest is
Tu'nous, while the custom Of burning OF the
leaves IN new ground is as unwise, III
the leaves be too thick on the ground to
piow, 1t will pay the farmer TO haul them
to pens, and lie! them remain there until
they rot; or if he will put them on his lots
or stables they will pay better. Wheat
straw is worth three times its marketable
value TO any farmer who has poor land.
And who has not? If he will put up his
milk COW every night and throw little
dry straw in her stable, she will not only be
easier kept, give more and better milk, but
will make or 10 dollars worth Of manure
out of every 4.horse wagon load Of wheat
straw. The manure thus made, when well
rotted, contains the proper proportions OF
the elements necessary for vegetable life,
and may be applied, not only with safety,
but profit, TO all the crops grown in this
country.
Straw, oak, or pine leaves, put up in ma.
nure pens or piles, and covered with earth
ms directed, will rot in two or three months. !
and all made any time before the lst of
January may be used in the ensuing crop