The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-12-10
For TIE ISpEPENDENT rnEs*.l
Premium Essay on Manure,
Read before the agricultural Club at Calhouns
Nils s. g.
By y. I. PORCIIER.


club was organized. and with the very firs, NV |
name was enrolled upon its register. l hailed
its birth with peculiar satisfaction. both from
selfish mntives and also. from the hope that it
might be the means of improving the Agricul.
,ure of my adopted District. Coming from
level country the CALLED and serried hills thnt
met my view on every side ewere depressing in
the extreme, and without claiming any depth
Of vision, could not but see that something
must be done, soon our section would be ir.
revocably ruined! 1t was my gocd'fortun" o
have been raised in q section somewhat older
than this. i'll which the work Of cutting down
the native forests, had been almost completed
some twenty-five years ago and im which the
slow aud ever tedious change from the old sys.
tenn had been superseded by that ofrcnovation,
and manuring had come to be II regular system,
and n mans crop was estimated bv the amount
of fertilizing matter that was applied to his
land. say my good fortune, for one does not
know now slow people are to change. until he
raises his own feeble voice towards it, and in.
stead Of be liev ing that one is actuated bv en-.
lnrged nni patriotic motives, they seem to
imagine that he is opposing them, aud every
| lhhule pun 0o"u HS au argument again ST tile
truth Of his opinions. and oftimcs actually glo
ried in. The truth is, men hate to change and
long after they thnt therc is actual necessity
for it, they try and pursuaie themselves that
they cannot changc-,hey reason themselves
into it, and against their convictions stand still
and like the scriGes aud pharisces Of old, even
keep those who are inclined to try the change
from doing 50 a f.er being raseI to the idea
that, Manure was tho sine QUO non Of all
SUCCESS in Agriculture to hear men, practical,
successful men affirm that it would not pny to
manure. have been amazed, and have said
to myself "what it be possible r. Is :here
difference in the soil and climate Of this To-
cality TINT manure will not DO here II eau.
not be! then looked to SEQ how they appli.
ej it, for they nlwuys affirm "that they have
tried it" and the enquiry satisfied me that
they had wofuly erred i'll this respect. A lot
fixed upon the side of:he hill, whence the
was valuable was rnked und the fLrous mat.
ter hauled to the field-of course disappoint-
ment followed. aul the manure lawful misno-
| mer) was pronounced n hunbug!
Is Unnecessary, my friends, that I should 60
into IN argument to prove that we need some
thing to increase the yield four cropsl The
average yield of corn to the acre iu Abbevil!e
District is about seven bushels-does my sane
man believe that negro can earn his salt at
that rate1 Can we afford to buy them at such
crops per acre Believe me, that in the low
country they have come to the deliberate con-
clusion that they cannot cultivate corn for less
than twenty bushels per acre and they are
rightl We do not blame the owners Of our
cohntry in its primeval state for cutting down
the timber, for thi, was their work, but if sue
| ceeding generations could only have known
where and when to stop we would have been
| snved n vast deal Of loss and luLor. If each
owner ofland had scrupulously left certain DO.
dies Of woods contiguous to his settlement,
from which the trash, the great source Of food
| for renovation, might have been taken year by
| year, how different would our sta4 now be !
| Let me intreat you my friends, who have yet
remaining one singl acre oftrnsh land to spare
| it, as you would spare the hen that daily. laid
golden. egg for YOU speak now what
. know-what have seen-what have tried
| that in forests lie chief hope of improv.
ment. Let those who have woodland commence
at once and make it part of their system md
time will prove that mn right. In the wet
days Of winter let the hands rake up the trash
and have it hauled into your lots-have the
| stable cleared out every two weeks, and fresh
trash thrown into it. The place for the ma
nure heap should be so arranged that the rains
cannot wash the liquid away. Before cleaning
out your stable cover the place. there few
feet with trash and then put tbs manure upor
that and cover it with another layer of trash
alternating with trash and manure. The tras,
I at the bottom absorbs the liquid manure, while
the layer on top prevents the sun from draw
ing off the gasses. say rake in wet days. but
if aman has trash, he had better put hand or
so, the old ones or pregnant women, at it ant
Ike ep them ut it all the time. hand should
rake IL loads day-that is rs much as mule
can haul at one time, should be counted as on
heap and IL heaps as the task day. Next tn
cattle and sheep should be penued regularl,
and the pm kept Fl lied all the time-let tn
pen be arranged during the summer) at SOM
point convenient to a field, and keep baulin!
into it AS fast az the trash becomes we'll tramp
ed. This will greatly expedite the hauling ou
in the Spring. In the winter the cattle and saeel
should have good shelter and this filled will
trash from time to time. If they even have n
shelter, pen filled with trash is warmer thai
without it. and by penning your eheep yo
gain one, great poiEtRin saving them from dogs
Upon Your manure pile should be thrown al
the soap water used about the premises--al
Ethslit that collects about the yard. and th
4 urine and night soil of the House, md wonder
a fulare their effects upon the growing crops
Il iIa wonderful prov siou ofour good and wis
!: God that nothing is destroyed the forms 9
Il things pudergoa change. but that is all, and ]
I We would. bat husbsnd everything about u
what. q. change would there be in farms
Often. .bave heard mp brother say. when hay
8 sipg haul aood fec avery large fum'ly. tina
Il jig did Hot grde ese.the time, provided hs eoul
hSye' dc asisa fsonf the wood .and he aNtrall
had. q. .briok arch. .aader whicli1it
y day by dayl Hereis another
/. I. 49,.