Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-09-14
USE OF CHARCOAL.

| In many parts Of the country where char
coal is or has been largely made, particularly
in the vicinity of iron furnaces, the old braze
of Charcoal hearths can be obtained in great
quantities. Near railroad depots, where the
contents of the spark catcher are thrown out
at the end of every trip, and at distilleres, ,ac-
companied by rectifying houses where puIvcr-
lied charcoal is used in the rectifying o.
whisky, large quantities may be had at low
cost. By undertaking the bed in stables with
charcoal, the urine is readily absorbed and
rendered inodorous; the excretory gases gi-
ven off from the bodies OF animals are taken
up, land the atmosphere rendered sweet. Where
the ventilation is not perfect the animals suffer
severely from being surrounded by the excre-
tory gases given off from the surface of bod
les. Some idea may be had of the advantages
to be derived from the absorption of these
gases, from the fact that, if the horse be en-
closed in a silk bag vanished and tied around
his neck, and leaving his head free to breathe
the atmosphere, he Will die in twenty-four
hours, simply because the bag will contain the
gases given off from the surface of the body,
keeping them in contact with the animal,
which should be got rid of as fast as liberated.
All this will be absorbed by charcoal, and in
the cleansing of the stable this charcoal may
pass to the compost heap, where it will con-
tinue its office of absorbing ammonia, and
after it reaches the field 1t is an ever-at
tendant chemist, taking care of all the results
of decay until growing plants use them
Soils of all kinds are improved by the pres
ence of charcoal, and as itself is not absorbed
by plants, it forever remains to Te-perform its
office.
Clay soils are rendered more free by its ad-
mixture. 1t assists sandy soils by retaining
what would be lost in the atmosphere by avap-
Grafton without it it prevents early freezing
of soils, and its dark color assists in receiving
heat from the suns rays; indeed the chief diff
ference in texture between the old garden soil
and that of the field, simply arises from the
charcoal (carbon) and consequent upon the
decay of vegetable matter in the old garden
soils are so much darker colored than those of
the field alongside, and it is for this reason
also that manures applied to soils of dark color
are so much longer retained, and are so much
more efficient tEan when applied 10 soils in
which the carbon is deficient.
In mountainous districts it is quite common
to drive cattle to the coalingS, as the old char
coal hearths are called, for the earliest spring
pasture; for around the edges of the charcoal
hearths the grass grows much more luXurient-
ly than elsewhere, and notwithstanding this
hint the farmers in such districts continue to
neglect carting the charcoal braZe to their
farms. If charcoal braZe be thrown on top of
a fuming dung heap it will absorb all the gases
arising from the fermentation of the mass,
and retain them until the roots of the plants
abstract them. Pig peas should never be
without charcoal dust where it can be procur-
ed in privies it deodorizes the contents and
this forms valuable poudrette.