The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-11-25
Use Of Charcoal.

In many parts of the country where char.
coal is or has been largely made, particular
ly in the vicinity of iron furnaces, the old
braze of charcoal hearths can be obtained
in large quantities. Near railroad depots,
where the contents of the spark catchers
are thrown out at the end of every trip, and
at distilleries, accompanied by rectifying
houses, where pulverized charcoal is used
in the rectifying of whisky, large quantities
may be had at a low cost. By undertaking
the bed in stables with charcoal, the urine
is readily absorbed and rendered inodorous !;
the excretory gasses given off from the
bodies of animals are taken up, and the at
mosphere rendered sweet. Where the ven
tilation is not perfect the animals suffer
severely from being surrounded by the ex-
cretory gases given off from the surface of
bodies. Some idea may be had of the ad.
vantages to be derived from the absorption
of these gases, from the fact that if a horse
be enclosed in silk bag, vanished and tied
around bis neck, and leaving his head free to
breathe atmosphere, he will die in twenty
four hours, simply because the bag will con-
tain 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 continue its Office of absorb
ing ammonia, and even after it reaches the
field it is an ever attendant chemist, taking
care of all the results of decay until growing
plants use them. Soils of all kinds are i'm
proved by the presence of charcoals, and as
itself is not absorbed by plants, it forever
remains to perform its Office.
Clay soils are rendered more tree by its
admixture. 1t assists sandy soils by re-
tanning what would be lost in the atmos-
phere by evaporation without it it pre-
vents early freezing of soils, and its dark
color assists in receiving heat from the suns
rays; indeed the chief difference 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 soil. 1t is for this
reason that 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 so much more efficient
than when applied to soils in which the
carbon is deficient
In mountainous districts it is quite COM
mon to drive cattle to the coalings, as the
old charcoal hearths are called, for the ear
liest spring pasture; for around the edges of
the old charcoal hearths the grass grows
much more luxuriantly than elsewhere, and
Notwithstanding this hint the farmers in
such districts continue to neglect carting
charcoal braze to their farms. If charcoal
braze be thrown on top of a tuning 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 pens should never be without
charcoal dust where it can be procured in
privies it deodorizes the contents and forms
valuable poudrette.-Ihe Working Far
mer.