The Placer herald., 1860-01-21
NUMBER 20.
Value of Charcoal.

The use and value of charc coal are too lit
tie under. TODD. The undertaking Of stable
beds with it has been found to serve an ex-
cellent purpose, as it is a sure and prompt
absorbent, and renders the urine inodorous,
while the execretory gases given Oft from
the bodies Of animals and taken up by it,
and the atmosphere rendered sweet. AMI
mails frequently suffer severely from the in
furious effects of these gases, by which they
are surrounded in badly ventilated stables.
The deodizing and disnfecting properties of
charcoal may be inferred from the fact, that
if horse be enclosed in silk bag, varnish.
ed and tied around his neck, leaving his head
free to breathe the atmosphere, he will die
in twenty four hours, for the obvious reason
that the gases given from off his body, which
should be got rid of as soon as liberated, are
kept in contact with the animal. These
gases will be absorbed BY charcoal, and after
its removal from the stable to the C mpost
heap, it will continue its office of a ready
absorbent, taking up the ammonia, and puri-
flying the surrounding atmosphere; and even
after being transferred from thence to the
field, it acts the part of an ever present
chemist, never ceasing in its work while the
process of decay goes on, till relieved by the
wants of growing plants, which require the
use of the gases created by the decomposi-
ton of the manure. All kinds Of soils are
improved bv union with charcoal; for
while it is not itself absorbed by plants, it
remains continually, to re,perform its Office.
On clay soils 1t is employed with much
advantage, rendering them more free by its
admixture. 1t enables them to retain what
would otherwise be lost by evaporation.-
Early freezing of soils is prevented by its
presence; its dark color assists in receiving
heat from the suns rays; and the difference
in texture of the old garden soils and that
of the field is chiefly owing to charcoal
(carbon) arising from the decay of vegetable
matter in the former. This fact accounts
for the garden soils being so much darker
in color than those of the field; and manures
applied to dark colored soils are for this rea-
son much longer retained, and are more
efficient when applied where there is but
little carbon. Cattle are frequently driven
to the "coaings," as the charcoal hearths
are called in mountainous districts, for early
spring pasture; as around these old charcoal
hearths the grass grows much more luxuri-
antly than elsewhere; hint sufficiently
DIodu, Ono WOuiu luiuk, W iuuuCc idItlcts lib
such districts to cart charcoal braze to their
farms. Charcoal braze may be thrown on
the top of fuming dung heap, and it will
absorb all the gases arising from the ferrnent-
ing mass, retaining them till they are ab-
stracted by the roots of plants. Pig pens
and privies may be elfectually deodorized by
its use, and should never be without a mode
rate sprinkling of charcoal where it can be
obtained. Large quantities of the old braze
cf charcoal hearths where pits are burned,
can be procured at railroad depots where
the contents of the spark kcatchers are thrown
out AT the end Of every trip, aud at distiller
les, where pulverized charcoal is used in rec
,ifying whisky. At these places it may be
obtained at low price, and for all the pur-
poses above named it will be found highly
valuable. Rural Anaerican.