Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-11-30
From lhs Rural Nsw Yorker.
Fermentation in Manure Heaps

Trom the Rural New Yorker,
Fermentation in Manure Heaps
A. winter Is coming on. and the period
OF the year l. at hand when farmers begin
TO house their stock. would like to Ask
s0mc questions as 10 the bSst mode OF prcscr
Nug the snriehins properties Of manure In
tact. Il well known that when manure e
j. piled up. II hcats-burus-ihat ITS most
valuable elements arr disPcued-Aud |
would Ike % know Of any application
which can DO used as preventative. To
prevent this los, would 1t not Be good
Plan TO draw out aud sprcad upon such feld'
a. are intended ior enrichment, us, a' fast
as % aceumu!a,-? intend 10 try the eS.
pertinent. bot wosll Be pleased 10 hear your
views, and ,hoss oi your correspondents.
J.A.C.
The process usually termed fermentation
In orranicmanUrc. i,, actually, species Of
combustion, hence the burning mentioned
by cor correspondent To this result, thrcs
coaditious. or circumstanccs, are necessary.
F,rs. temperature OF At leas, iorty.fvc
dcgrccs s1lssd. gooily amount u moist
urc . ftr-i. a constant and iull surrly 0f
air. Where this c5mbiaaii5n exists, the "a
riditv with which the comb0siion Trosr1..
-. depends upon the accumulation and Re-
tsnt.on Of The heat developed. Spreading
a., manure will dissipats the heat,-il the
weather should prove dry the moisture viii
cnporaie.- and thus two Of the prime
agents Affecting the rate of fermentation
will BE-. 10 a greater or les extent, rrmo-ei.
The arrest OF fermentation will Trrvcnt the
sstuus frce Of two Of the mos, valuable ele-
meuts % mAnurc-ammoniA and earbonic
acid,-ihc loss ol which rcnier. IL e5mpar-
atiysly worthless. We can -cs no decided
ohiccuon 20 the hauling % manure 70 the
f,lls 10 f.ll aud winter as PROPOSED. Very
many Ci cur most skillful acriculiuri,ts
thu. operate. and argue IRON The results,
-as c1pcricnccd IN their individual cas- -
that the application Of manure % the sur.
facc. When ircsh, Is supported BY economy
and genuine philosophy. The only danger
D. from heavy washing rains, induced By
sudden changes Of ths weather. when the
ground is hardened by iros,. and the moi'-
turc runs over lie surface carrying OF the
soluble portion. Of the manure.
Farmers are not Away, 80 situated
they can carry out and spr'ai the manure
% ,be haruyard as last as 10 accumulate,
and application. calculated to rc,Ari 'hc
fermentation and Decomposition are Of great
value. Our correspondent desires inilrma-
too 10 this respect. and We quote from -
Manual Of Scientific and Practical Agri-
culture" the following description u some
o. the bcst substances which can be usei Tor
'bs purpose.
Cav aud hprp5, either separately or
ni1ei, have the quality Of rendering hrsc
quanti,ic. Of ammoui. iayoAiile. Clay D.
lone ). too tenacious 70 De conveniently
mixed With manurys, but when mingled
with large quantity Of dscayci vegetable
natter. d, form. rich mould which may
D. conveniently us,d ia COMPOST heap,
H-a', under the form Of PEAT, muck, ETC.,
contain. organic acil, which readily CON.
tin5 with ammonia, forming iny0!asils CON-
pounds.
Gprr. s, valuable a. an aisorbsut Of
aumonia. II. action is chemical
S.rla., Of irav. lsoPpsra.J acts in a
manner .i.iilar to gyrsuu. I, gives Up IT,
sulphur, a,ii o the ammonia, forming an
in,yla,i!s sulphate Of ammonia, while The
iron become. fret carbonate, aud then IN
oIyl,. Tie coppsrls must BE- applied iu
sllgtiJu. one pound to four gAllous %
water Is sgEci,ni. Il may be 'PrinkIed
over ibe diGsren, portions Of man ure a.
they arg thrown up.
Alts. Salphuric aud Muriatic acids
both have a great AFFINITY for ammonia. II
either Of them BE- diluted with twenty parts
OF water. ami spriuklsi over fsrmeuting
manurc heap. tie escape Of ammonia will
be at ooeo prevented in every part Of the
uass 20 which the acid liquor hss Access.
Crpap7. Avoid the use Of caustic lime
with an manurss containing ammonia. 1,
will e1pel the ammonia from any and all Of
30. compounds. SulphAts Of lime, on The
other hand. is beneficial; carbonate Of lime,
has no eject, while oaustic lime !. ruin.
on. when mingled with amDoniisrou'
mauurrs.