Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1861-02-22
From the American Agriculturist.
COMPOSING MIGHT SOIL---ITS VALUE.
MEssRs EDITORS {:

] W ASOllOh0
You remember that premium corr
crop of mine last Fall--96 bushels tC
the acre, on a three-acre lot. If you
don't, | do, and the splendid growth OF
the stalks, and the remarks of the neigh
bors upon that piece of corn, as it pushed
right on through the drouth, as if it had
rain every night, and as much food in
the soil as it could dispose of. The thing
that carried the day with that corn, was
Hight sOil in the hill, and prepared it FOR
use thus:
The farm is only mile from the vii
lage, where | market my wood, milk,
butter and all other farm products. The
night soil could be had for carting--in-
deed, most people would even pay some
thing to have their privies cleaned out
now and then--and | had box rugged
for the purpose, holding about one third
of a cord, and fitted into horse cart.
The box has a trap door on top, for re-
ceiying, and another behind for discharg-
ing the contents These doors are made
to shut water tight, so that the box can
be carried without any leakage. Hard
coal ashes also can be had in the village
for the carriage. l have often tried them
in the garden, and upon the meadow, and
think they will pay for carting mile, to
spread upon any moist land. They are
one of the best absorbents | have ever
tried. / procured large heap Of them
last winter, and had them stored under
shed. When the night soil was brought,
| made a layer of the dry ashes, about
foot thick, elevating the edges so that the
water could not run off, and dumped sew
eral loads into it. The quantity of water
these ashes will absorb is Astonishing
No accurate measurement was made OF
the relative quantities Of each, but it was
rot far from two parts of ashes to one of
night soil. The whole mass was shovel
ed over twice, mixing the parts intimate
ly, and left in pile until the corn was
planted, the last week in May. The
mixed soil lost its strong smell, becom-
ing iuodorOas ~t.a- .l'A s-st s""~i,i"c
over, and at the time of dropping, was
about as dry as coal ashes, and handled
with as little Inconvenience. A handful
of this mixture was dropped in the hill,
and the result was tho best crop Of corn
/ ever raised.
To be sure the ground had other ma
nure. believe in using that article, and
all the money have made in farming, !
have made in that way. l had about
ten cords of good compost plowed in to
the acre, and seldom take a crop from
the land where | do not use as much
The night soil did the rest, and | think
at least thirty bushels of grain to the
acre was made by this application in the
hill. | doubt if any of the concentrated
manures, at equal cost, would have done
so well. Cultivators living near cities
aud villages, have their cheapest source
Of fertilizers, off of the farm, in this arti-
Gle. With suitable apparatus for cart
ng, it is readily handled, and the great
objection to its use is avoided. If the
Try ashes are not conveniently obtained
Try muck, if worked over and made fine,
IS quite as good an absorbent, and has in
Itself more elements Of fertility than the
ashes. In the absence of muck, any dry
earth, saw dust, or spent tan can be used,
hough they are not so good as muck
The p0udreHe, tqfeu, etc, sold TO cultiva-
ors are mainly dried mixtures of black
muck with night soil gathered in the city.
We see from the experiment, that it
5 not necessary to wait year, or more,
or the noxious eflluvia to be dissipated
,efore applying night soil to crops. Pre-
Jared in this way, it is inoffensive as any
and does not burn the seed, or
make it rot. 1t acts at once upon the
seed, gives it a fine vigorous
tart, and pushes it along rapidly, until it
S out of the way of the worms, and
caches the main body of manure plowed
n. 1t is readily prepared at this season
f the year, when other work is not press
ng, and no better use can be made of
he time, CONNECTICUT.