Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-05-30
For the Advertiser.
For the Advertiser.
ManareS, their Sources, Prepara-
tiOn, Application, and Value.

was not supplied the result was as disas'
trnu in one case, as the other. q
The atmosphere in its compliments ard
conc mitants does unqnestionably, accord
ing tt. he opinions of Psychologists. fur.
nish very large proportion of the bulk
of plants, such as Carbon, Ammonia, DC.
Mn. Yet these do not constitute their
entire food, any more than water does
the sole food of the animal. Three fourths,
at least, of the dnN of most plants con-
sis! Of Carbon, but this proportion not
constituting the ,chole, does not make q
perfect plant. aid the other clements, al-
though comparatively small in qu'n'ity,
are fully as essential Us the larger amount.
It is this portion Of plant food that man
has chiefly to control. The elements OF
plants not derived from the atmosphere
are the various salts, and some gasses,
Lime, Potash, Soda, Iron, Alumina, Slick,
Phosphoric acid, Nitric ard Su!phuric
acids, &c., &C., and their different and
numerous combinations. Some Of these
are always present in the soil no matter
how impoverished it may become, but
there are others, from being more soluble
or volatile and originally in less quantity
which are either taken up as food for
plants, washed away by the rains, ol
eyaporated by the sun and winds; these.
therefore, when they are absent have t.
be supplied by art:
It is we'll always to secollectthe source
of all manure as plant food 1t is deria.
ed from spay thing hat is susceptible q
decay. or of being yesoissd into lis oaigi,
uai e!em>a.s:: consequently. man, III
lower animals, all vegetation, and th'
great earth itseii furnish ii. Bearing thi-
great, but hamiliating fact in memory.
the intelligent mind need never be at 3
loss for supply of this material which is
indirectly so essential to the very eSiS
tence of man.
Although | hssc said that tl.e sources
of manure are so numerous, yet diff
Guilty is often experienced in procuring
it; this arises in a great measure from
our ignorance Of principles, and iii q grea'
many instances, willful ignorance.
There are some nations whose resource:
in this respect are wonderful, and espe-
cially is this tho case with the Chinese,
who derive their supplies from almost
every possible source. So extensive have
heen their researches in this direction
that they may truly be snid 10 have gone
farther than any other nation in the de.
yelopment anu application Of manures.
This brings us to the consideration Of
the preparation of manures. From what
has been said above, the preparation of
manures must necessarily be varied in
its forms, numerous in its details, and, in
many cases, original in its plans; and it
would be impossible in short article
like this, even to enumerate them, ard,
therefore, | shall not attempt it, as my
design is simply to throw out few lead
ing hints, more as reminders, than to as,
sumo the position of teacher One
fact, however, should always be kept in
mind. that some of the most valuable
constituents of manure are very volatile
and soluble, and, consequently, extremely
liable to be evaporated when improperly
exposed 20 the atmosphere, or to be dis
soived and washed away by the rains
when not protected from their action.
During the decomposition of substances
for the preparation of manure, valuable
gases are generated and evolved and
salts formed. Care should be taken to
preserve these from loss.
Much has been written and spoken by
Agriculturalsts about Ammonia which is
the most volatile Of all the gasses, and
among the most valuable. 1t has long
been ny impression that very little, if
any, of the Ammonia evolved during the
fermentation OF manures previous to he
ing covered up under the soil, ever bene
fits the crop directly, although snbse.
quentiy it may descend in the rain that
falls as much to the benefit of a neighbor
as ones self
This fact, j, seems to me, should point
unequlvocaliy to The Hsnner and time of
Supplying u,anures, viz: broad cast Il, he
ploughed IN IS deep IS possible when the
land is broken up in the winter Or spring.
This applies especially TO stable ane lot
tnantreS which are the chief SOURCES of
bur planters for fertilizers. When these |
inanures are so applied and in state of
ineipisnso decomposition all the gases snd
other Elements evolved from them are
Immediately absorbed by the soil and re-
tanned, to be given ont as hesdemands of
he plant seguigs. In tho case Of Hhas