Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1867-08-23
MANUREs FOR THE GARDEN

'aoS IL us, lhaL no mater how rich and
suitable our soil, when we commence to
raise crops and remove the produce, it will
become gradually unproductive. The reasons
for this result have been fully stated, and
are questioned by no intelligent cultivator
We need not here enter upon the demon
stration of this fact; our purpose is to offer
few hints upon the best method of Oh.
Waiting this exhaustion of the soil. The
active soil has been found to contain a
certain number of essential elementary
constituents; these exist in very various
proportions in different soils. The absence
OF any of them, however, renders the fer.
tility doubtful. The entire want of the least
OF these elementary parts, is held to be dis.
astrous to the cutivator. In cases where
less than the average exists of any ore Of
these, say magnesa iron, or even magma
nese, and that We plant crop which takes
up large proportion Of these particular
constituents, we may unwittingly render
our soil unproductive in single season.
How carefully then should we ascertain the
nature OF the soil, and the nature of the crop
1T is to bear, so that we may replace the
waste OF any special ingredient. Nor, to
accomplish this, is there any necessity that
we should be expert chemists. We have
the teachings of experience to show us that
a0eN composted 6arn-yard manure, proper.
ly applied, will return to soil almost all
the principles required; little lime or salt,
may. at times, be desirable, as an addition.
al application-but the use of these is
pretty we'll understood. We might With
safety, affirm that 10 soils Of average quail
''y' sufficient annual dressing Of barn yard
manure would prove a prcserva,ive of
fertility, provided, always, that the funda-
mental principles Of good culture ale COM
Piled with and carried out. There are,
nevertheless, circumstances and cases. where
special applications of manures are produc-
tive OF increased fertility, and where even
oarn-yard manu- re should be 80 prepared az
10 correspond with the texture ofthe soil.
There are contingencies, also, where the
iavorite material is beyond the reach of the
cutiVator at the time required; in these
cases, concentrated fertilizers, such as pow
deretts, super phosphate, guano, bone.ma-
nure, and other manufactured substances,
may be substituted, if procured of good
quality and applied skilfully. A compost
prepared by tue cultivator, in good season,
and made upof fresh, unexhaueted loamy
turf, decayed leaves, cow-droppings and
stable litter, with such LIQUID matter as to
be procured in the barn. yard, together with
proportion Of fully-driel swamp muck,
weeds and refuse, rotted or burned; and, in
fact, any such material as farm or garden
affords; such compost is Of more value to
to the kitchen gardener, when kept for a
sufficient time to renderils decomposition
certain, than any other manure he can ap
ply, especially for Fastening his succession o
vegetables as it is all important that the ma
ter'al employed impart the requisite slim
uant at once.
There is much to be said in regard TO th.
requirements ofcertain soils and certain crops
In this place we shall content ourselye.
with remarking that soil newly broken up
VIII not the first produce variety Of vege-
tables in perfection, though it may be ricl
in all the necessary elements. 1t require
commixture and communion of its par.i-
cles, will, free access Of air and water. ]
heavy clay, it will require several season.
to pulver'ze it. If sandy soil, it will re
quire the addition of some tenacious mate
rial, such AS clay, or very fully decompose.
barn-yard manure, and muck.
Fresh loan is, perhaps, soil most readi
ly reduced to fit state for general crops. ]
the soil it tenacious, do not apply in de
, composed state;let the litter be fresh 80 tina
it may decompose 10 the soil, producing
combustion, and consequently, melior alton @
the cohesive properties of the soil. Fo
such soil, guano, or similar fertilizers ar
= much inferior to litter. Some vegetable
J dislike fresb'manure in close coutsct will
their roots. Such are the carrot. parsni
pea, and Others; there are many which vii
: not succeed in the absence of rich and high
ly'stimulating material, as cabbage, ohion'
leek, celery, dc. Some of these are pal
tial to particular soils, also and several de
mand special routine or culture differer