Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-06-26

tie attention is paid 10 their production
and nse. Although the term animal ma;
mure, strictly speaking, is only such as is
formed by the excrements of animals
and the decomposition of their bodies by
different methods, it is generally applied.
to manures productivity the .excrements
of animals, and the admixture of straw,
leaves or any other vegetable matter,
used as litter. and it has received the
name of stable or yard manure. The
quality depends much upon the food given
to the cattle and upon the nature of the
litter used. The richer the food, the richer
will be the manure produced. The great
fault with nine-tenths of the farmers, is to
undervalue stable manure. and to waste
it by allowing it to remain exposed, in
small dispersed quantities, to the action
of the sun and rain, thereby allowing its
tertilizipg properties to evaporate. Cattle
should be stabbed or penned in smaller
places than is generally done. Wheat
and oat straw, Oak leaves, hay, grass or.
other vegetable matter, should be freely
used for litter. Avoid pine saw-dust or
pine shavings, all being injurious to any
land, by the resinous principle they con-
tain. Better burn them and apply their
ashes upon the land. Corn, instead of
being harvested in the manner generally
practiced by pulling off the leaves should
be cut off near the ground, and the stalks
used in making manure. Repeated expe-
rience has shown conclusively that there
is less loss by shrinkage in the grain by
being harvested in the latter mode than
by pulling the fodder. We lave in the
corn.stalks one of the best and most
abundant of raw materials to operate
with. Manure should be collected every
day or two in as large heaps. as possible
the surface madetsmooth, so as to give
as little chance for evaporation as possible
the outside covered with earth. or put
under cover. The best method is, to have
large quantities of muck or leaf mould,
or good rich earth brought'in the yard,
and the manure daily mixed with a por-
ton of it. Every load of fresh manure.
mixed with three or four .loads of Ipuck
under cover will cause each load of the
mass to become equal to its bulk of clear
manure, for purposes Of fertilization This
arises from the escaping gases given off
from the manure during fermentation,
being absorbed by the diytsor. Night
soil being produced from the richest food,
contains the largest quantity of fertilizing
principles. 1t can be used with the best
results upon all crops. Those with deli,
cate nerves can use it under the name OF
poudreae, but this article is easily pro-
duced by using liberal quantities of char
coal dust and gypsum-calsing it 10 lose
| all obnoxious smell by fixing the ammonia.
The excrements of fowls are also a
| rich fertilizer-that from pigeons being
the strongest. 1t is equal to half its guam
| tity of guano, if kept under cover. The
latter being an animal manure, ard when
pure, of a highly concentrated nature,
may be used to advantage on any land ;
but if improperly applied, it either des-
troys the crop or loses its fertilizinS prop
critics.
The purely Vegetable manures, consist
of vegetables ploughed under, in green
state. Cow-peas are one Of the best plants
at our command. Cabbages sown very
thickly come next, but Clover of Lucern
is superior to either. If Lime is con-
venient, it is advisable to spread from
thirty to fifty bushels of slaked compost
lime to the acre, before plowing the crop
in. This method, where other manures
are not obtainable, will be found an easy
and certain one to ameliorate our lands,
especially such soils as are deficient in
vegetable fibre.
One maxim should govern the progress
of the Agriculturist, and that is, that in
order to keep his land in constant state
of fertility, he must re place in fertilizlng
parts every year as he removes from it
in the form of produce; but an increase
of fertility can only be gained when more
is added than is taken away. The great
fault with our planters, is to use manure,
when used, upon land not prepared in a
form to receive it. Deep ploughing is
essential In general, all manures con-
tanning ammonia should be plowed in
the others, containing salts, should be
used asa top-dressing. The former es-
capes-the latter penetrates.-Co -Comn'unica-
ted from Transactions Of tie Richmond
County (Ga.) Ag'l Society.