Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1867-09-18

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gas encountered in our stables and known
by its pungent and offensive smell. Scat
tered in these nauseous places, it renders
them as sweet and the air as pure as in
our parlors, while it fixes and saves to US
this ammonia, the vital essence Of ma
nure. Thus is the health Of our laborers
and work animals essentially promoted,
by the very means which improves so.
materially the quality of our manure.
Plaster is not found among US that |
know Of, but it can be procured at the
North on reasonable terms. After plaster,
peat is probably most useful in our stables
and pens. Through not disinfector, it
absorbs largely and combines with am
monia. 1t has been applied to soils in
the different forms of ashes, compost, and
in its natural state, and where deficiency
of vegetable matter exists, is highly SER
viceable in all. But it is preferable to
US as compost, as it is scarcely abundant
enough to supply the desired quantity of
ashes, and requires q long period for de-
cay in its natural condition. Swamp mud
or muck, when well dried, is in many re-
Fspects superior to peat, as it is more
finely divided, more soluble, contains o
larger proportion of earthly salts, and alb
serbs equally as we'll. We possess rich
mines Of this material, which it becomes
us to work as early as practicable. 1t
should be dpge out and piled to dry, at
least six months before it is used for any
purpose.
Red clay has an affinity for ammonia,
and dried, absorbs remarkably, while in
its burnt state or reduced to ashes, which
is done on grand scale in other conn-
tries, it resembles lime in its mechanical
effects, and supplies various salts essen
tial to vegetation, and which are rendered
soluble by the burning. Leaves and
straw, in proportion to their weight, fur
nish a. large amount of alkaline salts, and
absorb freely the liquids of the farm. yard.
They are abundant about as and in gen.
eral use. Cornstalks are not only excel
lent absorbents for our heaps, but, con-
taining a large proportion of. silicate of
potash, an essential manure, should be
carefully preserved. Mari, in addition
to its other advantages, is likewise an ex
celEent material for our compost heaps
and stables; when'it begins to operate it
stimulates powerfully the process of de
composition, and also absorbs noxious
gases, since experience proves, that it
renders stables more healthy for animals
In some parts of this county Bommer's
patent system of making manure has
been adopted with eminent sue ess. This
method should not have been patented,
and it is not certain that the patent is
valid. The plan was systemized by Jauf
fret in France, but has been more or less
practiced in all ages and countries. 1t
is simply mode of composing, little
more expensive and laborious than those
in common use, by which the raw mate
rial is much more rapidly carried through
the process of fermentation. There is
no magic about it, but still it merits a.
tention, and perhaps is worth the reduced
price now asked for it. On small plan
lations it can certainly be employed with
great effect, and possibly on large ones
Yet, as time and labor cannot always be
conveniently spared to collect at once the
large quantity Of materials required
without counting the money cost of some
of them-while our ordinary compost
heaps may be built up by gradual addi-
tions during the year; it is question.
whether We could not excite fermentation
sufficiently by pouring into the heaps the
liquids of the yard and stable, mixed
with mari or plaster, and loosening the
piles to admit the air, at the same time
render the manure good enough for all
practical purposes.
But if we are at length convinced and
the times ought at least to have induced
this conviction, that it is cheaper to raise
our own meat than to bring it across the
mountains, and have fully resolved to
make the trial, our hog and other pens
will supply the most considerable portion
Of our manure, and of the most valuable
kinds that are known. From this source
we have heretofore derived little or no
benefit. The few hogs reared among US.
with some exceptions, are usually turned
into scanty range, with scarce food
enough to preserve life, until shortly be.
fore killing They are then allowed the
run of pea fields, often picked over, and
an increased supply of corn to give
streak of fat. Excepting the straw for
bedding, which absorbs something by
accident, no manure whatever is collect
ed. And under such treatment hog
rarely weighs $50 lbs. at a year old. The
plan should be changed we should pen
all our hogs and feed them regularly the
year round. This course has been adopt
ed successfully at the North and partially
practiced with profit by certain Planters
in both our adjoining States. Thus en-
closed and attended, hogs have been
known to exceed 500 lbs. at year old,
and to increase for short periods as rapid
ly as 3 lbs. per day, while each hog, when
amply supplied with straw, peat, rotten
wood or charcoal and other raw materials,
has manufactured in the year as much as
two cords or over 200 bushels of excel
lent manure. Thus, the manure alone
would pay for the feeding, and the in
crease Of flesh over the ordinary accumu-
lation from the means have described,
would be nett gain. Taken from our
range, hogs will consume more in fatten.
ing too, than they would under judicous
treatment in pens, during the whole year;
and hy enclosing. they would he kent nnt