Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-09-04
.farm and 4unsthuid.



W. 6,,,uentlv notice articles In our
Agricultural exchanges urging the impor.
tance of composing manures Excepting /
In few special cases where an Immediate /
and concentrated effect is essential. we |
cannot appreciate this Importance. For
all ordinary and general purposes the soil
Of the field is the best possible compost for
coarse manure-that is TO say--it Is beat to
spread the manure upon the field as soon
as Il is sufficiently reduced to be turned
under by the plow, provided II Is turned
under Immediately, or very soon.
Our reason for this preference Is, that a
large amount of ammonia is thus saved TO
the soil and the crop, which in the process
OF fermentation and decay in the compost
heap, escapes into the air and is lost; and
when we remember that large portion Of
plant food consists of nitrogen and that
this is supplied TO the plant in the form of
ammonia, and that ammonia Is the product
of decay, the reason for this preference
will be obvious. II Is not the well.rotted
manure 80 much that furnishes this indis-
pensable element of growth as the very
process OF rotting. II is true that the rot
ted manure will, when we'll incorporated
with the soil, aid II In absorbing ammonia
and other fertilizing substances from the
atmosphere and rains, with which II comes
in contact; but this IL will do Just as we'll
II rotted in the soil instead of the compost
heap, so that all the ammonia II furnishes
during the process OF decay Is clear gain
to the crops.
Another advantage of applying raw
manure and plowlng Il In, Is its me.
chanical effect upon the soil In rendering
1t porus and friable. Let any one try the
experiment In his garden by spading in
deep, heavy coat Of coarse manure. He
will experience marked effect upon the
vegetables, especially during the latter
part OF tho same season, and the following
spring he will not fail to observe the
changed condition Of the soil, particularly
If II is naturally stiff and heavy. Instead
of spading upin heavy tenacious clods and
Jumps which refuse 10 be pulverlzed, II
will fall to powder almost as IL drops from
the spade
The philosophy of this effect seems to
be that the coarse texture of the manure
as 1t decays under the soil, not only com.
municates its gases to the surrounding soil,
but leaves multitudes of cavities In the
soil for the introduction of air and the alb.
sorption of the gases II contains, all Of
which tend to disintegrate the particles Of
soil so that II will readily pulverize when
stirred. Even animal manures when they
can be properly distributed through the
soil, will do far more for vegetation If com
posted by plowing in than by composing
in the heap. The farmers along the coast
of New England use the whitefish extern
sivelv for manure These are not so large
but they may be tolerably well distributed,
and they spread them on their fields as
soon as caught, and work them into the
soil; and if any one doubts that In the
process of decomposition they furnish
large amount of fertilizing gas, let him
pass through one of their cornields In a
hot day in August and he will be satisfied
from the effluvia that arises from the few
that are hut partially covered If these
fishes were composted in the heap they
would doubtless communicate much Of
their fertilizing properties to other sub.
stances with which they were mixed; but
1t is equally certain that much would be
lost. -E.
Bones, which require n strong chemical
agency tn decompose Them and the tis
sues of large animals which cannot CON
veniently be distributed in their organ
lied state, are proper subjects for the com
post.
As before intimntcd there are few cases
in which fine manure il essential, and
those are confined mostly to- the garden,
and in these cases II is worth while To sub.
nit to the inevitable losses Incl, 'ent To the
compost heap, and in preparing It, mate
rials should be selected, ms far as practic-
able, which most require that kind of treat.
ment.- Wisconsin, Farmer