The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-01-28
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railways afords Us pleasure to be
able to present judicious articles upon
the Important subject Of manuies,
their proper economy, &C. The fol-
lowing, bearing upon some Of these
facts, will be read with interest snd
profit. The hints thrown out should
be carefully considered and improved
by every farmer, as they are practical
in character, and in one form or other
are susceptible Of almost daily appli-
cation: - s"'''
"The best method Of using stable or
barnyard manure for corn or potatoes,
is to to haul IL freshly from tie cellar
IN the condition i'm which it rests in the
vaults spread it upon the plowed
6e@dy and hAspess-it-iss- witls-A Retat-
ing harrow. This is what is called
long manufe,s and Is a form which,
according to the opinions of many far
-mers, is unsuited to immediate use !;
also, it is objected, that in spreading
fresh manure upon p.0wed fields and
covering it only specifically with
earth, much of it is lost by erap0ra-
ton or more correctly speaking, GER
tain volatile, gaseous constituents rise
on the breeze, and are waited away.
Incur view both of these notions are
incorrect. The cxcrement of animals
must undergo kind of fermentation,
or putrcfaetiye change, before it is as
simulated by. plants, and it is better
that this be carried forward in the
field, as there it is in contact with the
soil, which is greedy to absorb all the
producers or the chemical change. Gre
ativc power has sbestowed upon dry
earth prOdigiOus absOrptive capabili-
tiles. If lump vf fresh manure as
large as a peck measure is placed up
on a ploughed field uncovered, and
allowed to ferment or decay in the
open air, the absorptive powers Of the
earth are such, that it will actually
attract t0,calds At ammoniacal and
other gases, aud thus rob the atmos-
phere of its natural and volatile prin-
ciples. A film of earth, no thicker
than the rind of an orange, placed
over lump of manure, will effectual-
ly prevent loss of mauuriil products,
under all possible circumstances. 1t
will be agreed then, that a harrow is
equally as effective as plough i'm pro-
tecting manure in the open field. II
is better 10 have the manure near the
surface, as the rains can reach it, and
dissolve the soluble salts, and by per-
collation. carry them dozen to the hun
CRY roots of plants. Long manure is
not lost when deeply turned under by
the plough, but the farmer does not
secure the whole value Of his dressing
under this mode of treatment in any
case, and OH some soils is most seri-
GUS one. In the process of soap-mak-
ing, it becomes necessary to set up
leach. Now, the farmer will not at
tempt to exhaust the tub of ashes of
its potash by forcing water into the
bottom and dipping the liquid off from
the TOP. The natural percolating or
eXhausting process is doUnrards, in
accordance with the laws of gravity.
The soluble alkalies and salts are
driven dOwnwards, and in the case of
the leach we must have vessel ready
to receive them at the bottom, and in
the case of the same substances leach
ed from manure, we must have the
manure so placed that plant roots will
be at hand to absorb them before they
pass beyond their reach.
Manure is never so valuable as
when it is fresh. 1t then holds i'm as
ISOLATION not only all the fixed soluble
substances, natural to the solid excre-
ment. but much that is of great value
found only in the liquid. 1t is in a
condition to quickly undergo chemi-
cal change, and the gaseous, ammOni-
acal products secured are double those
resulting from that which has been
weathered in heap out of doors for