The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1872-05-18
'mhe Earn.
MANURE.

This may he justly conceded as the base
of all successful farming. The great sale
which patent manures have had for the
last fifteen years. commencing with 'Peru-
Wan guano, attests how fully this fact IS
acknowledged by farmers. This theory
SO universally conceded and attempted
to be put in practice, has in a large major
ity Of cases been sadly at fault. The prac-
tice of attempting to obtain quick returns
by the indiscriminate use of concentrated
manures, has thrown the unsuspecting
farmer open to be victimiZed by dishonest
manufacturers of fertilizers; and in his con-
fidinc ignorance of the value to him of the
articles, supposing them to be genuine,
prices which could work nothing else than
his ruin, when paid even for genuine
article, have been demanded and received
by dealers in those patent nostrums. 1t
NAV be bitter sarcasm but is neverthe
less true, that the most profitable branch
of agriculture is producing fertilizers"
1t is safe to say that two-thirds ct the
manure on very nearly every farm in Cecil
county is allowed to go to waste. lteither
escapes into the air, leeches out OF the
barn yard, runs away and is lost, or is not
carefully gathered and placed in safe
place till wanted for use. Perhaps it would
be nearer the truth to say that the waste
is constantly going on through all OF these
channels. The farmer who makes one hun
dred and fifty ox-cart loads of manure a
wear in the ordinary way, if an observant
man, will readily agree that third or
fourth of the lot if selected is worth as
much as the remaining two-thirds or three
fourth, because the smaller and more val
liable portion has been made of richer feed
and protected under cover or IN the
stables. This contrast i'll the value OF
we'll protected manure points plainly
to the loss he has sustained by his sys-
tenn. or rather want of system, in TAX
ing care of what is his main reliance for
future profits in his business. To make
ND this deficiency he invests one two or
three hundred dollars in " fertilizers, CIV
ing his note perhaps for the payment when
he sells the crop he hopes to raise. In nine
eases out of ten the anticipated crop is
never realized.
Suppose in place Of investing in patent
manures, he appropriates half of the sum
to saving all the manure that is made on
his farm. A great many expensive plans
have been devised for saving manure, by
making manure tanks with pumps to pump
I'D the liquid out of the tank where it has
been by an ingenious arrangement induced
to drain, into the heap to leech back and
go through the process of pumping again.
This is in our opinion, all very useless and
expensive labor. So also is composing,
and turning and mixing the stable manure
in perhaps five times its bulk of earth, for
the ostensible purpose of rotting it and
saving the volatile particles. These ends
may all be attained with greater ease, less
expense and much more certainty by haul
ing and placing under cover in the Summer
sufficient quantity of pulverized dry
earth to keep the stable floors constantly
covered two or three inches in depth. AS
fast as the earth becomes saturated with
the weddings of the stock remove it with
the manure to sheltered place and renew
the covering of dry earth. 1t is now uni
versally known that dry earth is the best
absorbent for the purpose indicated that
can be obtained. As an absorbent for
liquid manure straw and coarse litter are
but Indifferent substitutes. With sufii-
Gent layer of dry earth to take up the
liquid weddings small quantity of straw
would suffice for bedding, and in place of
having huge pile of wet straw with suffi-
Gent manure mixed among it to make the
heap heat, a pile of closely packed, well
rotted, rich manure, of less than half the
ordinary dimensions perhaps, but contain
ing three or four times as much plant food
as the huge straw pile, would be the result
One-half the labor of transporting such
manure to the field would be saved, while
the quality would be uniform and rich and
such as all crops would Immediately take
up and assimlate.
The proper way to use straw as manure
is to haul and spread ii dry on pasture
fields. Here it serves to shade and mellow
the ground, and will increase the quantity
of grass. four fold more than when scattered
half rotted and plowed down to the bottom
Of the furrow to get it out Of the way.
This is one branch of business which
has many others equally worthy of atten-
ton.