Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-07-24
Manure aud Compost vs.. Science.


1t has been usually received as Sou''
doctrine. that niles oG manure IN heating
,.vo M ammonia and other gases, into the
a. uhicb were lost TO the owner of the pile.
mi. j. true Of fermenting piles not inter-
mixed with mold, or some other substance ca
pabe Of taking up nitrogenous matters, or
when only sufficiently saturated with moist
uro TO cause fermentation, if loosely piled ;
but, when tampcd hard and saturated nearly
to the dripping point this is not the case.
Many farmers who have been 10 the habit
Of wintering colts or calves loose in stables,
without cleaning, adding straw as fast as the
surface becomes wet arc aware that a slight
heat and decomposition is constantly going on.
but no gases escape, and no smell is given ofl
until it is brought into contact with the air in
being moved. If this compact manure be
kept nearly saturated it will continue to de-
compose gradually, until the whole is reduced
to a homogeneous mass.
At the Royal College Of Agriculture at
Cirenccster, England Dr.. Nocckcr has estab-
lishcd the fact that during the decomposition
Of manure in large masses the evaporation OF
ammonia goes on but slightly; for the rca-
son that during the decomposition of the ma
nure certain organic acids are formed at the
same time the ammonia is evolved, aud they
Immediately unite with the ammonia forming
non-volatile compounds. There is an active
escape Of ammonia from the interior Of large
heaps, where the heat is too great for the
chemical changes above referred to but as il
approaches the exterior part of the heap
where the heat is much less, the ammonia /,
completely taken up by the organic acids and
retained.
There will be but a triling escape Of am
monia while there is sufficient moisture TO re-
tain il, for water absorbs aud retains many
hundred times its bulk Of ammonia gas at or
binary temperatures. These non-volatil,
compounds, from being highly soluble in wa
ter, are liable to be washed away at every
rain storm, giving the well known color to
the DRAWINGS Of manure heaps
Thus it l., that true science is never at va.
rance with the experience Of the practical
man; and, to educate the practical mun tc
science, be wants onyio know wdy This j.
not to be gained from the deductions of mer'
closet scholars, or the rchash OF what Thu
class Of agricultural educators have read
The true teacher must be the experimenter al
we'll Many lessons may be learned from tn,
observation Of the ordinary farmer and clos,
observer, although he cannot tell why. I,
this end the agricultural press must continue
to be the practical teacher until technic ed
ucation in our agricultural colleges is givci
over to a class Of men who have been cduca
ted themselves to the scientific through tn
practical
England, France, Germany and some 9th
err of the European States have made prog
ress in this drec ion In the United State
we are working to this end, but the full frui
tion will not be reached until thorough
overhaulng is made OF some Of our so-calle,
agricultural teachers, who persist in teaching
what they know about farming through spec
taces made ia Greece aud Rome Science
is TRUTH but it is not therefore patent tina
the mere reader Of science is its proper teach
er.- Vermont Farmer.