Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-10-27

FERTILIZING MATTER FURNISHED BY 4
FAMILY.

Mr. Alexander Hyde in letter to the
New York Times says: hoeeaa
1--WE sometimes hear persons living in
villages or the subrbus of cities, aud keep
ing no stock. complain that they have NO
resource for fertilizers. They have gar.
den spot, but no means to enrich 1t. We
always pity the ignorance of such COM
planners. Having an abundance of fertil-
izing material, they know it not. Every
family of half dozen persons must fur
nish from the chambers, the kitchen, and
laundry, to say nothing of the water closet,
sufficient material. if it is only rightly
managed, to dress richly an acre of land.
If the night soil is included, two acres can
be kept in good heart by every family,
even ii there is not COW or chicken on
the premises. 4r
With the conviction that few Yankee
farmers fully economize these sources Of
fertility, we dislike to dissent from any
statement of their value But we must
say that Mr.. Hyde's estimate is mach
higher than we think facts will warrant,
and that his statement sparkles with gilt
tering generalities. rather than with the
facts of practical experiences. Two acres
OF land contain 81 ,120 square feet of sur
face. Divide this by 365, the number OF
days in year, and we have 239 square
feet or very nearly square rod of land,
to be richly dressed by one days accumu-
lations from a family of six persons,
without COW OF chick on the premises"
Mr.. Hyde is speaking of garden.
What is implied by "richly dressing"
single acre of land for gardening opera
tions? Mr.. Henderson, in his book on
Gardening for Profit" remarks that few
persons not experienced in the business
have any conception of the immense GUAM
tity of manure necessary to produce profit
able crops. He says, "of stable or barn
yard manure, from fifty to one hundred
tons per acre are used"
Some Of our neighbors are engaged in
market gardening. In conversation with
one of them we were told that an acre in
grass is prepared for growing vegetables
something in this way Plough in the fall
as deep as the soil, ETC., will allow. The
next spring apply at least ten cords. not
loads, of horse stable manure and ten
loads of night soil. The first year raise
cabbages. The second year plant to
squashcs, with not less than six cords of
good manure. The third year it will an
swer for ''vegetables' and twelve cords OF
manure should be applied. 4s;e
al tuio AOA OuC sSICv iOt tWO. III NI.
Hyde's story of richly fertilizing two acres
by every family of half dozen persons is
not several times too large, it is great
pity that he did not tell more particularly
how it can be done.
Probably the failure of families in villa
ges and suburbs of cities in their garden
ing operations are largely owing to the
fact that the land is not properly manured.
In many cases large amount of labor is
so poorly rewarded that faith in garden
ing is lost, and vegetables, etc.. are pur-
chased from those who have learned that
the last cord of manure is the one that
gives them the profit they realize on their
business. Manure is costly, and every
source of fertility should be carefully hus-
banded; but to the New England garden
er manure is as essential rs clay is to the
brickmaker.-NeU England Farmer.