Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-11-20

Organic matters "a
Inorganic or ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. -. 559
10000
The same rotted, contains
Walcr.
Organic mattert.
Inorganic matter. QUO
10000
A compost heap, in the making of which
much straw, leaves, &c., is used Gas is custom
ary) would contain still larger quantities of
organic matter, the chief ingredient of the
same being woody fibre.
Taking an average of the two analyses
above-water and organic matter (maiuy
woody 6bre) form about SO per cent. Of the
whole weight of ordinary barn-yard manure
therefore, 80 per cent. or more of the
labor of handling and applying said sub.
stance must be charged against these two
things. 1t is eminently fit and proper, there
fore, to inquire if organic matter cannot be
supplied to land more cheaply, through some
other means, than through barn-yard manure
and composts orif the weight and bulk of
the latter might not, without detriment, be
reduced, which would amount to the same
thing. Farmers generally use every effort
to increase the quantity or bulk of their barn.
yard manure by additions of straw, leaves,
&c. As "a matter of sound economy, may not
the practice be bad one? The use of COM
mercial fertilizers has shown that the essen
tial things needed by crop, may occupy a
very small bulk-100 lbs. of good fertili
zer producing results equivalent to several
loads, or many thousand pounds, of harn-yard
manure. But the history of their use has
also shown that it is only in connection with
vegetable matter in the soil, that commercial
fertilizers produce their best results. Vegeta-
Bile matter is indispensable grant that full
ly and freely. The problem now before us is,
whether soils can be most cheaply supplied
with it, through bulky barn-yard manure, or
by some some other means. If it can be
done at less expense and trouble by other
means, then sound economy demands that
barn yard manure should be made as concen-
trated as possible to diminish the expense of
handling it.
A judicious rotation of crops will keep up
an abundant supply of humus. A small
grain crop, once in three years, will do it, pro-
vided the land is not pastured after harvest.
We may remark, in passing, that some simple
and cheap contrivance- which farmers
generally might obtain-for harvesting the
heads of small grain, whilst leaving the straw
upon the land, is great desideratum. We
have heard of some such machines, but pre-
sumo they are not adapted to general use.
Another indirect means is to cease the al
most universal and greatly to be deprecated
habit of pasturng cultivated fields The
stems, leaves, &C., Of the crops, would 60 far
toward supplying land with humus, but for
their being removed by COWS or other animals
after the crops have been gathered TO real
ize the full benefit, however, of the stalks,
&C., they should not be left on the land, as is
general done, but should be nicely ploughed
under after the manner of green crop. We
greatly need some cheap, expeditions meth.
cd of burying the unharvested portion of
crops-some attachment to plough, for in
stance, by which stalk might be cut down
and thrown into the last furrow, to be cover
ed up by the next turrow slice. The practice
of piling and burning the refuse matter was
short-sighted, but it was an expression of the
necessity of getting such matter out of the
way that the land might be put in good condi-
tion for subsequent crops. How much better
to bury it out of sig hit and make it serve to
fertilize the following crop. In the last place,
if neither of the above suggestions are conve-
nient or practicable in any given case, green
crop (pea or clover) might be raised for the
specific purpose of producing humus.
The reader will please observe that the first
plan suggested involves no expense which can
properly be charged against the humus.
Leaving the humus question out of view, the
need of food for farm stock, the guarding
against washing Of the soil, &C., make it sound
policy to SOW down our cultivated lands at
least once in three years. The practice has
been too common of late to run the same
land in cotton year after year. A careful
observer informs us, that in his experience
land thus farmed, showed marked symptoms
of decline after the third year.
The second suggestion-keeping stock off
the land-likewise involves no expense to be
charged against humus. The injury done the
land by the treading of stock in wet weather,
and the additional labor required to bring
the land into good tilth again, Gas compared
with that not pastured) more than offset all
the value of pasturage.
The third suggestion-a green crop to be
turned under to supply humus- involves
some expense, but decidedly less than the
handling, hauling and distribution Of an
equal amount of that substance in barn-yard
manure or compost. A pea crop for such
purpose, on one acre, would sum up: the val
ue of one and a half bushels of seed, the SOW
ing of the same one breaking up of the land,
and perhaps one ploughing with a sweep.
The turning under may be left out, inasmuch
as barn yard manure would have to be plough
ed under also. Now suppose that the pea
vines on the acre would, if cured, make 1000
lbs. hay-75 per cent or 1900 lbs. of it would
be transforming matter, or as much as
would be contained in some $500 lbs. of barn
yard manure-say loads. What it would
cost to load up, haul, unload and scatter even
ly over an acre of ground, 6 loads of barn
yard manure, let each one estimate for him
self. Thee Expense would vary, of course, with
the distance to be hauled, the lumpiness OF
the manure, &C., &C., but we imagine that
in any case, it would exceed that of the pea
vines.
We conclude, that as far as practicable, it is
better to concentrate barn-yard manure, than
to dilute it with leaves, straw or other humus- :
forming substances, and to keep up good
supply of humus through other means-such
as frequent recurrence of small grain crops
in onr rotations-keeninp stock off of cultiva- !