The Republican journal., 1873-04-24
Farm, Garden, and Household,


"In addition to the natural and artificial
sources already specified, from which di-
rectlv or indirectly, manures are obtained,
there is another class of manureS to which
the term artificial may be exclusively ap-
piled. They consist Individually of different
substances mixed in various proportions
according to the special purposes to which
the are to be applied, and according also to
the theoretical opinion Of those who com
pound them. Thus we have one variety
specially compounded topromote the growth
of root crops, such as turnipS, mangold-
wurZel, kohl rabi, carrots, parsnipS &c, in
which phosphoric acid always occupies
d prominent position, Another variety,
whose principal ingredient is nitrogen,
either in the form of ammonia combined
with an acid, or of nitric acid united with
alkaline base, is manufactured and sold for
the purpose Of increasing the growth and
yield of cereal crops; while a third kind of
manure, composed principally of gypsum
and salt. is considered to be peculiarly
adapted to the growth of leguminous crops.
There are also various other sorts, said by
their inventors to be composed of every
substance known from analysis to constitute
the food of plants, and hence conectured
10 be adapted TO ali crops, altogether ire
spectivt of soil and climate
We shall now proceed to the special OBJ
lect OF the present remarks, namely, the
management of farm yard manure, and also
of such other manures AS call the farmers
art and skill into requisiton. Farm yard
manure, property speaking, is the residual
produce ot all vegetable substances employ
ed in the feeding and littering of the vari-
Gus kinds of live stock kept within the pre-
cincts of 4 tarm-steading. Along with this
may also be included all kinds of manure
made by horses, cows, pigs, in towns and
villages. Farm-yard manure, therefore, con
tains all the elements or substance of the
food or litter consumed by live stock except
those which are assimiiated by the animal
and converted into flesh, bones, milk, &c.
The quantity and quality of manure so made
vary according to the mode pursued in con-
suming the food and litter. If much fodder
and litter be used, and a small amount of
green food (turnips angold-wurzels, and
other roots) consumed, as in the case of
wintering young stock, the manure will be
large in quantity, but inferior in quality. If
both straw and green food be ahundantlv
supplied, the manure will be both bulky and
Of good quality. If. however, we add to
plenty of straw and green food, large
amount of grain or oil cake, the quality of
the MANURE is so greatly improved as to be
considered by some more than equivalent for
any loss sustained from feeding so expensive
food. Again the circumstances under which
the food and litter are consumed very mate
rally affect the quality Of the manure.
Thus if consumed in open courts, [harn-
Yards) the manure necessarily contains a
large quantity of rain water, which, if not
absorbed by Il corresponding supply of dry
litter must pass through and away from it,
thus dissolving ont much soluble matter,
and, as matter of course, greatly dcterior-
ating the quality of the manure. No doubt
this liquid may be collected in tanks and
preserved from loss; still it is much oftener
allowed to run to waste, while the solid
manure is so greatly diminished in quality
that much greater quantity is required to
produce results equal to those obtained from
manure made under cover.
The most perfect mode of making ma
nure, is that practiced by Mr. Mechi of Tip
treehall- The whole of his cattle, sheep and
pigs are kept under cover, on spared dat
ticed) wooden flooring, which permits their
droppings to fall through the opening into
cellars or chambers beneath In order to
accomplish this more etfectually, the straw
Is cut up into short lengths, saturated with
liquid oil-cake, or linseed, and growing
gram, and in this way used solely as food,
no bedding being required. This system
has been assaied by a host Of writer's, in no
measured terms, as preposterous in every
point OF view, as expensive in its working,
and unsatisfactory in its results and con-
trary to the nature of animals so fed These
points OF course must be decided not by the
ory, but by prolonged experience; and,
probably, it would be better to delay iudg-
ment in such matters until personal expert
ence of trustworthy and competent pract-
cal men has furnished sufficient data to
argue the matter fairly. With regard to
that point, which lies in the way of this
article namely, the value made by Mr.
Meechl'S plan, it appears to the writer q
self-evident proposition, that the manure so
obtained must, from the absence of any
thing like active fermentation, be superior
to all other kinds derived from the ordinary
modes pursued, just i'll proportion to the
loss sustained from fermentation hv one or
the other of these. The quantities is now
recognized as a tolerably accurate test of its
value, so that any mode which S most
efectual i'll preventing its escape is to be
considered the best.
Manure made from Mr.. Mechis system
and the hox-feeding system, although very
different in mechanical condition, is vet so
far similar in construction in this respect
that the ammonia is prevented from escap-
Ing. In the former it is the latent and nom
volatile state, while in the latter, although
In more developed condition, vet the
treading to which the manure is subjected
has the mechanical effect of retaining it in
the manure. The former manure is in the
form OF a thick poultce-like mass without
much smell; while box-manure is usually
rank, unctious, and bulky when turned
over, emitting a highly disagreeable odor.
These different conditions have a consider
able influence in determining the valne
OF Such in