Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-07-03
General 99rituIture.
CHARCOAL AS AN AMENDMENT.

WANT sOuc OT6ablSe vi Jnc Virtue, Cncinl"
cal properties and proper application of
charcoal as applied to land. My soil is
light, sandy loan, aud can procure 100
loads Of charcoal dust at little or no expense
except drawing II milcs.-[Thos Rodgers,
Lewis Co., N. II.
We find the foregoing inquiry in the NeD
York Tribune, together with the following
reply by Prof. s. W. johnson, Of New Ha-
ven
Tho "treatlse" may appropriately begin
with collection Of testimony on the observ-
ed effects of charcoal, according to the expe-
rience Of farmers. In my lectures on Fer
tilizersj have been in the habit of stating
at the outset that practical experience as
serts of every manure that it is good, that it
is bad, and that it is Indifferent. L have al
so said that simple practice can never get
beyond this point, but must always 60 on
cOntradieting itself--must mailtain an end
less controversy as to the facts Of the action
Of fertilizers, and that science only can rec
oncile the contradictions OF experience by
searching out the reasons why charcoal, for
example, hore or now works benelicially, and
there or then manifests no effect, or even
operates dctrimentaly. After presenting
some statements from those who have used
charcoal as an application to land, l will at
tempt such explanations as the studies Of
scientific men enable me to offer.
Testimony.-In The Albany Cultivator
for 1874, pages 46 and 1873, Mr.. Il. l.. Pel
stated that he had used charcoal and moth
ing else as a dressing for land, at the rate of
52 bushels per acre. and had thereby OBJ
tanned wheat at the rate of 7SS bushels per
acre. The value OF this experiment is much
diminished by the fact, detailed on page lag
Of The CmtiUator for 1917, that the plot of
ground measured but two rods, and the
wheat harvested amounted to only 3lJ
quarts. In the same volume, page IA, it Is
stated, cditorially, that eve have often seen
used the dust from beds where charcoal has
been made. THIS dust consists of fine bits
of wood covered with the earth, with which
the wood is mixed in the process of charring.
1t is frequently used for corn, putting some,
say two or three quarts, in each hill at the
time OF planting. 1t is also sometimes spread
on grass land, and we have generally noticed
that its effects were very favorable. Crops
are generally better, except, perhaps, for the
first year or two, on the beds where coal pits
have been for several years" Again. page
pa, correspondent says: "My farm was,
in the earliest settlement of the country,
owned by man who burned charcoal, aud |
find on those old beds always large wheat
and bright straw, even if the rest Of the
field is poor, rusted and shrunk; and, in
fact, all kinds Of grain on these coal beds are
good"
In the same Journal for 1S45, page 1875,
mention is made of an increase of the grass
crop "of nearly one half" during a period
of thirteen years, "wherc dry dust and fine
coal" from charcoal bed had been strewn
over meadow.
In The CultiUator for 1S47, page 300, is
the statement Of l.. Ollie, of Ohio, that "ho
had sown wheat on piece of ground three
times, in each case with failure. Charcoal
dust Quantity not stately was applied in
manure, and the succeeding crop was %
bushels per acre Of very fine and plump
wheat"
In the same journal for 1S49 John W.
Bailey, Of Plattsburgh, gives details Of ex-
periments on potatoes, which were all treat
w WIN a ihOuOldlO NhtuhlbJ Va VNA-lObNSu
manure, and n portion Of them with char
coal dust from the coal house Of an iron
works. From row without charcoal he
obtained 80 bbs., and from three rows
dressed with charcoal he got 81, 80, and
35I bbls. of potatoes, respectively.
In Watson's Survey of Essex County,
published in The Transactions of the New
York Agricultural Society for 1852 and
1867, we read, "In the midst of the disas-
trous drouth OF the last summer, while cross
ing field in Moriah, occupied by Mr.. Rich
mOnd observed lot thickly strewn with
pulverizcd charcoal, which presented a rich
verdure strongly contrasting with the blight
ed aspect of the adjacent field. The land is
loamy. The refuse charcoal from an iron
furnace was applied in September and Octo-
Der, 1850, at the rate of 1000 bushels per
acre, to five acres, at cost Of $40. The
effect was immediate. The grass lreshened,
and continued green and luxuriant after the
surrounding fields were blackencd by the
been so uniavorabe, Mr.. Richmond realized
onc.third more than the ordinary yield OF
hay, and sufficient to repay the whole out
lay"
In succeeding paragraphs it is stated that
the Hon. j S. Whallon used charcoal dust
to the extent of $50 loads annually for sew
cral years on light, loamy, and clay soils for
"most favorable" Wheat was increased five
bushel per acre on strong clay. Potatoes
escaped the rot, and hay was more than an
average crop, and always of the finest quail
ty. Again, Mr., Ralph asserts that "as a
top-dressing for meadows, charcoal dust, to-
gether with burnt soil and ashes left on old
charcoal pit bottoms, has added at least one
third to the hay crop"
Another correspondent of The CnltiUator
for 1858, page 374, confirms the good ef-
fects of charcoal in preventing detrment
from drouth In Scotland and England
record has been published of similar good
results from the use of charcoal dust.
On the other hand Mr.. Solon Ramsdell, of
Elmira, N. Y, states (Cultipator, 1847,
page l47,) that he prepared a piece Of
eight acres of turf ground by summer fallOw-
ing, and about the LIST September had 600
bushels of charcoal ground, intending to COW
or the whole; it was, however, put on about
three -lourths Of the lot. He found, also, 30
bushels of charcoal dust in timers shanty
which saturated with urine) was added,
making l05 bushels per acre. 1t had no Of.
feet as manure. The following year the
ground was planted with corn no percepti.
Bile effect whatever. The soil is clay loam
From this testimony it appears that
charcoal has an excellent effect on light land
deficient in attractiveness for moisture, es.
pocially in dry seasons. This is due to its
great pOrosity and absorbent power for va
por of water. AS is we'll known, charcoal
takes up large amount of water when kept
in a cool, damp cellar--becomes, in fact, SC
wet that it is difficult to set it on fire. On
soil already microscopic from presence ol
clay or humus, or in wet seasons, it has, OF
course no good effect from this quality. Or