, 1874-12-12
The Danish screw frigate "Jylland,"
Captain Sch6nheyder sailed from Ports
mouth for st. Thomas on the 18th last
month.-(Europ. Ma1)
To the Editor of the St. Croix Avis.
Mr.. Editor.


ing on agriculture are kept here, it might
not be without interest to som Of your
readers to see in your paper now and
then the opinions of distinguished English
and Danish agriculturists on important
agricultural questions, such as that of the
preparation, preservation and use of stable
manure, on which subject l beg leave to-
day to call attention to the following:
1t is a trite observation to assert that
stable manure represents great values.
On an ordinary farm in England OF about
400 acres, where the greater part
of the straw and a considerable quantity
of nutritious food is given the Stock, it
is valued at upward of $4,000, calculated
according to the value of artificial fertiIi-
zers. But if this manure is treated in the
ordinary manner, it loses about one half
OF its value. According to analyses by
professor VOelcker there are found in
fresh stable manure of organic matter
76 90 insOlubIe in water, ald about
O.44 Q 10 nitrogen in soluble form. but
when it has fermented there are SO Oh
insoluble and 121 oo soluble nj
trogen. Therefore fermented stable
manure has so much greater and more
powerful effect, but, on the other hand,
fermenfed manure is also much more ex-
posed to loss by lixlviation, which must
therefore as much as possible, be guarded
against. When the manure is fermented,-
and that it will be in this climate in the
course of a %month-the quantity Of solu-
Bile plant-food is no longer increased, even
if it be left for several months, but if
it is left for ever so short q time after
fermentation in the ordinary dung-hiIls,
it loses in that time a considerable part
of its value. According to researches
by professor Voelcker the soluble plant
feeding elements in the manure was,
after 9 months, reduced so oo and the
nitrogen SO Oh, and after the expiration
of a year SO 8 10. Of the soluble min
eral matters 1855 do were reduced to
1878 oo in the period from November to
April. A great many experiments made
in open pens in England prove, that by
keeping the manure in them through the
wet and hot seasons, the greater part
of the available plant food contained in
it disappears, and by researches made
on the water that drains off, it has been
shown that the loss caused is by Iixi.
Walton. An investigation made by Ritz.
hansen showed that the soil 81 inches
below a dung heap contained double
the quantity Of soluble mineral matter
the dung itself contained.
The loss by evaporation is not so great,
and can be wholly prevented by spreading
a thin layerof soil on the manure.
Another experiment made by pro-
lessor Way deserves to be noticed. He
compared the manure produced in box
with that produced in an open pen, and
found in strongly fermented, dryed manure
the following proportions.
Produced in Box. Produced in Pen;
Nitrogen--Ammonia 2. 81 40
Organic matters solu-
BILE in water ......6 6. ~ I.32
Phosphoric acid do do 0.30 OPS
AlkaIies do. d.. 200 O.8O
1t is consequently very profitable to
produce manure in box. To obtain as
much as possible from the manure, stables
should be arranged in the following man
ner:
Pens like those now common here
should be dug a couple feet deep and
be laid in the bottom with a substance