The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-07-31
s'Iske Eta
THE MANURE QUESTION.


From proceedings of Gunpowder Ag-
ricultural Club.
An article from the pen of Joseph
Harris, in the AMERICAN AGRICULTURE
IsT, was read 1t aims to prove that
liberal feeding and keeping more stock
will afford nitrogen and phosphoric acid
at far cheaper rate than by purchasing
artificial manure 1t formed text for
remarks to about the following effect:
The propensity of farmers to resort
to the meretricous expedient ofemploy-
ing commercial fertilizers in wholesale
way in their agricultural operations, is
sad evidence of their want of foresight
and deliberation. They listen too will
ingly to the 10 here! and 10 there syren
as she promises to relieve them ofsome
hard labor and hard thinking promises
a short road to large crop: SO they
grasp yearly at straws, each clutch
sinking them deeper at the reaction
There is abundant proof that too much
of their money goes into cheap dryers,
and that they pay high wages for the
labor employed in manipulation. The
English and Germans manage more
wisely, and employ chemists to test con
stantlv the fertilizers they use But
chemistry is at best a mysterious science,
even to its dcvotees. 1t is therefore
best for the farmer, whose slim margin
of profit will bear no clipping down, to
adopt that plan for securing nitrogen
and phosphate which offers him these
at least expense and with greatest GER
tainty. This plan has been often in
dictated, and that, too by English as well
as American writers, and possibly on
the ground that the violent action of
vitrio in dissolving bone may be at the
expense of portion of its efficacy.
But granting that it performs its office
without injury or loss of the valuable
fertilizing elements of the bone, the plan
alluded to not only preserves to GER
tainty the bones agricultural constitu-
ents, but also largely increases the farm
er's manure stock, giving him the very
best and cheapest kind of plant food
accessible, while he keeps in his own
pocket the extravaganza cost of manipula-
ton which the professional manufac-
turer makes him pay.
Grazing cattle and the growth of the
tracted the phosphate from the soil,
and, unless this is restored, of course
production diminishes. The phosphate
agent required is readiest found in bone,
but the bone under ordinary circum-
strnces goes to pieces with annoying
hardness. Heat makes it friable this
heat the farmers manure heap furnishes
him, and by composing unfermented
manure layer for layer with bone, and
coating the whole with sufficency of
dry earth he can do without the vitriol
and save the expense of its purchase.
1t would probably be best to shed such
compost heap from the weather
COMMERCIAL AND BARN-YARD MANURE
COMBINED.
Experiments have been made with
manure and commercial fertilizers sep
arately and in combination by members
of this Club, proving to the satisfaction
of all that manure is markedly superior
n its results to the best commercial fer
silizers, and that the use of both together
reduces effects greater than where used
.done. The base of the best CONNER
cal fertilizers being BONE the members
this Club need no additional proof to
eforce the ACCESSIBILITY of employing
th above-indicatcd plan Of combination,
bth on the score of economy and eff
chncy. The inducements for pursuing
th policy advocated in the article just
red,-namely, that of keeping more
stock-are numerous. 1t is less labor
loGs, and yields a greater return for the
labor expended. 1t does away with the
interminable cropping, and permits the
land to accumulate vegetable matter
1t furnishes the farmer with the founda-
ton for his prosperity, with almost the
sole condition of his success-an abund, ;.
ancc of rich manure. All signs forbo =.
an era of distress for the farmer; ley HI
Look for succor to keepinr .'cA' an
uess~-c cost fertility of hi
land East Of this country wi
riseto prosperity if all the products {
the arm are fed at home. The passio
forfundling off to market all the pro
dues of the land is executing its ow
veseance. Feeding is plainly the hes
posy for the farmers of this sector
tn West may afford to indulge tn
teptation to send off from the farl
wEtever will give slight profit abov
thcost of production and transporta
tic but farmers of theEast must revers
tn practice and make Mr.. Harris