The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-09-20
HOme.Made Fertilizers.

APPARENTLY there Is a great lack of
knowledge among our farmers in regard
to the best methods of increasing the
amount of manure generally produced on
the farm, or they are exceedingly indiffer-
ent about utilizing the various valuable
materials which are usually available for
this purpose. The comparatively small
amount of manure obtained from the
stables and barn-yard is seldom if ever
sufficient to keep up the fertility Of an
ordinary grain farm, or one on which a
system of mixed husbandry is practiced;
consequently, if tho land is to Ike kept
rich, some additions in the way of fertili-
zers must he obtained. The convenience
with which the various commercial fertil-
izers may be obtained and applied has
made them very popular of late years ;
but they are, at best, kind of makeshift,
piled, and leaving the soil, after it is re-
moved, in no better, if in SO good, a con-
dition as before. Many of our best farm
ers, and especially the cotton planters of
the South, are beginning to learn that, to
permanently improve their lands, soJpe-
thing beside little guano or superph0s-
phatc of lime is required; and while these
and similar kinds of commercial fcrtili-
zers are excellent stimulants, they should
be considered merely as aids to the pro-
ductiOn of something better and more
lasting, in the form Of green crops for
blowing under as manure. But there are
few localities in which materials for
making manure in greater or less abund-
ance are not to be found; and ss an ex-
ample of the kind OF knowledge sought,
we give the following letter from Florida
To THE EDITOR OF THE WEEKLY SUN-Sir:
live in what is called here large hummock,
inches with leaves, mostly oak. Now I want to
know how can best turn this vegetable matter
into manure. l have also good lot Of cotton
seed and some stable that have gsnsr
scrapings OF leaves and soil to the best advantage
in Increasing the quantit and quality Ct my ma
GREENvILLE, Fla.
The question our correspondent asks,
How to increase the quantity and quail.
ty of my manure-heap ?" is u very import
ant one, not only to him, but to every
farmer and planter who is working soil
that is in part or wholly exhausted Of fer
tility. But T. J. r. is specially favored
with materials for this purpose; for with
half decayed oak leaves in abundance,
cOttOn-seed in considerable quantities,
and some stable manure, he has little need
of seeking fertilizers elsewhere. With
such materials a man can make manure
well adapted for almost any kind Of soil
or crop; but no one of them separate is so
good as the three combined; for, by COM
posting and fermentation, new elements
ave evolved and others set free, or rem
dered soluble, in which condition they are
readily taken up by the roots of plants.
But in composing, not only such mate
rails as those named by our correspond
ent, but others, like muck or peat from
swamps, grass, reeds, leaves, sods, pOmacc
from Oil-mills and refuse of various kinds
are available. There is generally too
much haste ON the part Of the farmer in
applying them to his land or crops. The
mere mixing of such materials in heap
is not composing them, in the full mean-
ing of the term; and if they are not al
lowed to remain long enough together to
ferment and form rich, unctu0us mass,
they might as we'll be used separately.
Then, again, in composing, heat and
water ere both essential for reducing coarse
materials to a condition in which they
will be soluble in water; hence, making
compost i'm cold, freezing weather is not
advisable in our Northern climate, unless
the materials are of such nature as to
produce heat enough during fermentation
to keep out the cold; and in warm climates
there is danger OF too much and too little
water, the compost becoming dry mass,
from which the ammonia and other VIOLA
tile portions have passed off into the air
and been lost. Due care should be taken,
in advance Of c0mpoeting, to prevent fail
ures Of this kind, and In laying the fOun-
dati0n of the contemplated heap, let 1t be
broad enough to receive all the materials
likely to be obtained, without being COM
PEELED to build it too high for convenience
In working over.
First, lay the coarsest and poorest mate
rails at the bottom, such as leaves, muck,
straw or weeds, aud the first layer may be
foot Or more in thickness. Upon this
spread q thin layer Of richer material. II
c0tt0n-seed or pOmace is at hand, or even
barnyard manure, spread this ON from one
to three inches thick. Less of the seed
will answer and more of the DOmace or
manure, If it is moderately plentiful.
Then follow with another layer of foot
thick Of the leaves, u whatever coarse
material is being used, and 30 on alter
nately, until the pile Is completed; but,
for convenience sake, five feet will be high
enough. bsisq ssegs4
II The materials employed in making
the compost heap are dry, and they usual.
" are (f0r In this condition they are most
readily handled), it will be necessary to
have the top of the heap Nat, or little In
clined to the center, in order that all the
water which falls upon it may soak in,
instead Of running OF. Fermentation
and decomposition win not take place il
the materials remain. dry; hence the me-
cessity Of water being added apd il it