The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-03-24

tAImA|
ADVANTAGE as fertilizers. / would. how.
ever. ,ather reserve them for the benefit Of
the peach trees than apply them as ma.
nure for grass or grain. KANT. a potash
salt Of German origin. has lately claimed
notice. If il be Of value as manure, il
must be like the mari Of our country, kent
rather close 10 the place where found. ii
does not appear that either win bear the
expense Of much transportation. The
same NAV be said Of many articles found
in natural deposit. or turned out BY fac
tories in certain places. The sea weed
thrown on the coast is, to the farmers
within reach Of il, source Of manurial
wealth. The @menhaden" FISH, caught il
large masses on the shores Of Connecticut
and New Jersey, constitute, after the oil
is expressed, rich manure for the soil.
The farmers in those States, who may oh.
tain this in a eomminuted state at $40 to
SIS per ton, may do well to employ it.
But whoever attempts its use, at the prices
paid for bone or the richer guanOs, will
find his money wasted. | have had it to
benefit two successive crops, and again
have had it to rot reach into the second
year so as to improve the wheat for which
il was applied
have had great result in grass from
an application Of the refuse chemical
works, chiefly silicate Of potash. 1t lasted
but for one crop, aud hence should be val
ued at little by the ton. The glue fac
tories, the abattoire slaughter houses, }
and many other places turn out refuse Of
much value. Some of then, like the sill
cate of potash, producing, at first, striking
effects. Some Of our phosphate" makers
have taken advantage Of their access to
these heaps of refuse to compound sub
stance for farmers use, which the name
phosphate" and charge of $40 per ton,
dignity to the rank of commercial manures.
Farmers may have access to all sources
of manure, be they near at hand or more
remote, and it were doubtless the part of
wisdom, after judieious selection Of what
they will employ, to do the mixing them
selves.
All the foregoing has reference to i'm
ported manures-those of source foreign
to the farm. Whoever has land not al
ready in the most productive state, would
do well to look around him, and consider
whether any of them are so at his hand,
or of such value as to claim his attention.
noticed when on 4 trip through some Of
our Western States and New York, two
years ago, the general inferiority of the
crops, even on their deep black loans,
which are deemed excellent land was
convinced the farmers had worked out
some needed element of fertility, though
comparing results only with each other,
and with the years Just previous, they
seemed unconscious of it. In central New
York some farmers had lately introduced
Moro Philips phosphate. They had found
that 200 pounds Of this per acre, would
add perhaps twenty bushels to the crop Of
wheat and one ton to the subsequent CROP
of hay. So true it is that in rating the
comparative value of manures, each one
must consider the demand in his partieu
lar case. 200 pounds of Philips phos.
phate would not do much on an acre fol
us, and l think was informed that an
application Of bone did little on the soil Of
western New York.
In considering the resources for manure
foreign to the farm, poudrette or the pro
duct of the cesspools of our cities or vii
lagos, should not be overlooked. Its value
is immense. But in our country, wher,
labor costs money. the matter of RENDERING
it available must be taken into account
1t is not so durable as bone, nor so conve
nient in its preparation; but the supply Of
the latter, when demanded by ali tn,
broad acres now producing cattle. must a
once fail, and the question of utilizing tn,
former will have to be met and solved il
the affirmative by not distant generation
| have a theory that the consummatioI
to be reached BY American farmers in al
good soils is to keep their fields self-sus
tanning. Stable manure, when from well
fed animals and not allowed to waste. con