The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-09-29
MANURES.

rer in the Rurnt Nev YORKER
s:some particular instances in which
the use of alkalies in compost max
ing is decidedly preferable to the
use of dung. The composing OF
garden rubbish is a case IL point.
From the raking of garden beds
and walks great masses OF rubbish
are collected every year, consisting
of sods, weeds, straw, leaves, Jumps
of loam, clods of manure and many
other things which are commonly
burned to- the utter destruction OF
all nitrogen which the matter con-
tain. No doubt it is better IN many
cases to burn this rubbish rather
than to have it thrown into the
hog pen or the barnyard, in view
of all the weed seeds, insects and
fungi which such matter haroor'
and in general the burning OF gar
den rubbish would be clearly justl-
fed if there were no other way OF
dealing with it; but in fact it
might readily be treated with al
kilies in such q way that all risk OF
injury from the seeds could be
obviated, while the organic matter
would be converted into excellent
manure. If such rubbish were once
thoroughly moistened with dilute
potash lye and thrown into tolera'
bly, large heaps, in a not too dry
place, it would change to the con-
dition of garden mold, at the cost
of little, if any, further manipula-
ton. The same remark applies to
weeds in general and to the sweep
ings of haylofts- A thorough soak
ing in weak solution Of pot ashes,
Or generous admizture OF fresh
wood ashes and the subsequent
moistening of the heap, would un-
doubtedly do the weed seeds such
harm that they could power recover
from it. When, as in this case, COM
post making is be regarded as a de-
vicefor cleaning the land, as well as
for fertilizing it, some part OF the
cost of making the compost must, OF
course, be credited to the destruc-
ton of weeds. Another striking
instance where alkali conposts are
in order is seen in the case Of eel
grass (zostera marina) which grows
abundantly upon muddy bottoms
in salt and brackish waters. This
eelgrass is a singularly indestrue-
tible kind Of organic matter. 1t
decays with extreme slowness II.
the barnyard or the hogpen Or
when buried in the earth. But
it may easily be decomposed by
composing with quicklime or any
other strong alksli, and it is well
worthy of such treatment since
it contains one and one-thira per
cent. Of nitrogen, one per cent. Of
potash, and a quarter of per cent.
of phosphoric acid, besides lime and
magnesia. It may well be true that
alkali composts, such as have been
described above, would be benefited
if after some months of decay and
putrefaction, they were moistened
with barn yard liquor, sewage OF
night soil for the purpose Of intro I
ducing o supply Of the peculiar fer
ment which causes nitrifcation and
which is known to be present in
decaying sewage, &c. Years ago,
when nitre beds were maintained
in Europe for the purpose of max
ing saltpetre, it was found best,
when q new bed We ollshed,
to mix with it some earth from the
old bed. We now believe that the
old earth contained the ferment
necessary for the process Of nitri-
fcation, and it is plain that the
compost maker may readily avail
himself of this resource. In gen
eral it may be well to purposely
introduce the nitric ferment in this
way to all compost heaps as soon
as they have passed through the
first hot fermentation, or as soon
as the original crude peat or other
organic matter has become changed
TO the condition of true huInus or
vegetable mold. To this end it
may perhaps be advisable to keep
some old special heaps as reser-
yoirs of the nitric ferment, for the
express purpose of charging or
s'seeding" the newer heaps.
A NEURALGIA CURE. Bruised