The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-05-26
farm aud Garden.
Composts.

SOhPOoIo.
A consideration of this subject is APP
propriate as following the discussion of
Fertilizers. There are many advantages
in composing stable and farm-pen ma
nure. 1t is impossible for a farmer to
make manure enough to go over his crops.
BY adding to the manure pile everything
that can be scraped together, and col
lected of fertilizing material from: the
farm, including all the hen manure, hog
pen manure, rich dirt from ditch banks
and fence corners, scrapings OF turf from
roadsides, soap suds, liquid contents OF
chambers, and woods mould, when con-
venient wi add greatly to the quantity
of fertilizing material Many of these
things would otherwise be thrown away,
as they too frequently are on the farms.
Fermentation and the absorption and re-
tention of the resulting gases by the mass,
seems to render the whole mass equal in
value to the combined stable and farm
pen manure" little leaven leaveneth
the whole lump" But this is not all.
Stable manure in itself is complete ma
nure, in the sense of containing all the
elements of plant food. Some of these
elements, however, are contained in such
moderate quantities that large amount
of stable manure must be applied in or
der to get sufficient amount of them for
the crop. This remark applies more par
ticularly to phosphoric acid To the
compost heap, then, must always be add
ed the superphosphates of lime, or the
ground bone, or ground phosphate If
the particular crop to which the compost
is to be applied contains much potash, as
tobacco or potatoes, or beets, and if the
soil is thin and worn, then potash in some
form must be added to the heap, either
muriate or sulphate or kainit; we have
already spoken of these forms and their
different uses and values But remem-
Der do not put ashes on the heap, as their
action would be to expel the ammonia
For the same reason we do not add lime
to putrescent manures. We suppose ashes
might be added if at the same time we
applied potash freely to prevent the es-
cape of ammonia. If the compost heap
has long time to stand, we would pre-
fer ground bone, but if it is needed soon
we would use the dissolved form or super
phosphate. If the ground preparation is
used, we should use at the same time
plaster, but if the dissolved, then we do
not need the plaster, as there is already a
suffciency of it in the preparation. If
much dirt or other things have been
added so as to dilute very much the pu-
crescent manure, we may find it neces-
sary to add sulphate of ammonia or nj
trate of soda to supply the deficient am
mona, the former to be preferred. In
the Southern States they use cotton seed
very much for this purpose, as it contains
about the same amount of ammonia as
stable manure. The quantity of these
constituents to be added to the compost.
will depend upon the soil and the crop
to be raised. AS a general rule, enough
superphosphate or ground bone must be
used to furnish 100 to $50 pounds to the
acre, though less will do, particularly for
tobacco-75 to 100 lbs muriate or sui
phate potash, or 200 to 800 lbs. of kainit
and 10 to 20 lbs of sulphate of ammonia
to the acre. For most crops, the compost
with the superphosphate or ground bone
will make an excellent application. As
a source Of potash, tobacco stems (Which
may frequently be bought for four cents
per PounD may be used, and the tobacco
planters should add to the heap all their
tobacco stalks, where the tobacco can be
stripped in the early part of the winter
to give time for their decomposition.
There are many evidences of the value
of composts. One is recorded in the re-
port of the Georgia Commissioner of Ag-
nculture several years since, which is
very striking. Judge Turner, of Georgia
reports to the Commissioner that he an.
pied 700 lbs. of dissolved bone per acre
on cotton, the yield being 672 lbs, while
the same quantity of compost GOO lbs.
made up of SO lbs dissolved bone, IS lbs
cotton seed, and rs lbs stable manure
yielded l,O08 lbs. cotton per acre. Here
we might substitute sui plate of ammo.
MIA. In our next we will give some di
rectlons about the modes Of making NJ
composts. r p