Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-12-29

AahC CAEe Vi Lu0s6 AeiU5 IL tu6
voice of nature aud of God to every
tiller Of the soil. To keep his lands
in good heart, and to hand them over
improved to him that follows in the
ownership stewardship is the truest
word) is among the highest responst-
bilities laid upon the husbaudman."
Let me also ask my readers to bear
in mind what stated as two OF the
fundamental principles of the science of
agriculture; first, that whatever is
taken from the soil by the crop grown
upon it must be~replaced 10 order to
keep the land good; and, second,
when the cultivator returns to it
simply the waste matter that follows
tae use Of the products Of t1e soil, or
it's equivalent, he does his part to-
wards restoring to the land the loss of
fertility resulting from the crop grown
upon it.
The first principle stated above is
self-evideL the second, if true, can be
Known and established only by obser>
walton aud experiment. The expert
ence of a haif century in practical
farming; the somewhat careful
study of many independent
| facts and experiments, leads
| ne to believe that This second
| principle stated above is true. If THE
principle eau be relied on, then It's ap-
plicstlon will keep our fields up to
their present state of fertility, aud any
.ud tioDs OF this waste mater or It's
equivalents, above and beyond what
/ Il .fn 4 =! r.,
Will improve them. AS DCt ced in my
| lat article, nature ls grinding her
great sgeucies TO secure this result.
the sun, wind, rain, frost, snow and
X ses every where floating in the air,
| and all the spontaneous vegetable
growth, aid in impartiLg fertility to
| our fieldr. Seeing tnst we have such
varied help, LIT u not be faithless and
un faithful ia ia filing our part of the
| arraDgement-dulBg the part Of the
work appointed US by Gud.
If the above statements are
| correct, or if even only partly
so, we see that the question of saviu g
| tue waste mat er of our farms, stables
aud dwellings and applying them in
the best way to our lands 10 one that
| in its importance underlies all others
| relating to farming. The keeping of
lands fertile SD that they will bring
large crops for scores and hundreds of
years is immeasurahly more important
Than the questions that relate to the
crop of the passing year.
The frtt thing i'll regard to manures
is that they must be saved; net wasted.
| Let me ask any of the farmers of
Knox county what proportion OF the
I. droppiDgs Of his hogs Ia saved ID feIS
tllize his fields. Perhaps he can reply:
Il turn my hogs upon portions Of my
corn fielder This saves the manure
while they are feeding down the corn;
but how about tie rest of the year,
when the hogs are running in the
roads, the woods and the old fields :?
Another may say: II feed my
hogs in field where they can drink
at a brook. Very much of the manure
tnen goes there; and still another
feeds his fattening hogs in the highs
Way or in pen Ihat abuts upon it,
the manure working its way to tie
road and the stencil annoying all the
passers by. To sum up in a word, not
Une-tenth is saved that might be Of
this most valuable manure, If q plan
like the following was adopted:
Let hogs be Kept in suitable en-
ciCusures, pens with roofs aud floors
divided into eating and sleeping apart
ments, with small yard attached fer
cir manure. Let this yard be well
supplied with fitter aud muck; or if
one has 10 swampy place yielding
muck, then use fresh earth enough
to stop the stencil and absorb and pre-
serve The manure. aud give the pig
sly q more clearly and comfortable
appearance. Ii we'll managed, the
contents OF the sty will be frequently
carted away. II no field is ready to
receive them, either for top dressing
Or to be plowed under, let the manure
be piled III heaps until wanred-be-
cause. that The manure thus piled hay Q
much or com mon earth mixed with it
to preserve It. If rightly com posted
aud piled, the piles should be high and
IT ep; not broad and fla. The rains
will Oe absoE bed as by sponge, and
the earth mixed with it will absorb all
the Rses caused ty tie deconp g.
ton If The manure, aud The @nole
mass wall be brought into q state just
right for food for the crop where IL
will be applied. Composing manure
| will be further noticed in my next pa
| per. {. b. LORD.
| 8 ~