Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-03-10


hhd IN these forms it is a great slim
uIuS 10 vegetation, whether supplied
through the leaves from the air, in
which "A very little ammonia is found.
or through the roots from the nitric
or ammoniacal salts in the soil. which
are evidently the chief dcpendence.
1t has been asccrtained at Rotham-
sted that clover acquires, in some
way. such "A supply Of nitrogen as To
carry of more than four times as
much as a preceding crop Of barley.
and yet leave 50 much in the soil (in
It's roots y available for following
crop OF barley as 70 make its proper
ton nearly double that Of the crop
preceding the clover. OF the manu-
rial elements, potash is found most
scryIceabie IN promoting an increase
in the yield Of nitrogen.
No farmer ever yet had enough Of
manure. II is the trouble Of every
careful farmer 10 supply this want
which never can be satisfied in the
usual way. He gathers from swamps.
from woods, from rOadsidcs. and ey-
cry other source that he can reach.
and the muck. the leaves and the
scrapings which he thus collects. he
works up into composts in such a
Wy as 70 cause them TO decay and
become fit for plant food The term
compost is derived from a Latin
word compost'um which means put
together and expresses precisely the
action Of the farmer in this business
Of making manure Of substances which
alone would bc OF no value 70 him.
The effect Of this action depends upon
natural law the result of which is
the conversion of organic substances
into their elements. This process is
what we know Of decay or decompo-
sitIon. The meaning of the word
decomposition IL. taking apart Of 4
compound substance. 1t is always
accompanied by heat which is always
produced by chemical action. and
decay or decomposition is the effect
Of chemical action Decomposition
is in fact a slow process OF burning
As much 50 as if fire were used to
produce the result The final effect
Is the same in both cases. the mineral
matter or ash only being left.
When the farmer forms a compost
be gathers these substances and makes
them into heap. and TO hasten the
end which be has in view hc adds TO
10. evenly mixed through the heap. a
certain quantity Of fresh manure.
This begins TO heat very soon. and
just a. the yeast mixed with the bread
sponge of the baker, starts the fer
mcntation through the whole mass. SO
the small quantity Of manure starts
the heat and fermentation through
the whole oC the heap Of the compost.
Bot to produce the best effect there
must be q certain supply OF moisture,
for unless there l. sufficient water in
the mass the process of decay will
not 20 on. Dry matter may be pre-
served, and will not decay. for many
years and until it is moistened with
water it will suffer no pcrceptible
change. The compost heap must,
therefore. be made Of such a shape
that it will hold as much moisture as
possible.
1t is usually put up about four feet
high and as long and broad as may
be convenient, with the top made fat
and hollow to collect and hold the
rain which falls upon il. Lime is
often added to compost heaps and Is
very useful, because it helps to de-
compose the vegetable matter in them
and makes the compost fit for use
sooner than it would otherwise be.
The usual time for making compost
heaps is in the Fall, so there may be
ample time during the Winter for it
to bc made ready for the Spring work.
by carefully gathering and saving all
the materials mentioned, and working
them up into composts, the quantity
of manure may easily be doubled and
the crops enlarged in proportion.
One load OF well-made compost NAV
bc as useful as the same quantity of
common manure, and as It is always
in a well-broken and fne condition, it
is the most valuable fertilizer that
can be procured for spreading upon
grass lands.
Composts may be greatly enriched
by the addition of the manure from
the poultry house, hy the wastes from
the house, and by ground or burned
bones. In this way very valuable
may be made for gardens or
fruit trees, if nothing else can be
procured for the basis OF il than
soil. The soil Is an excel
lent absorbing material for the richer
qualities OF the other substances,
which by themselves would be too
strong and rich for use. In making
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