The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-13
Manuring Light Soils.

Manuring Light Soils.
am thoroughly satisfied of my own
knowledge that a sandy soil is no more
leachy than a clay soil; and the finer
the sand the more it will act as filter
to water passing through it. The floor
of my manure cellar and of my barn
yard are clear sand, of an excellent
kind for making mortar for masons.
After six years use of the cellar and
the constant pressure in it of wet and
sometimes sodden COW manure floating
in liquid, the soil is not discolored two
inches in depth. 1t is the same in the
barn-yard and also in the small yard of
n stable where have kept one or two
COWS for seven years past for expert
mental purposes chiefly. Here the dis
colOred soil is removed every year to
make compost for the garden, and the
liquid from the gutter runs into a small
pit which is kept full of absorbents. II
any sandy ground should be leachy, it
ought to be the bottom of this pit; but
on the contrary, the bottom of it holds
all the substance of the manure in two
or three inches of the soil; and below
this the sand is clear and clean and
quite free from odor even. l would
suggest that those of your readers who
believe in leachy soils should make a
few tests of this kind
But manure does disappear very rap
idly in light soils. This is a most i'm
portant fact for owners of such land to
make themselves sure of and apply to
their practice. But it does not leach
away or run through the soil. Where,
then, does the manure 90 to? Just
here comes in one of those natural laws
which | have referred to. and clears up
the problem. The manure is oxidized
completely and is reduced to its miner
al and gaseous elements with great
rapidity by the operation of a we'll
known law of chemistry. This is the
power of any porous substance to act
as an oXidiZing agent. 1t is exhibited
in spOngy platinum, and especially in
those old-faShiOned incense spirit lamps,
which slowly consume at low, red
heat, and without fame, the scented al
cohol with which the platinum in the
wick is fed. 1t is also shown in the
power of cotton or wool waste or cloth
to oxidize and intlame oil with which
they are saturated. 1t is also shown in
the rapid disappearance of every APP
parent part of the manure in the dry
soil of the common earth closets, SO
that the dry earth may be used over
and over again without becoming satu-
rated. 1t is also shown in the absorb
ton and destruction of organic matter
in many other ways, and in the we'll
known effect of road-dust or dry earth
rs deodOrizer and disinfectant. 1t
explains the effect of dry earth as a
healing agent in surgery, and of the
mud and earth baths for the treatment
of wounds, common among some saw
age nations. But further explanation
is unnecessary. because this popularity
of porous substances is well known as
a scientific and practical fact which
needs no voucher.
Then when manure is applied to light
soils it is subjected to this rapid oxidiz-
ING agency and disappears. In n spot
in my garden MANFRED last spring with
cow manure, at the rate of 100 pounds
to the square yard, or 240 tons to the
acre, and spaded in, there is to-day no
trace of the manure. except the dark
color of the soil, which when dug into
and turned over has a notified yellow,
brown and black appearance, showing
where the Jumps of manure have left
their remains. 1t is the same in the
fields, but to less extent. In clay soil
this rapid disappearance does not occur
and of course the manure lasts longer.
But the manure is not lost in the light |
soil. 1t has given up its elements to
the crop. In the plat manfred rs
above mentioned, had thirty-two hills !
of melons, and these produced 163 |
large fruits, without counting nearlvas |
many small ones. This. at thirty to the |
barrel, is equal TO five and a half bar
els-equiValent to $40 barrels TO the |
acre. The product would have been /
larger had not five hills been DESTROYED I
by the Larvae of the striped beetle be- /
fore | found Il way TO circumvent them. /
The appearance of the soil indicates. !
however, that the manuring was great
" in excess of a reasonable neceS Sitv, |
and possibly a fourth OF the quantity /
would have been equally productive.
1t is different with clay soils. There
the manure stays longer, because the
clay is more compact, less porous and
the air less freely. Does not
also explain the action Of
cultivating and pulverizfng the soil, by
which the organic matter in it is oxid-
lied more freely and the crops are ben
Gifted? The result goes to show that
light soils must be managed differently
from clay lands, in manuring them
more frequently-say every second
year. instead of every fifth year, as with
heavier soils-and using less manure at
each dressing in proportion TO the
shorter time. n. SteUdrt, en- Country