The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-02-12
Composing.

out manure, and it has been our Gus
tom to a great extent, when the land
failed to grow certain crops, either to
move onward to virgin soil or 90 to
growing something else Frequently
we have not thought it worth our while
to save what manure we made on the
farm, much less to attempt TO make it.
The straw-stack has keen burned and
the contents of the stables, cattle yards,
ETC., applied in the most wasteful man.
me-. Frequently we have failed to learn
the lesson, in our gardening enterprises,
what the practice of every market gar
dener in the country teaches, viz: that
no difference how rich the land is, if we
would grow vegetables, manure it. TO
the inexperienced the heavy manuring
of the market garden would seem to be
wasteful IN extreme. Load upon load
Is applied, but it pays, and no man who
grows vegetables, with the hope Of get
ting the largest profits, can afford TO
neglect ferulizing. If profit cuts no
figure in the matter, if we are simply
intent upon growing few vegetables
for home use. and have plenty of land
to spare, all right But if we desire
permanent recognition in the vegetable
market, we must aim to make large
crops and grow large vegetables.
For garden purposes especially, the
composing heap is particularly yalua-
bic, and as matter OF fact composted
manure is valuable for any crop. The
reason is plain. 1t is a process which
renders all the elements of the manure
available for plant growth, and through
chemical changes furnishes additional
elements. To many people the COM
post heap means simply the gathering
together of different manures in a con-
venient pile and the rotting and mixing
of the mass, These things, it is true,
recommend the compost But the
greater value is in the result of the
chemical changes which go on in the
mass, and to be successful in compost
ing, it is necessary to understand what
these changes are or can be made. The
Intelligent purpose is to make fertili-
ger possessing certain elements of plant
food, and such a purpose can not
% accomplished without a knowledge
OF the means which create those ele-
nents, and that knowledge ought to in
hide that of the most economical way
1f creating them. There are two main
things to be considered at 1he outset in
making the best compost heap. One is
how to hasten decomposition, and the
other Is how TO prevent the escape of
gases that are created. The compost
heap should be so located that it can be
drained, and the drainage saved, for
necessarily it must contain valuable fer
tilizing ingredients. The site of the
heap selected and drainage provided,
construct the heap. Barn-yard manure
and any deposit that contains plenty of
vegetable matter are the principal in
gradients When it can be had swamp
muck Is Just the thing. There is one
bit of caution that ought TO be given,
and that is to be careful that nothing is
used in which, there are weed seeds
The proportions should be one part of
barnyard manure and two parts of
muck, or whatever else is used Now
the foundation, the basis of the compost
is made To this is added everything that
is lying about the pr, m'.c>. that can
possibly add to the value OF the heap,
and one Of the greatest advantages of
the compost is the utilizing very muc h
OF value as fertilizers which otherwise
would go to waste. Gather upsthe
night soil, chicken dcoppings, wood
ashes, sawdust, corn-stalks, leaves,
straw, soap suds, fish or meat brine and
old mortar and thoroughly mix them
with the heap. The farmer or gardener
| will be surprised to SEE what a large
| quantity of fertilizer he will get by
gathering up these odds and ends. To
every load OF material aboat twenty five
pounds of plaster ought 10 b. added.
Now the chemical changes begin.
| Putrefaction, or fern nlation- both be-
| ing the same 50 far as the chemical
! operation is concerned commences.
! The carton contained in the dead vege-
table matter unites with oxygen from
the air or in the water that NAV be in
| the material, and carbonic acid gas is
the result This gas acts on the siIicate
of potash in the mixture, separates the
silica from the potash and makes car
| Donate of potash, and silica beingfreed,
| becomes hydrated silica. and both these
elements are thus made at once avail
able tor plant growth Observe, there
fore, The benefit of compost NC in thus
making these two clements available.
| Before the changes took place. both
were insoluble, and utterly useless.
Suppose unrotted straw had been APP.
piled to the land. 1t would require g
| year. and perhaps, two year before
those elements could be mate available
| ow notice the. chemical changes il
tn, plaster W hiehs wc have advised thu
| IL, If. This substance is a compound
q rlphuric acid, lime and water. The
help contains carbonate of ammonia
whioh acts upon the plaster, dccom
p 5 il, and produces carbonate of lime
t 4 sulphate OF ammonia, which IS very
so ub'e in water When this latter sal
is 1rmed, loss from the mobilization o
tn" ammonia is prevented, and this i
) the object of applying plaster TO thu
heap There must be caution, however
used in adding ii. ii 100 much is adde(
il will wholly thwart the purpose, anC
check fermentation. The sulphuric aciC
in the plaster, too, will decompose thu
mineral that may be in the vegetable
In speaking of the material which
may and should he added to the com
+. post heap, we viii not forget bones, Blu
as they should be specially prepared
we reserved their mention until now
They should be ground if possible, Ger
tanly crushed. When added in thi
form they win furnish both phosphori
ia and nitrogen; and using the word
|, OF a writer on bones as fertilizer, if th
bones are mixed with ali equal weigh
OF finely ground gypsum, and fully in
corporated with the compost heap, tn
i farmer will produce his own solubl
$ phosphoric acid at less than half III
cost he would have to pay for it, if pur
chased from the manufacturer, EOn
word more in regard to plaster; if wher
turning the heap the smell cf ammon'
t should be detected showing that am
= mona is escaping add little, Yer
little more plaster. There will b. II
loss from ovcrheating when plaster
judiciously applied.
Now, if we 90 to the trouble Of max