St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-01-05
Manuring Light Soils.

Manurlng Light Soils.
/ am thoroughly satisfied of nv owr
knowledge that sandy soil is no more
leachy than a clay soil; and the finer
| the sand the more it will act as filte,
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 ward of
4 stable where l 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 small
pit which is kept full of absorbents. If
any sandy ground should be leachv, 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 n most inn
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 go 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 wi h crca:
rapidity by the operation of we'll
known law of chemistry. This is the
power of any porous substance to act
as an oxldzing agent. 1t is exhibited
in spongy platinum, and especially in
those old-fashioned incense spirit lamps.
which slowly consume at a 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 inilame 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 |
hat the dry earth NAV be used over
and over again without becoming satu-
-ated. 1t is also shown in the absorb
ion and destruction of organic matter
n many other ways. and in the we'll
Known effect of road-dust or dry earth
IS deodorizer and disinfectant. 1t
explains the effect of dry earth as
lealing agent in surgery. and of the
Dud and earth baths for the treatment
# wounds, common among some saw
ge nations. But further explanation
) unnecessary, because this peculiarly
t porous substances is well known rs
scientific and practical fact which
eedS no voucher.
Then when manure is applied to light
oils it is subjected to this rapid oxidiZ-
lg agency and disappears. In spot
4 my garden MANFRED last spring with
ow manure. at the rate of 100 pounds
the square yard, or 240 tons to the
ere, and spaded in, there is to-day no
ace of the manure. except the dark
Dior of the soil, which when dug into
nd turned over has a mottled yellow,
rown and black appearance, showing :
here the Jumps of manure have left
leir remains. 1t is the same in the
elds, but to less extent. In clav soil
rs rapid disappearance does not occur
nd OF course the manure lasts longer.
ut the manure is not lost in the light
Ill. 1t has given up its elements to
e crop. In the plat MANFRED as
,ove mentioned, had thirty-two hills
melons, and these produced 1853
rye fruits, without counting nearly as
any small ones. This, at thirty to the q
lrrel, is equal to five and half bar !
ls-equivalent to $40 barrels to the
re. The product would have been
rger had not five hills been DESTROYED S
the larv:e of the striped beetle be- n
re l found way to circumvent them.
le appearance of the soil indicates, :,
viewer. that the manuring was great G
in excess of reasonable necessity,
d possibly fourth of the quantity
.uld have been equally productive. .
1t is different with clay soils There u
manure stays longer. because the
y is more compact. less porous and t.
mits the air less freely. Does not G
perience also explain the action Of
ltivating and pulverizing the soil, by !,
lch the organic matter in it is oxid. 9.
d more freely and the crops are ben a
ed? The result goes to show that vi
ut soils must be managed differently
m clay lands, in manurinc them
re freluently-say every second ~ ~
II. instead of every fifth year. as with y
lvier soils-and using less manure at :
h dressing in proportion to tho
rter time. II SteUart, fn Cburtry =
atIen,an @