The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-04
PINE STRAW MANURE.
An Important Paper by p. J. Berck.
mans. ESQ. ~

mans, Esq. .'...--'
Editors Chronicle: In the Chronicle of Sep.
tember 25th the following appears: =
"Mr. P. J. Berckmans says that pine e straw srs'
farmers should know this and be wise &C
At TIE August meeting Of the Richmond
GGGun Ss see
the question Of material for bedding purposes
was broached, and In my comments upon the
very able paper OF Mr.. Staples, who was the
straw as bedding material was undesirable,
as 1t rendered the manure almost valueless,
and, If used In large proportions, 1t often
proved an injury 10 the land"
Your reporter gave the correct words, but
by publishing them has placed you under the
necessity Of receiving the explanation OF the
reasons upon which base my assertion, and
If you see proper TO publish these, will thus
have lately been made upon this subject.
before the Richmond County Agricultural
Society, when referring to animal manures,
said: -..... -. - -. -. -t.,s
"Although this term, strictly speaking,
means only such as are produced either from
the excrements Of animals or from their flesh,
blood or bones, It Is usually applied TO man
ures produced from the excrements OF anl-
mails and the admixture Of straw, leaves, or
other vegetable matter used as litter, this be-
ing commonly termed stable manure. The
quality depends much upon the food given TO
used. The richer the food, the richer Will be
the manure produced. Wheat and oat straw.
oak leaves, hay, grass, corn stalks, and slmi'
lar vegetable matter, should be freely used
for litter. Avoid pine straw, pine saWdust@: @ or
from the resfnous principles they contain"
This assertion gave rise at the time to con-
siderable discussion and reply to many ar
guments against 1t was published In the
,soJa NJ hnff orr mo tr
lately received than to refer to my reply:
"Pine straw as mulch Is good. AS a dis
intergrating medium for very still clay soils.
impermeable to air, II can be beneficial, b9t It
composed of silicate IA hard mineral sub
stance) vegetable fibre and rosin. Both sill
cate and vegetable bose are insoiuble, hence
not available as plant food. The asnes OF
potash as q result than the ashes Of any OTHER
vegetable. the proportion being O45 In 1000
ports. Wheat straw, after the grain Ia FORM
ed, gives $50 OF potash In 1,0O0 parts, and oe.
putush corn stalks contain IT'S parts COW
peas from 200 to $50 in 1000 parts; oak leaves
1853; willow leaves, 2!5i elm and maple
leaves, 8 90 parts Of potash In l,O0O parts. Po-
being one OF the main constituents OF the
plants we usually grow rs agricultural crops,
It Is evident that soil deficient In itcannot
be productive and pine straw cannot give
transformation which would make 1t soluble
and thus be absorbed by plants.
referring TO the analysis OF soils OF difer-
ent countries. it is shown that resinous mat
ter is contained in some sterile soils, and in
such rust attacks wheat, rye or oats.
"This Is so we'll known In portions IN Eu-
rope where pine woods abound and where the
Inhabitants are conceded to be the best agri-
ducing and saving manures as are the Chinese,
that no tilier of the soil however short OF raw
material to bed his cow or pig, Will allow any
pine straw to be used for that purpose; (this
classes) they we'll know that rust would be
the result If used In the manures. One of our
tenants covered q part OF field with pine
straw, and for several years afterwards conid
withstanding heavy manurtng afterwards. .
"Five years ago planted Irish potatoes and
gave them heavy muiching Of pine straw,
the ground being we'll manured previous to
In during winter and the ground planted in
previously mulched produced stalke two
feet smaller than the other portion
corn the following spring, and that portion
manured before. The second Year, fhe field
was sown In oats, and the difference in the
yield being less than half upon the mulched
portion. .,,,. ,,., ,oo, .o,,oo, j., .;;,o
vegetable garden, where several classes Of
vegetables, especially peas, could not be
grown successfully when using manure made
with pine straW-when manure made with
either oat straw or oak leaves was used. the
yield was always better.
II could say more, but deem these remarks
sufficient to sustain my opinion, which is the
result Of personal experience, although 1t
Since this wus written many years have
passed and nothing has occurred to change
my opinion as regards the lack Of value Of
pine straw for manure material: Pine straw
which has been subjected 10 the drippings
of cattle has doubtless shown good results In
some soils, and in some especially moist sea-
sons, and upon certain crops, but this Is due
solely to the fertilizing properties which
were taken from the stable In combination
with the straw und despite the presence OF the
ing from the city, for several years In success
sion, of from three to four hundred heavy
loads of livery stable manure and hnd To
discontinue the practice. owing to the barren
results obtained. The average material used
for bedding being pine straw and pine shaw
ings, which, In many instances, proved de-
cided injury to the sOil as evinced by the
subsequent inferior yield produced thereon
especially grain crops. Having paid dearly
for my experience, by on outlay of an average
of $40 year, for at least ten years, besides
Ave miles from the livery stables to the farm,
I believe that am entitled to the opinion
expressed at the heading of this article and
II a careful comparison Is made with pine
straw upon given portion Of q field, and
with manure made with wheat or oat straw,
corn stalks, oak leaves or pea vines, using
equal proportions of each, the result will
speak for itself Yours respectfully,
J. P. BERCKMANS:-