The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-07-17

Now some one quotes DR.. Voelcker
in support of the theory that compost
ing manure does not pay. The argu-
ment of the learned chemist whose
name is used to give strength to this
theory was evidently intended for an
extreme case, as he uses the term 'six
months or a year," and this does not
imply that it is Improbable to properly
prepare the plant food before it is
given to the plants.
There are many points to be con
sidered in this discussion. Some
writer's claim that animal manures
possess all the. valuable properties
they ever will or ever can when first
dropped. Without disputing this, we
will suggest that the new curd before
souring or pressing has all the proper
ties that will be in the cheese; at least
this statement is as we'll founded as
the other. Yet we know that curd
cheese has a stronger flavor, a more
pungent odor, and is more easily
digested than the new curd. Green
animal manure, if the liquid is saved
with it, when it passes through the
same process that develops what is
commonly known as strength" in
cheese, is too strong for the roots of
young plants, and should be reduced
by mixing with some substance which
will absorb the portions which would
otherwise escape, and make the whole
bulk suitable for plant food ODE used
at once. This mixing is called COM
posting, and with strong, active ma
nures the process should not occupy
over two weeks, as there is doubtless
an absolute loss, for Col. Geo. E.
Waring, in his experiments at Ogden
Farm, found that the excrement in
the soil of al earth closet would en-
tirely disappear and leave no trace
that analysis could detect; and this
happened when there was no chance
for loss by teaching or blowing away.
But this does not do away with the
fact known to every farmer, that
green, fresh COW manure is of no value
for plant food until it has rotted, and
while this process is going on under
common conditions there is an escape
of gases which can be saved by absorb
ents and thus make the whole mass as
valuable as the smaller portion would
be if fermentation took place without
.absorbents.
Another point to be considered is
pulverization. The argument has
been used to defend the old, reckless
method of using green MANURE in
coarse Jumps that elf it is put on the
soil it will be there and will do good
some time" but Col. Warnings discov-
cry makes this a little doubtful, and as
we usually apply manure for the bene.
fit of the present crop it is worth
while to prepare it for immediate use
by the plants, and the best way to do
this is by mixing in the absorbents as
the manure is cleaned from the stables
each day and then one digging over
will prepare it for use. Another form
of compost, which requires different
treatment from that which we have
been considering, is that made by col
Letting material about the premises in
a pile with muck or sods or soil
enough to hold moisture and making
this pile a receptacle for all that can
be converted into plant food by the
process of decay, and twill absorb
more from the air and Stops which
may be applied to the pile than it will
lose, as there will be no fermentation
in such a pile.
s5 - sig Il
Subscribe to TIE PRoGREssIYE GARNER