The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1889-05-23
MANAGEMENT OF MANURE.
[By Iams> Norwood of Orange County


Ashes afford salts and attract
nitre. Other manures again af-
ford, in part, the food Of plants
and at the same time assist
them in obtaining more from
the earth by opening it for the
more easy extension Of their
roots, such as barn dung and
manures of that kind; others,
perhaps, assist directly in sup
plying food, such as salts, blood,
putrid flesh, etc. Others, again,
only serve to open earths which
are too solid TO admit the roots
in search of food, such as sand,
rotten wood, saw dust, tan bark,
ETC., applied to clay; and clay
applied to sands ass lists, in part,
by supplying additional food.
and partly by enabling the soil
to retain suficiepcy of water
to supply plants with the requi-
site proportion of this article.
Some plants extract their food
principally from the air; some
mostly from air and water, and
Others principally from the
earth. But generally speaking,
plants require the united assis-
tance Of air, water and earth,
and from these they extract
that food which lie requisite to
bring them to perfection.
Some plants acquire most of
one kind Of food from the earth
and some another. Tap rooted
plants, again, derive their nour-
ishment from a great depth,
while those of fibrous roots only
extract from the surface. Hence,
the earth as the common parent
of plants, may become exhaust
ed in continually producing
some kinds, while it may still
be fitted for the production of
others; and hence in some in
stances arises the necessity of a
change or rotation of srops.
A knowledge of the efficacy
of different manures to which
soil they are most suitable, and
the means of making the most
Of each, is worthy Of the partic-
ular attention of the farmer.
Lands are seldom so rich, but
it may be a matter of gain to
increase their fertility; and few
tracts are so poor but that with
proper tillage and manuring
they may be made the residue
Of plenty.
Manures are composed of all
those subtances which either
directly or Indirectly supply
plants with their requisite food,
by means Of which they are en-
abled to expand and come to
maturity.
In the first place, different
earths will serve to manure each
other. Thus, clay is a fertilizer
Of a light sandy soil, and sand
is equally a fertilizer Of clay
Where clay lands are in grass
the sand should be laid on as a
top dressing; but where they
are ploughed, it should be well
mixed with the soil, for the
purpose of destroying its adhe
sion. Sand which has been
washed down in roads is best
Where clay is applied to sandy
soil it should be carted on iI
the fall aud spread evenly on
that the frost may pulverize il
before it is mixed with the sol
in the spring. The better these
earths are mixed with their re
spective soils, the more sensible
and immediate will be their ef
feet; but their principal excel
lence is that they are calculated
permanently to improve the sol
to which they are applied. Stit
lands are also in the same wa,
assisted by sand, and sand agail
bythese, but neither in 50 gre a
a degree as in the former case
Generally, it may be obse ved
that all dry, light soils may b
improved by being mixed wit
heavy earth, and vice versa
Ashes, l do not think, are sufh
GENTLY appreciated. They an
swer a. most valuable purpos
when applied to corn, particr
; larly where the soil is not suit
ed this plant. Where the soi
is wet, cold, loamy or clayey, th
plants are apt to get stinte
by the cold rains which usual
, fall after planting, then the as1
es serve to supply the nature
deficiency Of the soil till it b.
comes fertilized by the sun
, mer's sun.
Ashes should generally b
use d for a top dressing. The
salts lose nothing by exposui
, to the air, and soEe find the:
+ way into the soil.
, Common salt is a good ferti
izer, and adds very much to tt
yield OF wheat, and strengthen
the straw and prevents rust; to
dress five bushels TO the acr
: 1t is, however, more efficaciot
when mixed in compost tha
, when applied in it's crude stat
q to the soil.
r Soap sn6s is valuable. 1t
! usual to throw this manure
9 way; but this is needless vast
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, made mis-,
able by that terrible cough, Shiloh