St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-09-06


Bsss way q savseg aaA Appayias le-IAs
Dro6nsss Mstho4.
The Bommes msthod Is not specially
intended for the application OF liquid
manure, but saves it with absorbents
made into . compost placed over pit
into which the liquid drains There u
. water-tight cistern made on the sur.
face foot or 20 in. depth and this II
covered with rails or logs. Or a open
floor upon which the manure II heSped.
The manure II mixed with any thing OF
. fertilixing character. NO matter what
it II, 90 that IL will absorb manure and
decay and make plant food The sta
bles arc drained, and the drains nOw
into the cistern. A common wooden
pump il fitted in the center BY which
the liquid is brought up and poured over
tho heap Tho heap receives all the
rain water, and any excess Of it sinks
through the heap and Is caught in the
cistern and dilutes the liquid manure
in it :, .ss p
This is a simple affair. butit is vary
useful suggestion, and serves . valuable
purpose. 1t il most timely just now in
view Of the modern discoveries In re-
gard to the nitrincation Of the soil and
the certain development Of nitrates
from the free nitrogen Of tho atmos.
phcrc. made by Prof. Hellriexel and
corroborated by experiments Of Sir. j.
Il Lawes during tho last two years.
Sir J. H. Lawes' reports. just now pub
lished, Of his tests in 1883 and 1859
have satisfied him-as far - his ex.
tremely cautious and conservative
habit of mind Il habit, by the way.
which might most usefully Be initiated
by many other scientific experimenters)
permits him to say-that Hellriegefs
views are sound; for BY tho use Of IN i'm
fusion of soil under certain circums
stances he found leguminous plants pro-
cured four or I've times as much nitro
gen ss be expected. and that this came
from the FREQ nitrogen in the soil.-
through the actions Of certain we'll REQ
ognized organisms.
with earth or available soil has long
been known to produce largo quantitie1
Of nitrates, ~ witness the old method
of making saltpetre beds for the purpose
of procuring this nitrate for the manu-.
facture of gunpowder. . practice much
used before the discoveries Of the South
American nitro deposits. Hence this
so-called BONNER method gives MUCK
present interest Just nov. These or.
ganisms which exist in the soil must
exist also In the atmosphere and b
brought down BY the rain. and 1t only
requires heap of manure to be com-.
posted with organic matter. with some
available soil as the yeast 80 to speak,
to start the fermentation, and 70 m0isten;
the heap with the highly nitrogenous
liquid manures, and facilitate the pas.
sage through it Of the atmosphere,
which is done by Mr.. Bommer's plsn,of
leaving an air-space under the heap. to
set this nitrifying agency at work. and
to gather whatever Of the atmospheric
nitrogen can b made available.
Tho old plan and the new discovery
At together admirably. and the old
farmer who has passed away yet leaves
behind him his useful work, which
should bring him . wsll-deserved repu-
tation. but one Of which unfortunately
he can not now enjoy the fruits. It is
to Be hoped that this old method may
not be patented BY some new discoverer
who will tax the public for the work Of
his appropriation. Lest this might
happen, ! desire to inform yoaR many
readers who may usefally pat The
method in practice before any royalty
can be charged them for the use oft
In these days Of agricultural depres.
sion, every thing must count - reduce
expenses and increase products. Mill.
ions Of tons Of liquid manure 60 70
waste every year. every ton OF which
might yield twenty to thirty bushels Of
corn extra. or reduce the area Of land
cropped in proportion. And % lessen
cost of production. All this may b
saved most prodtably In this way, and
the saving Of it will develop . habit Of
saving and utilizing other wastes 10
work up with it-Henry Stewart IL
Country Gentleman.