8
imture, are forennat in im portance and diguity. They emsigt of oertain elem entary parts of animal and vegetable substances, elaborated by a . natural ohemioal process in thc oourse of tbe docompositioa or docay of thø bodies. The excrementitious matter, or dung of all animals, is no other than the remains of th e vegeta ble or anim affood which has been received into the stomacb, undergono tb ere a partial dissolution, and been thrown out as unserviceable for tbe further nutrition o f tbe sy stem b ruin this universal decay pf orgaoised m a tte r, and its con version into fluids and gases, it would seém th a t anirnal and vegetable substances, and oxcrementitious matter, are resolvable into eacb other, and are ouly different parts of tbe same original principles. T b e essential elements of theni all are hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen, either alone, or in some oases uuited witb nitrogen. C o n v ey ed by liquids or moist substances into tbe ground, tbese elements are sought for as nourishment by tbo rootS of p lints, and so form the co u s titu eo t principles of a new v e g e t a tion. Inasm uob as flesb consists of a g reater concentratiou of tbeso original elements tban vegetables, tbe manure produced by carnivorous nnimals (man included) is always more strong in proportion to its bulk than that discharged by animals who live only on herbage. Experienoe fully proves th a t all animal an d vegetable m anures are but varieties of o n o k i n d of priuciples ; their actual shape and appearance being of inuch less consequencø tban tbo degrees of strengtb in which tbese principles
reside in tbem.
W b a te v o r be tbo value of the elementary principles of manures, practically they are of no use as manure till t b e y o ro disengnged by putrefaction. I t may be further observed, tb a t putrefaction is in every instance produeod by tbo elem e n ta ry principles bein<* set at h b e n y eith er in a fluid or volatile stato. I f a quantity of sta ble dung be piled into a lieap, an d freely exposed to all varieties of w eatb er, it soon beats
»nd emits a stream of vapour, which is often visible as a cloud over it.
I bese vopours, and also tbe odours sent fortb, are gases cscaping, and tbe beap is constantly diminishing in weight and volutne ; at tbe end of six montbs, if tbere h av e been altern ate moisture and w.irmth, not above a fourlh of tbo original essential material remains to bo spread on tbe field ; there may bo in appearance nearly as mueb substauce, but it is com paratively ot little v alue— tbe real manure is goue, an d wbat remains is little Letter th an a mass of unputrefied rubbisb.
I t inay be safely averred, tbat no principle connectcd witb agricul- tu re is so little understood or thought of as tb a t which bas been now mentioned. W e tberofore crave tbe most earnest attention to it by ev e ry re a d e r of tbese pages. Generally speakin g, tbe excrementitious m atters thrown to tbo dung-bill aro treated witb perfeet indifferenco as to tho effocts of exposure a n d drainage aw ay in the form of liquids. It cannot bo too strongly s ta te d tliat tbis is a gross abuse ia farming. T h e putre- scent stream contnins tb e very essenco of tb e roanure, and sbould eith er be serupulously ooufined w itbm tbe limits of the dung-bill, or conveyed to fresh vegetable or cartby matter, that it m a y im part its nutritivo
qualuies. r
A kuowledgo of this im porta nt tru th has led to tb« practice of
— 9 —
raaking compost dung Leaps, in wliich ihe valuable liquids and gases of differcut kinds of manure are absorbed by earth, or some otlier substanee, and tlie wliole brouglit imo the condition cf an aclive manure for tlie fields. Ilitlierto, it bas been customnry to speak of dung-hills, but tliere ouglit to be uo such oljects The eolloction of manure from a farm- yard aud tffiees shouldfunn a dung p it, not a dung-fø7Z,- and tbe manner of making and managing tlie cements of tbis pit oa tbe best piineiples is well worthy of our cousideration.
F arm yard M anure.— Tbe situation of the dung-pit sbould be near tlie stables and cow-bouses, and placed so low tuat all streams ofurine from tliem sbould flow at once into it, so that nothing be losf. ]t may be three or fo u r/eet deep, and of a size proportionale to tbe stock of cnttle usually kept by the farmer. I t is not necessary tbat it sliould be built round with a wall, or have a perpendicular descent, as it mny slope gcutly imvards, and deepen gradually towards the centre. It sbould, if possible, bo covered by a root, to prevent tbe action of the sun. I f t h c bottom be found firm, impervious, aud capable of'containing tlie juices, no further troublc is rcquisite,and tlie work is coroplcte; in many instanccs, liowcver, it will be necessary first to puddle witli clay, and ilten lino tbe bottom with flig-stenes. lato this pit, cartli, with refuso straw, sbould be brought, and strcwed over the bottom and sloping sides, to tbo thiek*
ness of from nitte to twclve inebes, and tbis will form an inferiør layer to absorb all tbat portion of tbe liquid manuro wliich naturally runs to tbe bottom. Tbe pit is now prepared to receive all kinds of animal and vcgetable manure, wliich, wlten brouglit, sbould be »lways laid evenly over tbo suifuce. In Scotlund, sueb dnng-pits are cotnnton, and in tbo course of accumulatioD, a young or wintering stock of cattle is allowed to go at large npon the wltole; tbo aniinals being at tbe same time fed on a proper nllowancc of straw. Care is also tuben to mis, in laying on, tbe dung brouglit from tlie cow-house, stable, and piggeries, so iliat tbe rich exereroent of tbe wcll-fed animals may bo ineorporated with ibat of a poor description from otbeis. I t is likewiso of tbe utmost importance, tbough too fiequcntly neglccted, to convcy to tbe pit tbe om iro liquid tefuse of tbo farm-yard, provided tbe quantity bc not so greut as to muko it advisable to have a separate pit for its reception.
It is customary to cart away tlie material of tbe dung-pit at con- venient opportunities (usually during tbe frosts in winter), to a placo in tbe fields, near wbero it is to be used, and tbero pilo it up in a quadran- gulnr lieap of about four feet in height. I)uDg, carted out in this man- Der, is rendy for tbo turnip busbandry in June, and the practice is otber- wise convenient. I t may, liowcver, be stated, tbat for wunt of attention to principles alrendy explamed, such dung-beaps, bv expo6ure for montlis to the weatber, must lose some of their valuable propertics. I n every instance, the dung-heap in the fields sbould be placed in a liollow situa
tion, with a substratum of eartb, and sbould Lave a scatteriDg of n tew ittehes of earili over it, ond around the sides, to keep in tbo volatile gases. When tbo dung-pit bas been thus emptied, it may again be pro- gressively filled as before ; and when itis carted out in any of the spring
Montlis,
it will befound necessary to turn
itonce, or oftener, for
the— 10
purposo of occeicratmg the decomposition of the strawy part of tha mass l t may be of use to kuour, however, that the dung required for fallows for wheat in nutumn, may be less putrefied than that for turnip crops.
Liquid Manure, Bone-Dust, fyr,.— T he uriuo of cattle is of great value as a mauure, and this is so well kuorvn to the farmers of BeMutn, tliat they use tanks for collecting the liquid from the cow-houses, aud thonce they pump it up, and pour il over the land at the proper soasoo.
Wheu mixed with vegetable refuse, moss, or eartb, it forms an excellent compost. I t is deeply to be regretted that so little is kuown ou this sub*
j a e t ; and such is the carelcssness of farmers and cottagers, that tho urino trom tlieir cattle-stalls is in most cases suffered to go completely to vraste.
The value of nightsoil and human urine as mauures is equally great, but both are tnucb neglected in British agriculturc. W ithout en te ring mi*
nutely ioto details on this point, it may be stated, that the offensive odour of all excreinentitious malter may be ncutralised by an iutermixturo gypsutn. or limo and eartli, and in tbis State be used as most valuablo munure. Bone dust is now used as a highly nutritious manure on light soils ; and it is reekoned tliat 100 busliels are cqual to 40 cart-load.” of larm-yard tnnnure, Common sea salt, when judiciously administered in moderate qunntitk-s on urable land at ihe time of fullowing, has heen found of great value for its manuring and cleaning properties. It pro- motes fertility. is a'remedy against smut and rust,preserve« ihe seed fiora verinin, and is particularly uselul in increasing the produce of grasa lauds.
G u a n o.— T h o sterile soils of South A m erica are m anured with a eubstunce cailed guauo, oonsistiug of u rate of ammonia and o t t e r aro- xnoniaoiil salts, by the use of whloh a luxuriant vegetation aud the riebest orops a r e obluined. Guano is tlio exerem ent of seafowl, aceum ulated for centu ries on t h e g r o u u d ; being collected by the naiives, it is now import ed into Britain By m erchauts for the u>e of ugricnl turists. T lie lllcre.ise of crops obtained by its application to land is said to be very remar.tablo. Aocording to one nuth ority, the crop of potatoes is in- erensed forly times By it, and maize t h ii ty tiim-s. This may be an ex- Uggeratiou ; but it is certain tliat guano contains ammoniaeal salts in ubund*nce, and ot lier inorgunic coiutitu ents wliieli are indispensable for the development of plants. L ik e bonedust, it is now sold by merchauts iu sou-port towns.
L i m e . — D r y lime from the kiin is a powerfully exciling ag e n t in ngrioulluro. It possesses the potver o!1 decomposing unimal and vegetable m a tte r, and en ters ns un element into the fabric of plants; in certain cases it only alters tho constiiutiori of tho soil. T h e great uso of lime is to p r 'p u - f newly braken-up l ind for succcssful cultivation. I f mootisb or w iste sod is iniieli infVsiud wiih the tenacious roots of ruslies, beaths, and otlii r weeds,wliieli resist th e mechunical actiou of the harrow, and yiel l >lu «ly to p irrefn cth m , tlio hest mode is to till the ground, and allmv it to lie iu this stato fur twelvo or eighteen months, or even two J'ears, belure applying the lime. I t is theu generally applied in aqtumn, uud lilied in ns soou as possible ; but if not immediately tillod in, the fioil with the limo on it ehould be harrowed,so that its decomposing effeet*
11 —
mny act as poweifuily ns possible upon tlie vegetable matter. Aftot these operations, thc land is sown two successive years with oats, without nny fallowiog but that dcscribed, and along with tlie second crop of oats somo tenants sow it out in grass seeds for pasture. O.liers, after tbe first or second crop of oats, give the land a summer fallow for one scason or a green crop with manure. On tbe following season, another crop of oats is taken, along with wbich grass seeds are sown, and in this stato it is comraitted to pasture. In some cases, after tillage, tlie soil is allowed to lie for one, two, or more years, according to its nature, after wliich it is redueed to a complete State of pulverisation by n wellwrought naked summer fallow. On tbo spring following it is limed, and tbe lime is well liarrowed in along with grass seeds alone; and in tbe following season tbo land is committed to pasture. This, however, is a very expensive mode, and cannot be recommended to tenants whose lease is of a moderate lengtb. I t is decidedly tbe most enriching mode -of layiog down wasto land with lime only for pasturage, as the energy wliich the lime commu- nicated to the soil is not exbausted by grain crops.
From the "St. Croix Avis,” June Sth, 1860.
Translation.
W E F R E D E R I K
t h eS E V E N T H ,
B y the G race o f G o d K i n g o f D en m a rk , the V an dals a n d the G oths, D uke o f S lcsw ick , H olsteen, S to rm a rn , D itm a r sh , L a u e n b o rg and
O lden borg
,
Makb Kno w n : On the report of our Minister of F in anee who has laid before Us tlie deliboration o f tlie Colonial Couneil od a Drnft of an Ordinance to e x ten d to the D a u b h W estindia Possessions the Law of 29th December 1S57, enacting th a t funds belonging to minors sliall, in future, wben not exceeding 100 Kdl., not be given in tru st to tbe U pper- guardians, &c. W e do most graciously decrce :
Tbe Law of 291h December 1857 enacting that funds belonging