THE 'ABATOR.
We copy the following article from our exchange
paper. We .believe, bat are not certain, the cred
it due U to the American Farmer. Its views arc
sound, and its suggestions valuable. ;
COMPOSTING MANURE. ,
There arc manj opinions in regard to the pro
priety of composting manures, some considering
it'labar, lost .while others think it a positive.inju
ry, and declare that all mruure should be plowed
under, as frc3h as possible, so that the laifd and
tho growing crops may have the benefit of the
raises cscaninf? .durimr fermentation. We shall
not discuss this question at the present time ; but
will merely state that we think almost every farmer
should have a good compost 'heap, and willgivc
our reasons (or this opinion, and some hints as' to
its formation". We cannot add to the elements of
fertility by mixing manure, bat we can prevent
their loss, and affect both the chemical union of
the mass. , IJy a proper system ot composting the
farmer is enabled to save and turn to valuable ac
count as manure, many substances which other
wise would be entirely wasted, such as decaying
vegetables, turf, soap-suds and other slop? from
the house, peat, muck, licjuid manure, &c. Those
who. live near cities or villages can often obtain at
a cheap rate very valuable materials for enriching
the compost heap, such as bone and horn shavings,
woolen -waste from the - cloth dressers, offal from
slaughter houses, and many other things which we
need not mention. These ; materials may be com
posted whenever they" can be obtained, and the
compost neap thus oecomes trio store-nouse where
every thing valuable for manure is- preserved nntil
needed for the land. It woulcl not be convenient
or even practicable to apply such materials direct
ly to the soil, and there lore many of them wood
never bo obtained, and othe rs wasted. The far
mer who has a compost heap) the valuo of which'
ho is anxious to increasp'.isv always on the look
out for some valuable material with which to en
rich it. A gentleman who first paid particular at
tention to this matter in 1856, informs us that ho
was surprzed at the size and value ofthis manure
heap, even after tho accumulation ofvbnlya few
months; It seemed to be always on his mind, and
when he saw anything in the yard, the corners of
the fences, the swamp, or on the sides of the road,
that he thought would add to it$ value if its remo
val was not then: c
until a leisure hour occurred, and was then'carted
- to the compost heap. v Composting is valuable in
destroying ftne sccas on grass anu weeas mat
abound inalrabst all ;inn inrcjras well nsjthbse of
the weeds which should help to swell the1 manure
heap;- If uspd a8;;manurefvitlloutcpmpoitingf,
these seeds will grof ; anOPbe , troublesome, and if
permitted to lay around the corners of the fields)
&c. they become ' scattered. ?v f vl.
? : The' compost - heap is generally an agglbmm1
won otsevery tmng tnac- can ne rakeu or scraped
together, and many seem to thinks that therefore
its value depends' upon - ii size. This is far from
being the fact. It would, . be aowdste.of labor to
cart common soil to the compost heap, to be again
carted to the land as tho soil would gaimnothing
by the operation, unless made useful in retarding
the too rapid fermentation of the manure, or in
absorbing gasses evolved in the .decomposition.--Mixjiig'two
Manures together in a compost does
not necessarily improve them. 'Indeed, the value
of each niay bo deteriorated by the mixture. For
instance, if blood bffal,,x &c., from the slaughter
house should be - composted with barn manure, a
the value'of both be lessened. Lime we often see
put into the compost heap, but if it should.'be mix'
cd with a compost similar. . to the above, the mis-,
chief would be complete, as the nitrogen, contain-' ,
eu in these organic substances, and -the most Tal-v
u able part of the ma'nhre, wOuldbe in a greafcf
mea sure , aissipated, lne ramttitywun; wnicJi :?
lime dissipates ammonia may;i be easily tested on,
a small scale, by placingsoinc Dioistened g-uanq
in the palm of the hand, then 'adding a little pow-!
dered lime "and rubbing both together with the fin
ger. The smell of ammoniac wilLbe as strong as
as from a bottle of hartshorn.- IfJ instead cjf mix
ing these two strong manures the slaughterhouse
and barn yard together, they had been composted
materials with the animaljhan with the barn4yard
manure, decomposition .would have been gradual,
and most of the ammonia would have been-retain
cd. Composting would thus have been of advan
tacre. narticularlv in the case of the offal, as this is
too concentrated a manure to be applied idircetly ;
to the land. We have seen crops destroyed by its1
use. The lime, too, though doing yinjufy in the
case we have presented, might be composted with
advantage with any-material who decomposition,
it was desirable'to hasten as peat or Isaw dust '
v-U is somewhat difficult to manage a com post inr
thistclimate in ! the summer. Our summers are
so warm and dry that compost3, if formed of. ma
torials that will decompose readily, become burnt
or ' ' r i n K-FA N' ok d and their value alpost entirely
destroyed. -Usin a large quantity ! of earth or
swamp muck, and salt; or some similar material
that will retard decompositionrand.frequen turn
ing and wcttincr is the onlv wav we, know of Irv
prevent this, when exposed to tho sun This Is',
laborious, and requires a large supply of water
handy to the manure. ' Our nurserymen hate a
good v deal ofr experience f:in managing vmanurer
a they yearly spend large amounts of money in
its purchase and, preparation for the soil, a Their
practice," therefore,;is worthy; the cbnsideratibn pT
the-manure thev use. In tho summer tlris isdOne
under coverdimi they havejsheds or roofo support
ed oh poles,1 for this purpose, something similar to
the roofs in5 bock-yard's, under which the'bricks
are drid before burning. Under these-sheda h&
compost heaps are formed, composed of;, about
two thirds manure and - one thira earth, and tb
these heaps 'are added .' jiUthev' refusecbilectcd ya
the pilc3 arc. well covered with earth, and they, are-