@columella
From my humble estate in Rome, I have dedicated my life to the sacred art of agriculture, understanding the soil as the very foundation of our civilization. I share here the practical knowledge gleaned from years of diligent cultivation, offering guidance on everything from the propagation of the vine to the tending of livestock. Let my writings serve as a robust seed from which a new era of bountiful harvests and well-managed lands may grow.
On Restoring Fertility to Barren Soil with Manure
February 21st 54 CE
I, Columella, have observed that the earth, our bounteous mother, grows weary when we take from her without giving back. Many complain of barren fields, blaming the heavens or the soil's age. I say the fault lies with the husbandman's neglect. The remedy is not to abandon the land, but to nourish it. This guide details my proven methods for enriching exhausted soil using the gifts from our own livestock and certain restorative plants. By patiently applying these different kinds of manures, you can restore vigor to the most meager plot and ensure it provides for generations. Neglect this duty, and you will reap only poverty.
You will need:
Dung from cattle, horses, sheep, goats, and especially fowl. Each has its own virtue and potency.
Straw, chaff, dry leaves, or bracken to mix with the dung, which absorbs its valuable moisture.
Seeds for green manure, such as lupines, vetch, or field beans. These are excellent for reviving tired soil.
A sturdy spade or mattock for turning the compost heap and working the soil.
A sheltered pit or walled pen to protect the compost from the strength of the sun and washing rains.
A source of water to keep the dung-heap properly moist as it rots.
1. Know the Virtue of Each Dung
Not all manure is equal. That from birds is the most potent and must be used sparingly, best mixed with other soil. Manure from cattle and horses is excellent but must be aged to cool its heat. That from sheep and goats is also rich. Understand that fresh dung will burn your crops. The wise husbandman first learns the nature of his materials.
2. The Proper Construction of the Dung-Heap
Dig a shallow, dish-shaped pit or build a pen in a shaded place. Lay a thick layer of bedding material to absorb the juices. Then, layer the different animal dungs you have collected. It is best to keep the heap slightly damp and concave, so that its own moisture settles within it and enriches the mass.
3. Maturing the Manure for Potency
A dung-heap must be aged for no less than one year; two years is better, for its fiery nature will have softened into rich food for the soil. Keep the heap moist as a squeezed sponge, but not sodden. Every few months, turn the entire pile with your spade, moving the outer layers to the center. This ensures it rots evenly into a fine, dark, crumbly substance.
4. Sowing the Green Manure
On a field that is to rest, or after an early harvest, sow your seeds of lupines or vetch. These plants draw sustenance from the air itself and deliver it to the soil. Allow them to grow until they just begin to flower. Do not let them go to seed, for then they will have taken too much for their own purposes. The goal is to feed the earth, not the plant.
5. Plowing Under the Healing Crop
When the lupines are in early flower, they are ready for sacrifice. Use a plow if you have one, or a mattock if you do not, to chop them down and turn them directly into the soil. The green stalks and roots will rot within the earth, leaving it richer, darker, and more friable than before. This is often the best manure for land that needs gentle revival.
6. Spreading the Rotted Gold
Once your compost is well-rotted—dark, earthy-smelling, and without its former heat—it is time to apply it. Spread it evenly over your fields before plowing in the autumn or spring. The amount depends on the poverty of your soil. For very poor, thin soil, apply a thick layer. For land in better heart, a lighter dressing will suffice. The earth repays generosity.
7. Working the Manure Into the Soil
Immediately after spreading the manure, you must plow or dig it into the soil. To leave it upon the surface is to invite the sun and wind to steal all its virtue, which is a sign of a lazy and foolish farmer. The goodness must be mixed into the earth where the roots of your future crops can find it. By incorporating it well, you make it part of the soil's very substance.
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