124 BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



the land once exhausted will, if allowed to rest for a few 

 years, regain its fertilit}', still it is found true in practice 

 that you must observe strictly the rules of addition and sub- 

 traction, and for every harvest that is taken from the land, 

 an equivalent must be added ; that is, whatever elements the 

 growing crop extracts from the soil must be returned to it. 

 I know of no other method by which its productive power 

 can be retained. 



And here the question arises, how can the requisite amount 

 of dressing be obtained to keep the so'il from deteriorating ? 

 I answer, that for the most part, each localit3% each farm, 

 should produce its own dressing. It may be economy in 

 some instances to use commercial manures in limited quan- 

 tities ; but admitting that these have a certain value, they 

 cannot be extensively used ; they are too expensive. The 

 Maine Farmer says : " The enormous amount paid oat by 

 Maine farmers alone, for the different kinds of commercial 

 fertilizers, would thoroughly astonish us, if the accurate 

 figures could be obtained. Low estimates called it $325,000. 

 It would be far safer to call it $500,000 ; and this we are 

 inclined to think would be much below the actual amount. 

 There is great risk in using these fertilizers. Some are good, 

 perhaps ; but it has been found in other States that there is 

 great fraud and deception in their manufacture, and the actual 

 worth is not found in the article. Better, ten times over, 

 depend upon the farm-yard, the compost heap, the home 

 resources of every available kind. Let nothing of this nature 

 go to waste. Let everything be saved, and what is now paid 

 out for commercial fertilizers may be spent for other objects." 



But it will be asked, is it possible for the average farms to 

 produce fertilizing elements in sufficient quantities to enable 

 the farmer to return to the soil as much as he takes from it, 

 or enough to prevent it from deteriorating ? I answer in the 

 affirmative. It has been demonstrated by experiment that by 

 a proper arrangement of barns, stables, pig-pens, &c. — by 

 the use of muck, ashes, &c. — the amount of dressing ma}^ be 

 increased one hundred per cent. But this requires care and 



