76 [Senate 



useless in the thousands of mill ponds in our country. In the win-^ 

 ter of 1839-40, Mr. Whalen of Saratoga co., drew from a pond on 

 the Kayaderosseras creek 1000 loads of pond muck, and put it on a 

 field of 17 acres; soil light and sandy, or gravelly, and reduced by 

 skinning until it would produce nothing but sorrel and mullein. This 

 field, planted to corn, gave him 850 bushels. The extra product from 

 the use of this manure, he estimated at twenty bushels per acre. In 

 the winter of 1840-41, he took from the same pond 700 loads, and ap- 

 plied it to two other fields, and with similar results. Mr. Whalen 

 has also, at different times, drawn 800 loads of muck from an ash 

 swale, and found it to nearly or quite equal in its effect on vegetation, 

 the pond mud. After the corn, Mr. Whalen has uniformly grown 

 oats; and on these worn out lands, where he formerly would have lost 

 his seed oats, as well as the grass seeds used, he has been success- 

 ful, both taking well where the mud or muck had been used. For 

 heavy loams or clay, Mr. Whalen is of the opinion that a mixture of 

 lime or yard manure, with the muck or mud, would be indispensable. 

 This mixture, the experience of Mr. Clark of Northampton, and oth- 

 ers, shows, is well effected by placing the muck in the cattle yards or 

 pig styes, to be incorporated with the manures by the feet or noses of 

 the animals, and to act as absorbents of the urine and soluble matters 

 that are too frequently lost. 



Night soil, or the contents of privies, is one of the most powerful 

 and valuable of manures; but prejudices, combined with the difficul- 

 Nie-ht ^^^^ formerly attending its use, have prevented much attention 

 ®°ii' to it in England or the United States, until within a few years. 

 In consequence, a substance of the greatest importance to the farmer 

 has been regarded as a nuisance, and, in the vicinity of large cities, 

 has truly been so. Now, since science has taught the mode of pre- 

 paring it for use, its use is becoming general, and its value fully ap- 

 preciated. According to the analysis of manures, made by Boussin- 

 gault and by Dr. Dana, there is no manure ordinarily accessible to the 

 farmer so rich in the carbonates or salts of ammonia as this. This 

 will be seen by comparing it with horse dung, the value of which 

 is well understood. 



Horse manure. Night soil. 



Geine, 27. 23. 



Salts, 96 1.2 



Carbonate of ammonia, 3.24 15.32 



