422- [Senate 



the year when it was applied. If plowed in as soon as applied, the 

 crops of four or five years would be manifestly improved. 



Mr. B.'s experience and observation had convinced him, that ani- 

 mal and vegetable manures should be exposed as little as possible to 

 the sun, air and drenching rains. It was also his opinion that when 

 manures are plow^ed in, they cannot be kept too near the surface, 

 provided they are so covered and mixed that their essence will be car- 

 ried by the rains to the roots of the plants. The nourishing parts of 

 manure can only enter plants in a state of solution. This solution is 

 effected by rains, during the season of vegetation. There is also a 

 constant evaporation of water, and the essence of the manure ascends 

 with it — thus that portion not intercepted by the roots of plants, es- 

 capes into the air. 



Mr. NoTT remarked that he had been much pleased with hearing 

 the experience of Mr. Bement, who was acknowledged to be a good 

 farmer, especially in relation to the preparation of his manures. He 

 wished to know, however, if he (Mr. B.) had any facts which go to 

 show that there is any benefit from composting manure w^hich is to 

 be plowed in as soon as put upon the land ; and if the benefit is in 

 proportion to the increased amount of labor necessary % The 

 price of labor was comparatively high with us, and he doubted if the 

 benefit from composting was sufficient to induce our common farmers 

 to deviate from the usual practice. All our publications were full of 

 plans in regard to the best method of preserving manures, and the 

 compost heap was generally recommended. He considered the re- 

 commendations of vats for saving urine, and the compost heap, are 

 better adapted to the climate of Europe than of this country. He 

 put up his cattle about the first of November, and from that time the 

 manure was thrown out in a heap, nothing being lost during the win- 

 ter from fermentation in consequence of the lowness of temperature 

 in our climate, with the single exception of horse manure, and in 

 that but to a slight degree. Four-fifths of our farmers leave their 

 manure exposed to the weather, and do not lose much from leaching 

 because during that season of the year, there are very few rains. He 

 wished to know if Mr. Bement had arrived at any facts in the course 

 of his experiments which would convince the farmer that it was for 

 his advantage to adopt his system. 



Mr. Bement said that his principal object in making a compost 

 heap, was to increase the quantity of his manures, and to save 

 the liquid. There was a great difference in the strength of manures. 

 Hog manure he considered the strongest of animal manures — next 

 that of sheep, of horses — that of cattle being the weakest of all. As 

 to the labor of making his compost heap — it was done at a season 

 when he could do little or nothing else. He had had better success 

 with compost manure than with long manure — especially when ap- 

 plied to root crops. The principal object, however, was to increase 

 the quantity. 



Dr. Lee said that in conversation with Geo. Geddes, esq., of Onon- 

 daga county, a few days since, he learned that the gentleman consid- 

 ered one load of fermented manure worth three of unfermented, for 



