134 [Senate 



nure. We did not understand him to say how much manure he used 

 per acre. The soil was a stiff loam. Where the fish were put; the 

 tops were best, through the season, and the yield of potatoes was 

 double what it was on the manured part. The effect of the fish was 

 sihown in the succeeding crops of carrots, oats, &c., for three years. 



Prof. Emmons said he thought horn shavings were a good manurey 

 probably better than bones. Both contain phosphorus and ammonia, 

 and bones contain lime. Ammonia is an essential ingredient in In- 

 dian corn, being found in the grain. Liebig attributes the action of 

 gypsum to its power of fixing ammonia ; that is, he supposes it to 

 absorb the ammonia existing in the atmosphere, which is thus brought 

 within reach of the plant. Prof. E. would account principally for 

 the action of horns, bones, &c., from their containing the food or ele- 

 ments of plants. He thought the action of the fish spoken of, was 

 prolonged by the animal matter being combined with salt. He spoke 

 of other substances as manure. Nitre, he said, has a tendency to 

 piroduce large stalks, but not so much grain. In regard to the exis- 

 tence of ammonia in the air, and its being brought down by rain and 

 snow. Prof. E. said he had, by evaporation, detected it in snow — it 

 was very perceptible by its scent, and affected the olfactories in the 

 same manner as the hartshorn of smelling bottles. 



Dr. Lee spoke in reference to the crop of corn raised by Mr. Hum- 

 phrey. He thought the ammonia of the horn shavings, produced the 

 principal effect ; but it was not wholly by supplying the plant with 

 this substance as food — it had a stimulating effect — by which more 

 root and leaf was formed, and the plant enabled to seek and obtain 

 other food, both from the earth and atmosphere. Plants contain 50 

 per cent of carbon, and they absorb this substance largely by their 

 leaves ; hence, by inducing the plant to put out leaves, its means of 

 obtaining carbon are increased. Common sal ammoniac has beeis 

 found highly beneficial in stimulating the growth of corn — the corn 

 being soaked, before planting, in a solution of this substance. He al- 

 luded to charcoal, which he thinks is the most valuable substance for 

 absorbing ammonia. It is from ammonia that the gluten of wheat is 

 formed ; and when charcoal is applied to the soil, ammonia is given 

 off as the growing wheat plant requires. To show the absorbing 

 power of charcoal, he mentioned that Port wine loses its color on 

 being run through it. He looked for a great increase in the yield of 

 wheat, from the use of charcoal ; he had, himself, already produced 

 wheat heads six and a half inches long, and containing 140 kernels 

 each. He believed that a yield of 60 bushels to the acre, was at- 

 tainable in this country. The English, said he, have now gone be- 

 yond that, and have produced 80 bushels per acre. He thought 

 ashes would be a very valuable manure on the sandy soils in the 

 neighborhood of Albany. The potash would render the fl!int of these 

 sandy soils soluble, by which, material for the straw would be pro- 

 vided, and by adding charcoal and bones, or horn shavings, the am- 

 monia, phosphorus, &c., necessary for the grain, would be supplied. 

 If the charcoal was saturated with urine, it would be better, because 

 this would give the elements of the grain at once. He would also 



