ANDROSCOGGIN COUNTY SOCIETY. 04^ 



growing plants, it will readilj discharge vegetable life as well as 

 color. It is true, that bj long exposure to the air it decomposes 

 epontaneouslj, and a muriate of lime remains which is not harmful 

 to plants and under certain conditions may be used to advantage. 

 This muriate of lime is one of the salts generated in preparing the 

 "salt and lime mixture" used for preparing muck, but it is not this, 

 but the free alkali (soda) evolved in the same process, which acts so 

 beneficially upon the muck. (See page 172 of Report for 1857.) 



It is very gratifying to find agriculturists awake to the import- 

 ance of chemistry, and it is by no means pleasant to differ from those 

 who honestly try to arrive at correct decisioriS; but we deem it a 

 •duty to utter a word of caution here. Agricultural chemistry is a 

 science not to be fully mastered in-a single month nor a single year, 

 and there 15 danger lest " a little learning," by its iinperfecliotiy 

 "prove a dangerous thing." 



Wlien a man "makes excellent manure," and from its use "re- 

 ceives ample returns," it is quite safe to assume that his compost 

 was prepared in accordance with the principles of true chemical 

 science, and to give little heed to "vain babblings and the opposi- 

 tions of BCionce falsely so called.'^ 



Mr. Gilbert's statement is appended.: 



To the Comtnittee on Compost Manure : — I have composted 

 thirty cart-loads oT manure in the following manner, this season : 



After I get done planting, say the first of June, I commence 

 making my compost by moving from the further end of my manure 

 shed all the manure, say five feet v/ide across the end ; then let one 

 hand take a six-tine fork and make fine one-half bushel of dung; 

 place another hand at the muck heap, which is on the outside, piled 

 against the wall of the manure shed, let them heave in at the win- 

 dow, or under the boarding, at some place prepared for the purpose, 

 muck sufficient to cover the bottom, then let both hands throw the 

 manure and muck together in equal quantities, as near as they can 

 guess, until they get the strip sufficiently high. Put another hand 

 at the muck, if needed, then take another strip across, and so on, 

 till the manure saved from the leanto is used up. Tlien I com- 

 menced hauling my horse maniye, thrown into an open shed the 

 winter before, where sheep laid on it when they pleased, mix as 



