SECRETARY'S REPORT. 115 



Gitano and super phosphate of lime, have been fairly tried — 

 and in my own experience, are equal to stable manure when 

 applied in such quantity as to equal the cost of cartage of the 

 stable manure. Plaster produces no effect, nor can I see that 

 lime does." 



A farmer of Cumberland County, replies to the same inquiry: 

 *' Certainly not less than a hundred per cent., and I am happy to 

 add, that of late, a more general interest is felt on the subject 

 of manures. Barn cellars and sheds are coming into use daily. 

 It is admitted by all who have used them, that a cord of manure 

 from a cellar is worth at least one and a half or two cords 

 which has been exposed to the sun, air and rains ; and with little 

 expense the quantity can be more than doubled by the use of a 

 cellar, and of absorbents. We have used manure, generally, in 

 a crude state, but a different system is being adopted, that is, 

 composting and fermenting before being used. Guano and other 

 special fertilizers have hardly been fairly tried." 



An esteemed correspondent, near the centre of the State, 

 writes as follows : 



" To improve the quality of manure, many of our farmers have 

 constructed barn cellars, others sheds, to cover the manure from 

 the weather ; and have some way got the notion that they have 

 made some improvement thereby, though I think their views 

 are not very dehnite on this head. Sheds under which horse 

 manure is thrown to lay some months, not mixed with other 

 material, or worked by hogs, or otherwise, I deem a nuisance. 

 Such manure is very thirsty and needs much water while fer. 

 mentation is going on ; and if it does not come to the air so as 

 to imbibe moisture, it should be added artificially or from the 

 eaves of the barn. Comparatively cold manure, such as that 

 of neat cattle and of the hog, should be mixed with the dry and 

 hot, like that of the horse and sheep, and be worked together,, 

 else to exclude water wholly, is only a damage. 



Most of our farmers now use muck to some extent in their 

 yards and pens of swine, as a divisor and absorber and cooler 

 and moistener of the other manures, and with good effect. 

 This practice is becoming general quite as fast as could be ex. 

 pected, especially as there is yet considerable vagueness in the 

 minds of many, even of the majority, as to the precise utilitj of 



