222 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



produce of the farm, mainly, in feeding animals, through whom the 

 riches of its vegetation may be returned in a form to furnish other 

 and better crops." 



However advantageous it may prove in many cases, to use various 

 artificial manures, we should not rely on them to any great extent. 

 Enormous adulterations of these articles of commerce are practiced. 

 No man purchasing a valuable manure one year, is certain of finding 

 it the same tlje next. There ie a disagreeable side to the picture of 

 the morals of trade. In the interior of the State, we must rely 

 almost wholly on our home resources, for manure. 



We have been abundantly and ably lectured on the importance of 

 saving manure, liquid as well as solid; but in connexion with soiling, 

 the subject may be again presented, from a consideration of its mag- 

 nitude, without an apology for the space it may occupy. 



Mr. Quincy says, "Taking into consideration the advantages 

 resulting from the urine saved by means of loam, |sand or some 

 imbibing recipient prepared to absorb it, it remains to show that the 

 cost of raising food, cutting it, and distributing it to the cattle, is 

 compensated by these savings. Upon this point, my own experience 

 has satisfied me, that the value of the manure alone is an ample 

 compensation for all this expense ; leaving the saving of land, of 

 food, and of fencing, as well as the better condition of the cattle, as 

 a clear gain, from the system. As an evidence of this, I state my 

 expenses for labor in conducting the soiling process. 



During the month of June, I liired a man to do every thing apper- 

 taining to the soiling process ; that is, cutting the food, delivering 

 it, taking care of the cattle (twenty cows) in the day time, for fifteen 

 dollars the month, he finding himself. In this arrangement, it was 

 estimated that I availed myself of half of his labor. At the end of 

 the month, I had the manure measured ; and I found that the man- 

 ure collected in my barn cellar, amounted to fifteen loads — this did 

 not include that Avhich was made in the yard during the four hours 

 each day — a quantity of manure which I could not have placed on 

 my farm for thirty dollars. 



During the remaining five months of the soiling season, I added 

 another man, because I found that a great economy in vegetable 

 food would result from cutting it into pieces, and mixing with it 

 about one third of cut salt hay or straw. This was done ; and I 



