FERTILIZER CONTROL STATION. 293 



The chief ingredient of clam shells, as these and many other 

 anah'ses show, is carbonate of lime, and they do not contain an ap- 

 preciable amount of any of the more costW ingredients of plant 

 food. Like lime, these shells are not a fertilizer in the sense that 

 barn manure or a siiperphoshate is, and their effect would be indirect. 

 In fact their effect, when finely ground, would be similar to that of 

 lime, only less vigorous. Fifty-six pounds of well-burned lime 

 would add to the soil all that is of value in a hundred pounds of 

 clam shells, and would, when thoroughly air slaked have an equal or 

 greater effect on crop production. 



Hen Manure. 



A communication was received from E. F. Roundy, Esq., No. 

 Hermon, asking in regard to the expense of procuring the analysis at 

 the Station of a sample of hen manure. The reply was made that 

 if Mr. Roundy would carefully select a sample, and weigh a barrel- 

 ful of the manure from which the sample was taken, the analysis 

 would be performed free of charge. 



Two samples of hen manure were received, accompanied by the 



following letter : 



May 9, 1887. 

 Dear Sir: — 



'•I send you two samples of hen manure by Express. Sample A is 



the droppings as taken from the platform under the roosts, and not dried. 



A common flour barrel filled and well firmed in weighs 200 pounds net. 



The hens which made the above were fed principally on oats and wheat 

 bran with some corn meal and corn. 



Sample B is hen manure in which there were put a very few ashes and 

 about 20 pounds of plaster per barrel. About four weeks ago it was 

 piled in the barn floor and has been worked over several times since. It 

 weighs at present time 175 pounds per barrel, net, well chopped in. 



Please state the amount of the several constituents and their value. 

 Some think a barrel of hen manure as good as a barrel of phosphate. 

 Acting upon that idea, I, last year, planted a few rows, using the manure 

 in about the same quantity as I did of phosphate on other corn. 



The corn under which the manure was put did not amount to much, 

 while the other was good." 



The samples of manure were analyzed, and the results are given 

 in the reply sent to Mr. Round}'. 



Dear Sir: 



"We have completed the analyses of the samples of hen manure which 

 you sent to the Station, with the following results: I give first the per- 

 centages and valuable ingredients in the two samples as received. 



