MANURES. 31 



milch cows. He has abandoned that now on account of the 

 unpleasant flavor which it imparts to the milk ; but his experience 

 has been that for young growing- stook, or cows that have dried 

 up, nothing else will give such rapidity of growth, or place them 

 in so good condition in the spring. A gentleman who has been 

 feeding chum to his sheep for two years past, and is giving it 

 again this winter, told me the other day that it would increase the 

 weight of the fleece one pound per head over and above what he 

 would get by feeding anything else to his sheep, Indian corn only 

 excepted. 



To come back to the remark to which I have referred in the 

 Secretary's Report, I believe we shall find in the shoal water fish 

 along our coast line a " magazine of wealth " of which we have 

 never thought. And even as a fertilizer, after we have passed it 

 through the body of the animal, it may be that we have lost little 

 or nothing. 



The President, The gentleman speaks of the porgie chum. I 

 would inquire whether other refuse fish are good for sheep and 

 cattle ? 



Mr. Wasson. The herring chum is supposed by some who have 

 used it to contain even a greater amount of nutriment than the 

 porgie chum. I cannot conceive wherein is the difference between 

 that and the other shoal water fish which we call the flounder, the 

 tom cod, the sculpin, and the smelt. I know no reason why the 

 tom cod should not be as valuable as the porgie chum for cattle 

 food. 



One single fact in regard to this chum wliich 1 forgot before to 

 mention. Those who have used the chum associate with the 

 name that peculiar odor which attaches itself to it unless it is 

 properly prepared. We are now learning the proper way to pre- 

 pare this refuse. It is taken from the press and dried until it is 

 as inodorous as dried cod fish, and may be handled without impart- 

 ing any offensive smell at all ; and it is surprising to see with 

 what avidity sheep and cows- will eat it. They will pick up every 

 bone, no matter how large or how small. 



The question, was put to me by an intelligent gentleman, if we 

 did not render ourselves liable by allowing our sheep to eat the 

 bones, as it is impossible for them to eat the chum without the 

 bones ? I have never, noticed any injurious effect from that. To 

 show how eager they are for it, I will mention that I feed it to my 

 sheep in the morning, and they cannot be quieted until they 



