PROPER APPLICATION OF FERTILIZERS. 65 



as found in the books, is singularly erroneous. Those of 

 Berzelius and Boussingault, so often quoted, certainly mislead, 

 and it is important that they be corrected. They mislead in 

 so far as they are applied to estimations of the value of what 

 is known as night-soil. We have found the actual phosphatic 

 and nitrogenous value of the contents of town and city 

 vaults to be far less than the estimates founded upon the 

 statements of these chemists. If the waste of kitchens is 

 permitted to flow into vaults, then we have altered conditions 

 most important in their nature. The sink liquids are usually 

 very rich in nitrogenous and potash elements, and we are 

 inclined to regard them in sewage waste as of greater value 

 than what comes from water-closets. The rapidity with 

 which human excretions pass through the stages of putrefac- 

 tive change detracts from their value, as the volatile and 

 gaseous constituents are thereby quickly lost. Night-soil as 

 such is beyond all question a greatly over-estimated product as 

 plant-food, and it is important that any errors in regard to it 

 should be corrected. 



Next in importance to the discovery of new forms of plant- 

 food is the knowledge how to apply them properly. In the 

 spreading of barnyard-manure even, there is need of much 

 skill ; but the employment of the new concentrated fertilizers 

 demands a much higher degree of aptness and care in order 

 that they be judiciously and properly distributed. It is 

 certain, that, in the securing of satisfactory crops, very much 

 depends upon the evenness with which fertilizers are sown 

 over fields. I assume, gentlemen, that you all very well 

 know the only proper .way to apply the super-phosphates and 

 the new combinations is by broadcast sowing. This should 

 be done after the fields designed for crops have been well 

 pulverized and harrowed, and before rolling. I cannot too 

 earnestly urge upon your attention this matter of the appli- 

 cation of fertilizers. Never trust to incompetent help the 

 sowing of the new agents any more than you would trust to 

 them the sowing of your grass-seeds. They need to be as 

 evenly and uniformly distributed as the seeds, and demand 

 equal attention. Also the combination of salts must be thor- 

 oughly and evenly mixed before they are taken to the fields. 

 Care in these regards will afford a satisfactory reward. 



It is certain that the new chemical fertilizers should not 

 9 



