FAEMS. 117 



cows, one horse, and two or three swine, — receiving contribu- 

 tions from the sink, the vault, the road-wash, &c., — he prepares 

 thirty-six good ox-cart loads a year. 



The causes of the failure of super-phosphate of lime above 

 mentioned are exceedingly obscure. The following cases pre- 

 sent an agreeable contrast. 



Mr. E.'s farm being some twenty miles north of the last 

 named, is chiefly sandy land, lying on the bank of the Merri- 

 mack River; the field which was the subject of experiment, 

 w^as a part of a large tract which has been lying common for 

 twelve or fifteen years. Ten years ago it was not even swarded 

 over. Mr. E. thinks the long fallow of ten years did somewhat 

 to enrich it ; but it was not till last spring that the enterprising 

 owner commenced his experiments. He then spread on some 

 thirty-two, rather small ox-cart loads of stable manure, consider- 

 ably mixed with loam, however, and planted it in seven inches 

 deep. Upon one acre of this field he then spread 300 pounds 

 of guano, — Peruvian, No. 1, — and upon the other acre he 

 spread 300 pounds of the super-phosphate of lime. The land 

 was then furrowed three and one-half feet apart, and a table- 

 spoonful of plaster was dropped in the furrows, so as to make 

 the hills about three feet apart. This, however, he thought, 

 proved too near. He dropped six kernels in a hill, but found 

 it one too many, as is always the case when all the seed comes 

 up. The corn came up well, but remained low and small until 

 about the 25th of June. Soon after this, say first of July, it 

 commenced growing, and had a very great growth. On account 

 of the thickness, as he believes, there were many false stalks. 

 From about the 20th of July, however, to the 10th of August, 

 there was no rain, and about one-half was given up as spoiled. 

 The remainder was more moist, and suffered less. The August 

 rains revived much of it, so that only about half an acre was 

 lost by drought ; but about the same quantity suffered from the 

 abundant subsequent rains. 



The guano had been applied to the moist acre, and the super- 

 2)hosphate upon the dry. Tlio whole crop was prostrated by a 

 wind about the last of filling time in September. The result 

 was, about ten bushels more from the dry acre, where the super- 

 phosphate was applied, than on the moist one, where the guano 

 was used. There were 184 full bushel baskets of husked corn, 



