SECRETARY'S REPORT. 15 



that item in such a way that the result should have a meaning 

 that could he understood. 



Two thousand of these circulars were printed, and probably 

 fifteen hundred were actually distributed, mainly by the mem- 

 bers of the Board themselves, in nearly every town in the State, 

 those receiving them doing so under an implied pledge that 

 they would undertake the experiment. By this course we 

 expected returns in such number and of such a character, that 

 we should be able to lay down some general principles for the 

 guidance of cultivators in the future, and indicate under what 

 peculiar circumstances of soil, manure, crop or weather, such 

 principles were inapplicable, and what variation from them 

 would be expedient. For instance — 



If we should find that out of a hundred persons cultivating 

 corn on a light, porous soil, with barn cellar manure, ninety of 

 them obtained the best crop from ploughing the manure in to 

 the full depth, it would be an important result ; but it would 

 not do to deduce from that fact that manure for corn should be 

 buried deep, as a rule, until we had ascertained the result of 

 the same operation on heavy soil. If the crops on such soil 

 should give the same proportion of success to the deep buried 

 manure, then it might be safe to say that the indications were 

 in favor of the general practice of placing manure deep for this 

 crop. It is not safe, however, to jump at conclusions too quickly. 

 Suppose, on examination, we should find that in all the one 

 hundred and eighty cases, the season had been a dry one, and 

 that in the remaining twenty, which were all in one general 

 locality, there had been frequent rains throughout the growing 

 season. We then might say, with much confidence, that barn 

 cellar manure should be buried deep on all soils in dry seasons, 

 and more shallow in wet ones. Suppose, on the other hand, 

 that in the one hundred experiments in heavy soil, the best 

 result should be attained by the surface application of the 

 manure, while in the light soil the greatest crop was realized 

 from that deepest placed. Then the principle to be deduced 

 would be, that on light soils, barn cellar manure for corn should 

 be applied deep, and on heavy soils, nearer the surface, or 

 upon it. 



The result of the experiments, as applied to the corn crop, 

 might uot agree with those upon roots, or small grains, and 



