324 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Valuation ^jer ton of 2,000 pounds. 



121.6 pounds of soluble phosphoric acid, $15 20 



16.8 " of reduced " "...... 1 68 



6.4 " of insoluble " " 39 



98.6 " of nitrogen " " 24 65 



$41 92 



This article was in a good mechanical condition ; it had 

 been manufactured for the special use of those who desired a 

 more speedy action, than the animal dust, in its genuine or 

 original condition, would accomplish. 



On a previous occasion, I pointed out the valuable proper- 

 ties of this class of animal fertilizers when carefully prepared ; 

 yet it appears, from communications received, that here and 

 there complaints have been raised regarding their merits as 

 manures. Many of these unsatisfactory results may be 

 traced, no doubt, to a faulty mode of application. It is quite 

 frequently the practice among our farmers to apply their 

 fertilizers too late in the season to render possible any decisive 

 influence on the crops of the first year. 



The spring, in this section of the country is, comparatively 

 speaking, very short. 



Coarse, and, for the larger part, insoluble manurial matters, 

 cannot disintegrate sufficiently within a few weeks to permit 

 an advantageous diff'usion throughout that body of the soil 

 upon which the coming crops are to feed. Animal dust, as a 

 general rule, if not applied late in the fall, ought to be com- 

 posted at least a few weeks before it is incorporated in the 

 soil. A second cause of unsatisfactory results is apparently 

 due to the quite common practice of placing more or less of 

 the fertilizer in bulk, without any other further preparation, 

 near the seeds. This mode of using fertilizers is only safe 

 when the fertilizer is sufficiently diluted to prevent a serious 

 reaction on the j^oung plant. Our old-fashioned, diluted com- 

 mercial fertilizers could be used without any farther manipula- 

 tion, in many instances, with but little risk; the better class 

 of our concentrated soluble commercial fertilizers of the 

 present day, ought never to be applied in their genuine con- 

 dition directly to the seed ; it is essential for success that 

 they be mixed previously with at least three or four times 



