100 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



get together enough animal manures to grow our crops ; and 

 in addition to that, we want something to start them with, and 

 every farmer in our region finds that his crop is increased, is 

 driven ahead, and gets beyond the reach of frosts, by the use 

 of some of the phosphates. We find that we are not successful 

 in raising large crops if we do not put some manure in the 

 hill. But these things are ordinarily so expensive that it is 

 only occasionally that farmers are using them in large quan- 

 tities. Now, if we can obtain them in the methods which have 

 been mentioned, we can increase our crops at very small 

 expense, and our farms will be generally benefited. 



Now I want to remind you that the whole subject is open for 

 discussion. It is true, we cannot all discuss it in the scientific 

 method which the lecturer has followed. It is a good deal like 

 the alphabet, that the boy said he knew by sight, but he couldn't 

 tell the names of the letters. But we have practical knowl- 

 edge of certain matters connected with our farming operations, 

 which will prove profitable themes for discussion this morning. 

 In the first place, there is the subject, sometimes discussed, of 

 the value of gypsum. We have found it very necessary to use 

 a great deal of gypsum — plaster of paris. We find it of great 

 advantage to us in the spring upon certain soils. Then it 

 is a question whether it can be used to advantage upon any 

 soil except those which are dry. Then there is another ques- 

 tion in relation to hard-coal ashes. A great many farmers 

 throw away their coal ashes ; and as coal is being used all 

 through our farming region, the question has become one of 

 very great importance, whether some use cannot be made of the 

 residuum of our furnaces. I have heard gentlemen say that 

 they have used coal ashes with very great advantage. They 

 have found that coal ashes, put around their fruit-trees, pro- 

 duced results which they did not anticipate. In Pennsylvania, 

 where bituminous coal is consumed, we find some crops almost 

 entirely manured by those ashes. When I was there, this last 

 season, I saw some potatoes that were raised with no other 

 manure. I had no doubt, from what I saw there, that those 

 ashes were of some value. Then in relation to bones. A great 

 many farmers have found them to be, in the end, the cheapest 

 manure, and the most lasting in their effects, even when used 

 in the natural state. We know that in the old country, their 



