SECRETARY'S REPORT. 79 



Still further west, from the county of Berkshire, a practical 

 farmer writes as follows : — 



"I have been in the practice of making a compost heap, for 

 several years, of about one hundred loads. My mode of 

 making is as follows : to one load of manure use two loads of 

 rich soil and turf. I commence by a layer of two loads of 

 loam and then one of manure, and continue in this manner until 

 I finish my heap. I generally make it in the fall ; it would be 

 as well to do it in the spring, if there is time. In the spring, 

 I work it over, put into it one hundred bushels of ashes, a few 

 bushels of salt, and half a ton of plaster, and it is ready for 

 use. It is good for top-dressing on grass land, and for any 

 crop you may wish to cultivate. 



"I think that any of our farmers might doul)le the quan- 

 tity of manure, hy collecting vegetable material about the 

 farm, that goes to waste, and the use of muck, turf, and rich 

 soil, keeping the hogyard well replenished, and have the com- 

 post heap the place to put every thing that will add to that 

 which is valuable for manure. All compost manures should be 

 well pulverized and mixed." 



To close these extracts, and as a fair specimen of a large 

 number of interesting and valuable letters received on this 

 subject, from all parts of the State, I give the following : — 



" The manure principally used, is that made by cattle and 

 hogs. Little attention is paid to composting. Some use loam, 

 or muck, in quantities sufficient to prevent waste of the liquid 

 part of the manure ; beyond this, some think that the labor of 

 carting is more than the advantage gained. 



" I have no doubt that one hundred per cent, might be added 

 to the value of manure, by saving the liquid portion and keep- 

 ing the whole under cover, preventing, as far as possible, the 

 escape of the gases, by composting with muck, gypsum, or any 

 other matter by which the escape of the ammonia may be 

 arrested. Most of our farmers expose their manure to the 

 weather, when by simply keeping it under cover they would 

 save, at least, one-third of its value." 



These extracts, and many others that might be given, if 

 space allowed, show the enormous loss that is sustained, for 

 the want of a little additional care and labor; loss not only to 



