SAND AS AN ABSORBENT. 61 



rain. If you put it on during a slight sprinkling of rain, 

 — and it don't hurt a person if he gets his coat wet at that 

 time of year, — you will see its effects in a few days. You 

 will see the grass change color, and you will have it a lively 

 green. This was very dry land ; and it was very dry, espe- 

 cially the last part of May, and I did not expect to cut the 

 grass before the 15th of June. It was in blossom the 1st of 

 June. I took this method of hastening the maturity of the 

 crop. Just as soon as there came a moist day, we carted out 

 as much of this liquid manure as we could. I think a man 

 with a few pails can carry out a great deal more than a horse 

 can draw out of sand. I know this much, that there is 

 nothing that will start grass so quick as liquid manure. I 

 have this advantage over a great many who have no cellar 

 under their barn. They lose the liquid portion of their 

 manure, which I consider about equal in value to the solid 

 part. I will give you my word for it, that there is nothing 

 that you can apply to grassland that will act so quickly and 

 efficiently as the liquid part of your manure put on in a 

 moist time. 



Mr. Upham (of Sturbridge). I understand my friend 

 Whitaker's land is light, gravelly soil. Is not that so ? 



Mr. Whitaker. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Upham. I would like to ask him if he has had any 

 experience in absorbing his liquid in sand, and putting it on 

 clay or wet soil. 



Mr. Whitaker. I have never had any experience of 

 that kind ; but I will tell you what I would do if I had such 

 land. I would not put the sand into my barn-cellar, and 

 draw it out again : I would put the sand on the clay and 

 plough it in, and put the manure on afterwards. I would 

 not be foolish enough to put it into my cellar, and draw it 

 out again. 



Mr. Hubbard. I want to say one word in favor of sand. 

 Perhaps these farmers will laugh at me (I have been laughed 

 at in my neighborhood) for hauling sand into my barn-cellar 

 for bedding for my cows, for the sake of getting all the 

 liquid into it possible, and drawing it out, and spreading it 

 on low, moist land. My neighbors said I was very foolish, and 

 my hired help said I was very foolish ; but, if you will come 

 to my place to-day, I will show you a large hole from which 



