148 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



the fact that they do not plough as much as they did formerly, 

 I do not know ; but I tliink probably that does affect the 

 question largely. 



Mr. Robinson. For nearly thirty years T have been experi- 

 menting more or less with commercial fertilizers. I have 

 used different kinds of guano, bone, and a great many of the 

 super-phosphates of lime. With the guanos I was generally 

 successful. I have had several kinds of super-phosphate that 

 were nearly worthless, and other kinds that I have found very 

 good. I have been so well pleased with them that I have 

 come to the conclusion that I cannot farm it without super- 

 phosphates on my soil, which is a gravelly loam, with a bot- 

 tom of clay. I cannot plant, nor sow, nor do anything on 

 my farm without it. I cannot even plant a row of peas, or a 

 hill of cucumbers, or sow a bed of beets, without super-phos- 

 phate of lime, and if I did not think it paid I certainly should 

 not buy it, for when 1 first began to use it it was pretty ex- 

 pensive. 



Now, one gentleman inquired what kind of special fertilizer 

 he should buy. I cannot tell him, any more than Mr. Hub- 

 bard could, but I would recommend to every farmer to make 

 -all the stable manure he can ; and, furthermore, I would 

 j'ecommend him to use phosphates, if he cannot make sta- 

 ble manure enough, I suppose I am situated differently from 

 smy friend Mr. "Vv'^ebb. He lives where he can probably get 

 stable manure pretty handy ; I cannot. I can buy stable ma- 

 nure sometimes, but I have to cart it some two or three miles. 

 It costs more to bring that stable manure to my farm than 

 the superphosphate does. I have used it on grass land and on 

 :all sorts of crops, and I am certain that it pays well. I would 

 recommend every man to try one kind, and then another, to 

 try different kinds, side by side, and see which produces the 

 best results, and when he finds which kind best answers his 

 purposes, if he can get it of a party who is reliable, let him 

 stick to it, unless the dealer begins to clieat. As long as we 

 have these analyses, we can rely upon these things, generally. 

 I have been in the habit, of late years, of buying mine of par- 

 ties who manufacture it in Putnam (Mr. Bosworth), and I 



