142 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



*' How shall we fertilize our farms?" that is a very important 

 feature, upon which great stress should be laid — not only 

 the saving of all the solid manure, but of the liquid manure 

 also. That point was brought out fairly and fully by the 

 essayist, which I was very glad to hear. It is of very great 

 importance. I am very happy to state that my attention has 

 been called to the fact that a gentleman who is deeply inter- 

 ested in the agriculture of Middlesex County has offered a 

 premium for the best essay upon the saving of liquid manure. 

 This is a step in the right direction, and I would that the 

 agricultural societies of the different counties would draw the 

 attention of their members to this fact and consider the ques- 

 tion whether it would not be well to add this to the list of 

 their premiums. Allow me to read the offer, for it is very 

 short : 



" Having seen the good effect of saving the liquid manure, by 

 building a barn cellar, some fift}' 3'ears ago, nearl}' ten 3'ears in ad- 

 vance of other farmers in this county, and having care full}' observed 

 the great improvement in crops, I desire to see the manure from 

 the barn cellar and farm carefully collected ; and I offer, through 

 the Middlesex North Society, a premium of ten dollars for the best 

 written statement of the difference there would be financially between 

 two farms in twenty 3'ears, other things being equal, the one to 

 save all the manure of the barn cellar and the other to throw it out 

 of doors, exposed to the weather, to freezing and thawing, to be 

 washed by the rain and dried by the sun. The statement to be 

 sent to the Secretary of the Society at Lowell, and the officers of 

 the Society to select the awarding committee. 



Very truh', 



E. P. Spaulding." 



It seems to me, as I have said, that this is a step in the 

 right direction, to call attention to this great waste that has 

 been going on upon most of our farms for this long series of 

 years. Let every particle of these fertilizing elements be 

 saved about our buildmgs and in our barns, and we shall not 

 have to look about so much for the wherewithal to fertilize 

 our farms. 



Capt. Newell. I would like to ask Mr. Ware a question, 

 if he will be kind enough to answer, as to the comparative 



