STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 421 



turecl in this country — that is when taking into consideration 

 the expense of hauling. The head of a certain fertilizer com- 

 pany, the largest in the world, is very desirous that their fertil- 

 izers should be used here, and will make special prices, so that 

 we can have a chance to try its merits. I think every farmer 

 here should be ready to express his views in the matter. I know 

 pretty well the effects of the different kinds of fertilizers, but 

 would like to hear from others who have had experience with 

 them. 



Mr. Northrup. It seems to me that the most inexperienced of 

 us realize that we have got to have some kind of fertilizer, and 

 such being the case we should consider the advantage of a com- 

 mercial fertilizer over stable manure and its freedom from foul 

 seed and other foreign substances. Everybody can appreciate 

 the importance of this. 



Mr. Braslan cited an instance where 2,558 pounds of potatoes 

 had been raised from one pound of seed by the use of a commer- 

 cial fertilizer. 



Mr. Gray said that he used stable manure because he could 

 get it handy, more than anything else. 



Mr. Northrup inquired of Mr. Gray what he considered the 

 expense of properly manuring an acre of land for a general 

 crop. 



Mr, Gray. You cannot make a definite price, because some- 

 times you can get manure that is very close to the farm and some- 

 times you cannot. Last fall I paid a man a dollar a load for 

 drawing. I never saw land too rich to take fifty tons to the acre; 

 sometimes it is better to put on seventy -five. The idea that 

 land never requires manure is all nonsense. Land may be very 

 rich but I always claimed that it still required some kind of fer- 

 tilizer. It is all wrong to think that land may be too rich. It 

 may be richer in one place than it is in another and may require 

 evening up. As to the cost of manure it is a question that can- 

 not very well be answered. 



Mr. Pearce. Do you get any foul seeds in the manure? 



Mr. Gray. Oh, yes; lots of them. 



Mr. Braslan. How long does it take freshly made manure to 

 become incorporated with the land so that it will be valuable ? 



Mr. Gray. I dont think much good can be got out of it the 

 first season. 



Mr. Braslan. If you were raising onions would you think it 

 would cost thirty dollars an acre for manure"? 



