KECEXT FACTS. 133 



RECENT FACTS. 

 feetilizetjf:. 



Waste of home rcaouncs. — A corrospoiidont of the tioutLcrn Farm uud 

 Home, speaking of the extravagant use of conunercial fertilizers to the 

 neglect of home mannres, states that in a I'ocont Journey of some extcnr 

 through the South he found the plantation outhouses crammed vdch 

 fertilizers. In a very few instances these were bought for cash at 6('<> 

 to $70 per ton, with heavy outlays, but in the majority of cases tbc 

 purchases were on time, with the addition of 20 per cent, to cash jirices, 

 payment being secured by a factor's acceptance, for which a charge was 

 made of about 2 i^er cent, per month, the factor receiving a lien on 

 crops, stock. &c. Yet at these plantations no etibrt was made to save 

 ilome-made manure; the stable-manure whicli, if projierly cared for, 

 would have equaled several tons of the chemical fertilizers in value, 

 was left uncovered and exposed to the washing of rain till rendered 

 almost worthless. 



A Xew England gentleman writes that during the summer of LS71 he 

 visited tlie towns in his vicinity for the pm-pose of observing the cur 

 rent methods of farm management. He found that on a large number 

 of the farms mannrial liquids were wholly wasted. jMore than one-half 

 of the barns were without cellars, and the manure Avas thrown from 

 their windows into the open yard, where it lay exposed to rains, causing 

 rapid decay of the lower boards and sills of the barn, and losing a xery 

 large proportion of its VaUiable elements. Yet farmers guilty of this 

 waste were buying superphosphate at $G0 per ton. 



Fertilizers for tobacco. — Mr. James ]\1. Crafts, of Wliately, Franklin 

 County, Massachusetts, writes to the Department as follows : 



I am one of a company of fivo persons who, ju the last two years, liave Tjouglit and 

 eliipped from Whiteliall, New York, over 80 cai'-loads of Jiorse-mauuro. Other parties 

 have bought fnlly as much in Middlebnry, Rutland, Montpelier, and Saint .Tohnsbury, 

 Vermont. Tho cost at our station has aVeraged about )i^lU per cord. Other parties 

 have bought manure frcira the East Albany cattle-yards— perhaps 50 car-loads in less 

 than two years — all of -which, I think, has been sheop-dung. Others have been to New 

 Haven, Connecticut, and still others to Boston and Cambridge ; and now two of our 

 farmers have been to Canada and bought 2r> car-loads. A car-load of horso-nianure con- 

 tains about 7 cords, perhaps GA on the average. This is generally obtained from liverj-- 

 stables. That from Whitehall, New York, is from stables where canal horses and mules 

 are kept. These are fed highly with grain, and the manure is very valuable. It is 

 used on tobacco-lands at the rate of about 10 cords to the acre. Probably there is no 

 other species of manure which afiords in such abundance all tho elements of tobacco. 

 It is rich in potash, phosphoric acid, magnesia, &c. 



FMladelphia stahle-mannre. — The Buclis County (Pennsylvania) Intelli- 

 gencer states that in the spring of 1872 the mannre for one year of 725 

 horses, belonging to Philadelphia street-car stables, was sold at public 

 sale at prices ranging from $12 to $1G per horse ; the lower prices on 

 monthly payments, the higher quarterly. Other lots were sold at private 

 sale for 815 per horse. Average yearly amount of manure per horse, 5 

 tons ; average cash expenses for loading, weighing, toll, &c., not in- 

 cluding wear and tear of team, GO cents i)er ton. A ton of manure, as 

 taken from the stables, will measure about 7C cubic feet. In 1S71 the 

 manure from one of tlie stables cost 82.25 per ton, deli\-ered on tho 

 farm. Fourteen tons per acre are applied for potatoes, the subsequent 

 (jrop of winter-grain receiving no further application. Wheat receives 

 eight tons per acre, and five tons arc given as a top-dressing for grass. 

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