398 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Col. Harris. — When I was a boy there was a tree in my father's 

 orchard which would not bear. Having a little hatchet I tried 

 the plan of tliat young gentleman, George Washington, who could 

 not tell a lie, and I hacked at the tree to the best of my ability. 

 There were two important results. When hauled over the coals, 

 I, too, was not able to tell a lie, and I got a good thrashing ; the 

 other result was, the tree ever afterwards hung full of fruit. 



Use of Manure in the West. 

 Mr. R. Suell, Sharon, Muhaska Co., Iowa : The idea of L. D. 

 ^ Whitmarsh of Des Moines, Iowa, and others, about manure, has a 

 tendency to discourage young farmers from thorough and system- 

 atic cultivation. In my opinion a man who receives a rich and 

 fertile farm from the hands of his Creator, and by mismanagement 

 wears it out, should be regarded as an enemy to his country, and 

 as a public nuisance. My land is not inferior to any in the State, 

 and although new is benefited by manure, as proved by an increase 

 of crops. I not only use the manure made at my own yards, but 

 think it pays well to gather up that which is cast out by the vil- 

 lagers. In order to have it become food for plants it must be 

 well mixed with the soil, a particle of manure to a particle of 

 soil. It is of little use to throw it down in heaps and to depend 

 upon the plow for spreading it. Mr. W. does not say that he has 

 proved his theory by experiments, but I would like to join with 

 him in the attempt and compare notes next autumn. An account 

 of my operations last year also may " amuse" him. My farm 

 contains only 100 acres, not quite all of it brought into cultivation. 

 The following table will exhibit its chief products with the cost of 

 raising them, viz : 



520 bushels of wheat at $1.45 and $1.85 $852 56 



400 ]»ushels of oats at 30 cents 120 00 



105 bushels of potatoes at 50 cents 52 60 



1,400 bushels of corn at 30 cents 420 00 



12 tuns of hay at $6 72 00 



Sorghum molasses and buckwheat raised upon shares, < ■ ^; 



my part free of cost 76 80 



Total „.. $1,593 55 



Cost of hired help until harvest, including board of same 97 16 



Total $1,496 40 



