104 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



by the application of 150 lbs. of guano to the acre. It may be 

 seeded down to clover, and it will produce two tons to the acre, 

 or a good crop of timothy ; and it will continue in heart with the 

 same culture that is applied to other lands in the State of New 

 York. With ordinary culture it will produce wheat as well 

 as any other lands in the State. The premium crop of wheat, a 

 few years ago, was raised at Brookhaven, upon Long Island, on 

 land geologically identical with this. There is no difficulty in 

 raising any kind of crops there, in great abundance. It is a 

 great natural garden. There are tens of thousands of acres of 

 land there suitable for any kind of crop, and with sufficient tena- 

 city to sustain anything. 



Mr. Robinson argued that wherever wheat can be groAvn, even 

 on Coney Island, it may just as well be grown as upon the richest 

 prairie land of Illinois, so far as the expense of keeping it in 

 heart by manure is concerned. He preferred manures which 

 would yield the largest return the first year. Whatever is unused 

 the first year might as well not have been applied until the sec- 

 ond, and the interest on its cost would have been saved. Other 

 things being equal therefore, the manure is most profitable which 

 yields the quickest return. Money spent for manure brings a 

 larger profit than railroad, bank, or insurance stock. 



Mr. Carpenter objected that while that might save interest, it 

 would cost labor. He preferred in seeding down a plot of grass 

 for five years, to put on manure enough to last the five years. 

 Fields he had laid down ten years ago with 20 bushels of medium 

 bones to the acre, were now showing astonishing results. 



Mr. Robinson. — How much did you spend ? 



Mr. Carpenter. — Ten dollars per acre. 



Mr. Robinson. — How much did you get back the first year ? 



Mr. Carpenter. — Fifteen or twenty dollars. 



Mr. Robinson said that as the manure had lasted ten years he 

 might assume that only three dollars worth of it was consumed 

 the first year. If instead of applying bones, Mr. Carpenter had 

 applied some manure costing three dollars which would be all 

 used up the first year, he would have had the same result the 

 first year. He would then have left seven dollars to be expended 

 in manure yielding an immediate profitable return instead of 

 lying idle. 



Mr. Carpenter. — For immediate returns I know nothing to 



