1880.] TRANSACTIONS. 9 



from the human race, the sheep and hog, being more valuable 

 than that from the stable, cord for cord. 



It is economy to save everything from these sources. But in 

 the practical operations on a farm, or garden, we find that vee do 

 not have enough manure, after saving as much from these sources 

 as we can to grow our crops. Certainly I do not find enough, 

 and have to buy. A cheap and efticient fertilizer is the great 

 want of the farmer in the New England States to-day. How shall 

 we get it ? 



From the investigations of M. Villa, an eminent chemist in the 

 employ of the government of France (and it has been verified 

 somewhat by other experimenters), it appears that the different 

 varieties of plants require the elements of plant growth in differ- 

 ent degrees or quantities. One wants ammonia in hirge quantities, 

 while some other species require but little. Anotlier wants 

 phosphoric acid, or potash in excess, while another wants but a 

 very small quantity. Almost every variety of plant that we 

 cultivate wants one of those three elements in excess of all others. 

 While stable manure may, and does furnish all these ingredients 

 required in plant growth to a certain extent, there may be and 

 usually is a deticieticy of ammonia required by one species of 

 plants, or of phosphoric acid, or of potash required by others. 

 Admitting these propositions to be true, and I may say that my 

 experience confirms them, then the proper combination of the 

 elements of plant growth becomes of great importance in the 

 economical production of crops. 



This would bring us to the consideration of other fertilizers 

 and sources of plant food ; and first those that are termed com- 

 mercial fertilizers. They are prepared articles of different degrees 

 of value, such as the super-phos])hates of lime ; refuse of slaugliter- 

 houses, composed of meat, blood, bone and offal, and when dried 

 and ground, are sometimes called animal meal, ground bone, and 

 various other articles. They are all good, but their actual value 

 to the farmer or gardener depends upon three things-, namely, — 

 how much they cost, how thoroughly they are dissolved in the 

 manufacture, and how much they are extended or adulterated. 

 There are many other articles that are valuable for fertilizing 

 purposes — such as Stassfurt potash salts, refuse of fish, leached 

 and anleached ashes, horn shavings, and Peruvian guano. The 

 last is very valuable if not adulterated, and in what is called the 

 rectified form has o-jven wood satisfaction to those that have used 

 it. In fact, these last named all have their value, which can be 

 estimated better than* when they are mixed in the manufactured 

 article. 



What is the best method of fertilizing a piece of land to pro- 



