686 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



evidence) by applyinor only half the quantity of 

 saltpetre at first, and the remaining part a lew 

 tveil<3 afiervvard?.'"' 



The experiments wliicli have come under our 

 own observation, have been upon grass and wheat. 

 The eH'ect upon szrass was quite renmrkuble. The 

 wheat was in a (growing slate ; ihe saltpetre ap- 

 plied when six inches in height ; the quantity per 

 acre not noted; the diflerence between the part 

 not dressed with saltpetre and that to which it was 

 applied was obvious and sinking ; the wheat was 

 then in flower; it was intended that the result 

 should be accurately observed ; and we hope pre- 

 sently to be put in possession of it. 



Any person of common observation, and at all 

 interested in such subjects, cannot fail to observe 

 the immense quantities of manure which are ab- 

 solutely thrown away on our farms, in our cities, 

 and about our roads and buildings. What a bless- 

 ing it would be, if we Jiad something ol' the report- 

 ed frugality o( the Chinese, on the score of cleanli- 

 nees and health, as well as interest. How few of 

 farmers ever think of saving their soap suds. We 

 fear, without meaning any reproach upon the gude 

 housewives, that some of them do not hear of such 

 a thing as soap suds as often as might be useful ! 

 But hov/ few ever think of saving and applying it; 

 and yet it is a most valuable manure; and by 

 having a vault or pool in which to deposite a pile 

 of loam, or large heap of earth, by regularly throw- 

 ing the contents of the wash tub upon it, might be 

 converted into the means of greatly enriching the 

 land ; and what tuns upon tuns of the most valua- 

 ble liquid manure, by a little jjains-taking and 

 contrivance, might be obtained in the city, by farm- 

 ers, who are now willing to come four and six 

 miles and transport fire-fanged and dried horse 

 manure at a cost, beibre it reaches their farms, of 

 six and eight dollars a cord. 



The French are now taking great pains to save 

 the water in which the wool is washed at the 

 woollen factories, full as it is of soap and animal 

 oil, and find it a most valuable application to their 

 lands. We have long known the value of the 

 refuse wool ; and we have stood by the mill-shute 

 in Lowell more than once with feelings of serious 

 regret, when we have peen the wash from their 

 woollen factory, full ot' enriching matters, mingling 

 with the walerG of the river and passing off into 

 the ocean, as so much valuable materia! absolutely 

 thrown away. 



Our highly respected friend Bemenf, of Albany, 

 has made some very succeesful experiments with 

 hogs' bristles, applied in this potato hills and in 

 other forms. He speaks of tlieir beneficial effects 

 as quite remarkable; and we promise ourselves 

 the pleasure of hearing from him on this and the 

 yse of various other miinures, in which he has 

 been experimenting. We can confidently rely 

 upon his observations and experiments as intel- 

 ligent and exact ; and the results which he gives 

 under bis own hand, as certain. H. C. 



BXTRAJJEOUS MANUBES — NITRATE OF SODA. 



From llie British Fanners' :\Ingazine. 



It is reported, that a remark wna made by Lord 

 Karnes, 90 years ago, that such improvements 

 would be made in agricultural chemistry, that suf- 



ficient manure for an acre would one day be car- 

 ried in a man's coat pocket ; and ihat a trite an- 

 swer'was made to the remark, that the produce 

 from such niaiiuring would then be brought away 

 in the waist-coat pocket. Now, althouirh this pe- 

 liod has not yet arrived, yet something approaching 

 to thebniall quantity of manure necessary' to give 

 vigor to an acre of wheat, has been proved on 

 Guilford Downs during the past year; not that this 

 kind of manure alone was taken up by the crop, 

 but that it formed a great stimulator to the extra 

 growth there cannot be a doubt ; bringing into ac- 

 tivity probably some latent manures lying in the 

 ground ; for a strong alkali will convert oleaginous 

 matters into saponaceous consistency, and in that 

 slate becomes soluble in water : hence it is taken 

 up by the spongelets of the roots in a liquid state. 

 Those persons who consider quantity necessary in 

 manuring ground are sadly mistaken, intimate 

 mixture with the soil, and capability of becoming 

 readily soluble, being necessary points for consi- 

 deration. Fn March, 1839, Mr. John Ryds, bailiff to 

 Frederick Mangles, Esq., ol Down Farm, Guillbrd 

 dressed over many acres of wheat with 1 1-2 cwi. 

 of nitrate of soda to the acre, leaving about half an 

 acre in the middle of the field undressed. The 

 difference in the color of the wheat was seen in 

 the course of 10 days ; when nearly ripe, the straw 

 had the appearance of being 9 or 10 inches longer 

 than the oiher part, and much stronger; at reaping 

 seven rods of each part were measured, cut, and 

 kepi separate ; the nit red part produced 24 sheaves 

 containing 11 njallons of wheat and 54 lbs. of straw; 

 and where the seven rods were not so drepsed, the 

 produce was 16 sheaves, containing G 1-2 gallons 

 of wheat and 40 lbs. of straw. 



A BOTTOMLESS LAKE. 



From tlie New England Farmer. 



A writer in the Troy (N. Y.) Mail, gives the 

 following account of a remarkable pond in Sussex 

 county, in the stale of New \ork. 



" White Lak-e is situated about one mile west of 

 the Paulius Kill, in the town of Siillwaicr. It is 

 nearl}' circular. It has no visible inlet, but its out- 

 let is a never falling stream, of considerable mag- 

 nitude. Tlie name is derived from its appeartnce. 

 Viewed from a little distance it seems of a milky 

 whiteness, except a few rods in the centre, which 

 by the contrast appears perfectly black. The ap- 

 pearance itself ie singular enough, but the cause 

 is still more rematkable. 



From the centre or dark portion of the lake, at 

 stated seasons, innumerable quantities of shells are 

 thrown up, of various sizes and forms, but all per- 

 fectly white. These float to the shore, and are 

 thrown upon the beach, or sink into shallow water. 

 Hundreds of^ bushels might be gathered from the 

 shore after one of these periodical up-risings ; and 

 the whole soil for several rods on every side of the 

 lake, is composed of these shells, broken or decom- 

 posed by the action of the weather. In the centre 

 of the lake, bottom has never been found, although 

 it has been sounded to the depth of several hundred 

 feet. 



Where then is the grand deposite from which 

 has been swelling up since the memory of man, 

 these countless myriads of untenanted shells 1 Is 



