FERTILIZERS. 101 



as by clover roots decomposing in tlie ground. He did not think he 

 could do without these on a farm. 



The Chairman asked why the organic matter might not be applied 

 in a specific form, as for instance, peat composted with ashes. 



Prof, Stockbridge rephed, that while the yard manure effects this 

 object, we might also apply straw or sea-weed, or var}- the compo- 

 sition to suit the soil. The soil must be kept in proper absorbent 

 condition. 



Josiah W. Talbot said that he had made one definite experiment 

 with the Stockbridge fertilizers. He took an acre of old pasture 

 land which had not been manured for twenty or thirty j^ears, and 

 applied the formula for fifty bushels of corn, and kept a careful 

 account of the cost of cultivation and other expenses. The produce 

 was one hundred and thirt^'-seven bushels of ears, and the cost was 

 not over forty cents per bushel of shelled corn. The fertilizer cost 

 a little less than thirty dollars. In estimating the crop we should 

 value all that we take off, and in this case the fodder nearly paid 

 for the fertilizer. He did not think the land would have yielded 

 fifteen bushels without the fertilizer. He did not trj' any compara- 

 tive experiments, but his neighbors had land of the same character, 

 manured with yard mamn*e, which 3'ielded more fodder but no 

 better ears, the crop being about seventy or eighty bushels. He 

 charged himself with all expenses and credited himself with the 

 crop. He did not estimate the interest or the tax on the land, for 

 it was nearty worthless. Applied to grass the fertilizer doubled 

 the crop. On grapes the result was satisfactory. Tliese need 

 potash and phosphate, and but little nitrogen. 



John B. Moore said that the Stockbridge fertilizer to produce 

 fifty bushels of corn per acre cost twenty-seven dollars, and the 

 freight was fiftj'-five cents, which would bring the cost of Mr. Tal- 

 bot's corn so high that the experiment could not be deemed success- 

 ful. He doubted whether northern corn was more valuable than 

 southern, and the latter could be bought in Concord for sixtj'-five 

 cents per bushel. He knew a hundred men who could make a 

 better report than Mr. Talbot's. 



M. H. Merriam said that he tried an experiment with the Stock- 

 bridge fertilizers on mowing land, which was not satisfactory. He 

 had a field of three acres which had been in grass fifteen or twent}^ 

 years, and sometimes neglected. A space of average fertilit}- was 

 measured off and the fertilizer applied to it, none being put on the 



