56 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



any results ; and we now use about four parts of loam, one 

 part of cow manure, and about one-thirtieth part of bone- 

 dust, for the soil that we use to grow our' roses in. It 

 makes hardly any difterence whether it is roses or roots or 

 what the article is you are going to force, you want about 

 the same kind of soil. AVe keep this compound heaped up 

 at least twelve months before we want to use it, and then it 

 is in the best condition to be taken up by the plants. We 

 find that the result has been something wonderful, compared 

 with the practice that we used to follow of using the fertil- 

 izers when we put in the soil. It takes twelve months for 

 these fertilizers to decompose in the soil before we use it, 

 and that I think can be carried through the whole catalogue 

 of manures. If we use stable manure, it will be always best 

 to use it in connection with a commercial fertilizer, and thus 

 get the mechanical eft'ect of the stable manure and the nutri- 

 tive effect of the fertilizer at the same time. 



Question. Do I understand that it would be better to 

 mix the ground bone with the manure this winter for next 

 spring's crop? 



Mr. Henderson. Yes, sir. I wish to say, in regard to 

 using this peat moss to which I referred, that it would be 

 used in the ordinary way with cow manure ; and I think 

 such manure is much better with peat moss, because that is 

 such an absorbent of everything connected with manure. 

 We sow this bone-dust, or whatever concentrated fertilizer 

 we use, on the bedding, and it is absorbed and mixed with 

 the manure and thrown into the heap in the usual way. 



Mr. Edson. I would like to ask the lecturer if he has 

 had any experience with the asparagus beetle. I find it 

 much easier to raise asparagus than it is to keep it from the 

 beetle. 



Mr. Henderson. I have had no experience with it. I am 

 glad to say the beetle does not trouble the asparagus in our 

 vicinity. 



The Chairman. Has Mr. Hersey had any experience with 

 the beetle ? 



Mr. Hersey. I have had all the experience with him that 

 I care about having. He has been on my farm for the last 

 five years, but I have got a little used to him. I suppose 



