SECRETARY'S REPORT. 49 



of ingredients, inasmuch as whatever is taken from the soil by 

 cropping is returned in the form of manure. Where cheese is 

 exported, the only loss can be phosphate of lime, and this in 

 small quantity. So that, so far as the nutrition of succeeding 

 crops is concerned, the feeding of previous crops has furnished 

 the means. 



The best manure, secondly, is that in which the nutritive 

 ingredients exist, nearly in the proportion in which they are 

 drawn from the soil by cropping. This state of things exists 

 obviously to a greater degree in barn-yard manure than in any 

 other. 



Thirdly. The elements of manure should exist in a form 

 best adapted to assimilation. A portion should be ready for the 

 growth of the young plant; other portions should successively 

 come in at various periods of development. No manure sup- 

 plies these conditions in a greater degree than properly prepared 

 barn-yard manure. And by modifying its mode of preparation, 

 you can adapt it to different circumstances. 



As to ascertaining what fertilizer is best in any case — that 

 can be best learned by experience. There is no royal road to 

 fertilization. No chemical analysis, no mode of inquiring into 

 the character of the soil, will infallibly teach us what fertilizing 

 it most needs. The principles which we liave enumerated will 

 serve to guide us to a certain extent in this matter. Many 

 practical rules are of great value, all governed by the locality in 

 which they are to be applied. 



Positive information can only be acquired by varied and 

 repeated experiments. In case a field appears to demand some 

 new style of treatment, the safest course is to experiment in a 

 small way with all the various fertilizers which are conveniently 

 accessible. It may be plaster, lime, salt, super-phosphate, or 

 a combination of two or more of them, which will accomplish 

 the object. It is important, however, that the result of a single 

 experiment should not be too long depended on. 



Professor Johnson was followed by Luther H. Tucker, Esq., 

 of Albany, who enunciated some valuable principles in the 

 application of manure, especially as it relates to top-dressing. 



Dr. Loring dwelt on the importance of decomposed barnyard 

 manure, and referred to Dr. Voelcker's experiments to show 

 the increase of soluble salts in this over green manure. He- 

 7* 



