160 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



with their chemical constituents merely. I will not take 

 time to develop the analogy, as I firmly believe that for 

 many market crops the bulky stable manures are the more 

 efficient, and therefore the cheaper fertilizers. I give as 

 reasons: 1. Experiments prove that stable manures furnish 

 the proper elements of plant food ; and, 2. In a manner and 

 proportion suited to plant growth. 3. In their decomposi- 

 tion they render available to the plants some of the latent 

 plant food of the soil. 4. The mechanical condition of the 

 soil is much improved by their use. 5. Sun and air far 

 more readily give their aid to the growing crop. 



In short, an abundance of manure will often make a soil 

 that is cold and unresponsive a very choice one for slowly 

 maturing crops. I am not. ignorant of the wheat experiments 

 of Lawes and Gilbert, but I am yet to be convinced that as 

 generous and profitable crops of cauliflower, celery or lettuce, 

 could be raised year after year by the use of chemicals as by 

 the application of barnyard manures. 



To be sure, at fairs we sometimes see a placard to the 

 eflfect that the exhibit was raised by using a certain brand of 

 fertilizer. A few well-directed questions will often, if not 

 always, bring from the exhibitor the admission that the land 

 was well manured for its crops the previous year. 



We have in tillage and grass about thirty acres. On this 

 tract we use yearly, besides the manure made on the place, 

 six or eight tons of commercial fertilizer, some lime and 

 ashes, and the manure of about one hundred horses kept in 

 city stables. As we do not mean to top-dress our grass 

 land, excepting door-yards, we seed down each fall two or 

 three acres, and have an equal amount of turf land to break 

 up. From the six or eight acres in grass we cut hay for five 

 horses, five cows, and have a little to sell. We raise also a 

 little yellow corn, but with most of our fertilizers we raise 

 market crops, whose proceeds pay the help, meet interest 

 and taxes, buy seeds and implements, provide the fertilizers, 

 and make the permanent improvements on our gardens. 



Seeds. 

 Where shall we procure them ? We are commonly advised 

 to raise them. The papers are fond of telling us that if we 



