1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



045 



on which it is Ibu.ided be correct ; for lhes(^ of 

 course I am not answerable, 1 tai<e iheni as I find 

 ihem stated by a practical tanner, and I see no 

 reason to doubt their correctness. Is not this mat- 

 ter then vvorihy of the atteniion of larniers ? 



It would be easy, did it seem desirable, to mul- 

 tiply instances of the application ot the principles, 

 stated in the preceding chapters ol' this essay, to 

 practical purposes ; but havinji; stated the princi- 

 ples themselves, together wuh the evidence on 

 which they rest, I now leave it with those larmers 

 who may have uiven the essay a careful perusal, 

 to make the applications lor themselves. It' by 

 what I have written, I shall have jriven any infor- 

 mation to my readers, or if I shall have only called 

 attention to that which they knew before, but 

 which they suffered to be amungst their neglected 

 knowledge, and in this way shall have contributed 

 in any degree to the advancement of the cause ol' 

 scientific agriculture, I shall leel (hat i have not 

 written in vain. And in conclusion, let me re- 

 mark, that whilst it is beyond a question, that the 

 prosperity of this "our gotxi old commonwealth" 

 is indissoiubly connected with the prosperity of her 

 agriculture, at the same lime it is true, that our 

 systems of agriculture are far from what they 

 ought to be, and liir from what they will become, 

 when once attention is thoroughly awakened to 

 the subject. 



URATU AXn POUDRETTE. 



From ttie New England Fiiimer. 



New York, 2lst. Sept., 1839. 



Sir — The New York Urate and Poudreite Co., 

 findmg that gentlemen who had purchased their 

 manures had been ex[)erimenting with the articles, 

 some advisedly and others mistakenly, it became 

 desirable for many reasotjs to learn — 



1 — On what particular grains or garden vegeta- 

 bles the manure was used, the quantity applied, 

 and the resuh: 



2 — To know the precise manner and resuU ol 

 each trial: 



3 — How the urate and poudrette compare with 

 other manures in their efi'ect, and 



4 — Generally, whether it was not desirable to 

 the farmer and gardener to have the contents ol 

 sinks and privies made into inndorous manures. 



In answer to their circular sent to Mr. Linn, of 

 Schenectady, they have received a letter of so in- 

 teresting a character, that we ask the publication 

 ot it at as early a day as your arrangements and 

 convenience will permit. 



Amended instructions, the result of information 

 •eceived, will be published in a few days for gra- 

 'uitous distribution among those who have or 

 ;Tlay wish to use the manures. 



(copy.) 



Schenectady, Sept. 19, 1839. 

 lie New York Urate and Poudrette Company. 

 Gentlemen — In answer lo your "circular," I 

 would say, that I obtained from your company a 

 barrel of poudrette last spring, intending to (est 

 its value as a manure, by a lew close and accurate 

 experiments. It came to hand, however, so late 

 in the season, that I was unable to apply it as I in- 

 tended, or to arrive at results which would in all 



respects prove the value of the substance as a ma- 

 nure, or tlie best modes of appl} ing if. I applied 

 ii to a variety of veiictablcs in my garden, and 

 also to a small portion of a fielu ol' corn of about 

 five acres, at my iariu in the vicinity of this city. 

 The vegetables in my uarden have grown wiili 

 unusual richness and luxuriance, and have most 

 evident!}' felt the effects of the application. Of 

 the results at my farm I can speak more satisfac- 

 torily, because there I can compare the portion 

 which has, with another portion of the same crop, 

 in the same field-, wliich has not received the j'ou- 

 iirett(\ This crop is upon a strong, rich soil, 

 which had been sliahily manured in the hill from 

 the fold-yard at the lime of planting. At the first 

 hoeing, and when the plants by reason of the un- 

 liivorable season were extremely backward, I di- 

 rected n)y fanner to apply to a corner of the field, 

 where the crop was the least promising, a handful 

 of poudrette to each lull, covering it at the same 

 time with a ihin coat of earth. This was tiiithful- 

 ly done until the poudrette was consumed. The 

 remainder of the field received, a part the usual 

 dressing o\' plaster, and a part of ashes. The 

 plants to which the poudrette was a[)plied, were 

 ihe first lo change color — throwing off the sickly. 

 yellow hue, and adopting a deep green. At the 

 period of the second hoeing, the same plants re- 

 tained not only the appearance of better heaUh, 

 but had obtained greater vi^or and more size than 

 any others ol the same crop. They have held 

 the same ilisiinction ihrouirhout the season ; and 

 it IS now plainly visible, alihough tlie entire croi) 

 is a fair one, that when we come lo harvest, we 

 >hall iiaiher a irrcaier W(^ii!;ln of sialks and more 

 Uraiii from the pnriioii where this manure was ap- 

 plied, than Irom the saine space ai any other 

 point in tin* field. We have certainly no expe- 

 rience proviuir that the same results could have 

 been reasonably expected from the application of 

 any other of the various manures m common use. 

 With us, plaster has long been considered the 

 iirand restorative lor this crop, and ashes, with 

 man}' farmer-, almost a specific ; and indeed that 

 both substances are very useful as manures oa 

 most varieties of soil, is universally conceded. 

 Mills to grind plaster for manuring purposes, are 

 as common throughout this part of the country as 

 those devoted to Lrrain ; and I have seen boats 

 loaded with leeched ashes, toiling their way from the 

 lar west, in order to eniich farms on Long Island. 

 In this experiment, poudrette was applied side 

 by side with pliister and ashes, under circumstan- 

 ces in favor ol" the latter, and yet they have most 

 indisputably yielded the palm to the former; and 

 all this is not without reason. Heat and moisture 

 are the sources of vegetation : poudrette, if it have 

 it not in it^elt; will generaie more heat, and lor a 

 longer period, than ei! her plaster or ashes, and will 

 absorb and retain more moisture. It seems, also, 

 to decompose inanimate ve^eiahle substances in 

 the soil with which it is mixed, and so to rliffn.^f. 

 ami incorporate itself with the soil as to change 

 its color around the plant to which it is applied. 

 Like most other manures, (oidy more sensibly and 

 rapidly,) it imparts of its rpialities to everv sub- 

 stance with whii-h it comes in contact, and by the 

 aid of its own and borrowed he;'.t and nioi>iui(», 

 assimilates all to itsiMf and thus t'xerciso:;. :i|. 

 thouirh applied ir- most incnosideruble (piantnieK, a 

 certain and immediate influence un vegetation. 



