NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



447 



about half that quantity of sulphate of potash, and 

 much smaller quantities of the other elements for 

 which we are searching, are found in the one hun- 

 dred pounds ! I have adopted Mr. Dana's analy- 

 sis, which corresponds substantially with others. 



One ton of barn manure would contain the ele- 

 ments of about four and a half pounds of bone dust 

 and two pounds of plaster, and one pound of sul- 

 phate of potash. It would require, then, more 

 than twenty tons of barn manure, to supply one 

 hundred pounds of bone dust; and fifty tons to 

 supply one hundred pounds of plaster ! I desire 

 to pursue this branch of our subject, only far 

 enough to show that if we want to supply the pe- 

 culiar elements in question, hauling out barn ma- 

 nure is not the cheapest way to do it. As old 

 Weller told Sammy about getting married, "it is 

 going through a good deal, my boy, to gain a lit- 

 tle!" 



An application of two hundred pounds of bone 

 dust, the same quantity of ground plaster, and two 

 bushels of salt, with twenty bushels of ashes to 

 the acre, would constitute a cheap specific manure 

 for our purpose. Bone dust should be harrowed 

 in thoroughly. The other substances may be ap- 

 plied to the surface, or which is perhaps prefera 

 ble, bushed in, with the seed, so as to spread them 

 evenly. They are not of a nature to lose much by 

 evaporation. 



Leached ashes, at the rate of one hundred bush 

 els to the acre, would alone be found a good ma 

 nure for common pasture. Two hundred pounds 

 of plaster, and as much salt, would be profitably 

 applied at the same time. 



Land which cannot be plowed by reason of stones, 

 is difficult to manage. The application of ashes, 

 and plaster and salt may be made with advantage. 

 Often a good growth of bushes may supply the 

 former. Bone dust should not- be left upon the 

 surface, as it evolves a large quantity of ammonia, 

 which is of great value, and would be lost by evap 

 oration. This loss might be prevented by mixing 

 each hundred pounds with a cart-load of soil, or 

 swamp mud, and allowing the compost to stand a 

 few days before using. The addition of a hundred 

 pounds of plaster, either by mixing with the heap 

 before use, or sowing on the surface after it, would 

 tend to prevent the escape of the ammonia. 



I advise the application of these specific ma- 

 nures, because they are cheaper than barn-manure, 

 and more easily carried and applied. Barn-ma- 

 nure contains other valuable constituents, besides 

 those specified, but so far as old pastures are par- 

 ticularly to be treated, its value is in those ele- 

 ments which may be supplied in the manner sug- 

 gested. I have not been very nice in my calcula- 

 tion of quantities, because none of the articles as 

 usually sold are pure, but they are found more or 

 less mingled with other valuable or nameless in- 

 gredients, which help their weight. I trust I have 

 said enough to awaken reflection on the subject, 

 for I know of no department of farming which has 

 been so much neglected as our pastures. 



But will such operations pay! are they not too 

 expensive 1 Let us cipher this matter out. The 

 pasturing of a cow for six months costs on an av- 

 erage six dollars, near any of our villages ; and it 

 requires six acres of an old pasture for her supply 

 of feed. Cow pastures in such locations may be 

 valued at twenty-five dollars per acre by the own- 

 er, and usually would sell for that sum. Evident- 

 ly, that sort of investment does not pay. 



Now, one acre of the same pasture, if not very 

 dry, will keep a cow well for the season. The ap- 

 plication of twenty-five dollars worth of labor and 

 manure to an acre of almost any moist land that 

 can be easily plowed, will make it produce as much 

 feed as will equal two tons of good hay, and this 

 will keep a cow six months. 



Would not the farmer who has not sufficient 

 pasture, act wisely to expend, if necessary, twenty- 

 five dollars upon every acre of his present pasture, 

 rather than to purchase as much more of the same 

 kind at twenty-five dollars an acre ? 



The smaller your pasture the better, if there is 

 feed enough. One acre is more easily fenced and 

 watched than six, and cows thrive much better 

 when not obliged to travel all day, exposed to the 

 sun, in search of food. Finally, we all know in 

 this region, that the larger our pastures, the worse 

 for the animals, for in midsummer a cow cannot 

 get enough on a hundred acres, to keep up her 

 flow of milk without feeding at the barn, and the 

 shorter her beat, the less the wear of her flesh in 

 ranging about under the delusion that pastures 

 furnish sufficient food. h. f. f. 



THE POTATO ROT. 



We occasionally hear of the appearance of this 

 disease in the potato field, but its ravages have 

 been slight, in comparison with former years. In 

 Ireland, notwithstanding the hue and cry that has 

 been made about the rot, the potato crop will be 

 fine, and it is doubtful whether the disease has 

 even made its appearance, to any extent. The 

 rot is said to prevail in some parts of New Jersey, 

 Pennsylvania and Maryland, but we do not know 

 what reliance may be placed on the reports that 

 are circulated. The Newburyport Herald states 

 that a fine potato field, at By field, belonging to 

 Daniel Colman, Esq., of about an acre and a half, 

 in which the potato had grown to a large size and 

 of excellent quality, has within a few days been 

 struck with the rot, so that there is not a sound 

 potato in the field, and the whole crop is worthless. 

 Those which were dug and brought into the house 

 some days before in a sound state, were struck at 

 the same time with the disease, and with equal 

 virulence. The Exeter, N. H., News-Letter men- 

 tions that a solitary instance of a similar kind has 

 occurred in that vicinity, but thinks the danger of 

 the rot, for the present season, may be regarded 

 as past. 



The following communication from Hon. J. W. 

 Proctor, of Danvers, appears in the Salem Gazette 

 of Wednesday last : — 



"Editor of the Gazette :— Sir,— I see it men- 

 tioned that Mr. Daniel Colman, of Newbury, has 

 lost more than an acre of promising potatoes by 

 the rot, since the month of September came in. — 

 This is the only well authenticated statement of 

 the appearance of Me rot within our county, that 

 has come to my knowledge the present season. If 

 there be others, I^should like to be informed of 

 them, either by communications to me directly, or 

 through the press, as I am desirous of tracing the 

 progress of this malady, as far as practicable, 



