ARTIFICIAL MANURE. 217 



272. Attention might here be called to the extensive uso 

 of peat, composted with lime and animal manure ; but it 

 will be observed that it is wished to direct the thoughts at 

 this time to a compost of artificial manure, without lime or 

 animal manure. The author does not go for lime, but for 

 soluble alkali. Carbonate of lime alone is not expected to 

 produce immediate results, and seldom has produced, or 

 can be expected to produce visible effects in the first year ot 

 its application. The why and the wherefore of this has been 

 already explained, and it is merely adverted to now to 

 guard against any inference favorable to the action of lime 

 being deduced from the following facts. Mr. George Rob- 

 bins, of Watertown, an extensive manufacturer of soap and 

 candles, and of starch, employs the refuse of these trades in 

 enriching and gladdening his land. It is believed his crops 

 will compare with any of the best cultivators around him. 

 He has not used for four years a spoonful of manure made 

 by any animal, walking either on two legs or on four. He 

 keeps a large number of horses and hogs, and several cows, 

 and us6s not a shovelful of their manure, but selling that, 

 uses peat and swamp muck mixed with his spent barilla 

 ashes. The proportions are, one part of spent ashes to three 

 of peat, dug up in the fall, mixed in the spring. After 

 shovelling two or three times, it is spread and ploughed in. 

 The effect is immediate, and so far, lasting. The effects of 

 this spent ashes alone on sandy loam are excellent ; it makes 

 the whole quite *'salvey." 



273. The composition of spent ashes has already been 

 alluded to ; a certain portion is carbonate of lime ; it is 

 well known, that as such, it would produce no better effects 

 than so much chalk. A large part of silicate of soda exists 

 in the spent ashes. This is decomposed by the carbonic 

 acid of the air, the alkali then acts on geine, but this action is 

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