218 ARTIFICIAL MANURE. 



greatly assisted by the carbonate of lime. It is perhaps the 

 most powerful agent in the deconriposition of the silicate of 

 soda. Here then the action of carbonates on silicates tells. 

 And it may be worth while to be reminded here, that this 

 action was explained in detail, in order that it might be un- 

 derstood how spent ashes could act so rapidly on swamp 

 muck. 



274. Alkalies and peat, or swamp muck, are within the 

 command of almost every farmer. Lime is not within 

 reach, and besides, requires no small skill in its management. 

 In the preparation of manure, price is everything. Let the 

 cost be estimated per cord, of artificial manure, prepared in 

 the proportions stated (270). Peat or muck may be called 

 worth fifty cents per cord, and the labor of digging, say one 

 dollar, 



$L50 



or, 61 lbs. soda ash, or \ ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^y^^^^ 3 g. 



white ash, 4 cts. 2.44 ' 



92 lbs. potash, 6 cts. |5.52 



or, 61 lbs. soda ash, or 



white ash, 4 cts. 2.44 



or 24 bush, ashes, 12i cts., 3.00 J 



3)10.96 15.15 



3.65 



Were they really good hard wood ashes, about 16 bushels 

 would be sufficient, but an excess here is allowed, to com- 

 pensate for variation in quality. This may appear a very 

 high price, but it is to be remembered, that its value is to be 

 compared with that of a cord of clear cow-dung. What is 

 the value of cow-dung 1 It appears from the barn account 

 of the Merrimack Manufacturing Company, that for 9J 

 years, ending October, 1838, a bushel of clear cow-dung costs 

 21^ cents. During the same time dung of inferior quality 



