22 Transactions of the State Mgricultural Society. [July, 



moment that the nitrogen and the inorganic salts are in the best con- 

 dition possible for becoming the food of plants. The objection seems 

 to lie in the expense of carting out what is considered the useless 

 water, if it is indeed useless; for without this it is of no value unless 

 it is burned as is pioposed. But again: suppose a farmer should 

 burn his manure, would he not probably find it as expensive as 

 carting it out upon his fields? In the hot climate of Hindostan, 

 we may conceive that it will dry readily, and when fuel is scarce 

 it may be substituted for it, and it is undoubtedly well to gather 

 the ashes for fertilization; but does it follow, that because in the 

 torrid zone where the dung is necessarily burned for fuel, that the 

 farmer of Dutchess county can profitably burn it, singly for the 

 ashes it contains? Neither will a farmer of old Dutchess neg- 

 lect his manure heap and let it waste and spoil, and engage in the 

 manufacture of nitre to supply its place. Now^ every practical 

 farmer knows how the farm yard is managed; and he knows too 

 that manure does not cost him a dollar a load, though in making 

 an estimate of the cost of a crop it is sometimes put down at that 

 rate; and yet we have often seen the value of a load of manure 

 set down at one shilling per load, and that the hauling and 

 spreading cost one shilling per load more, making twenty loads 

 of manure to cost after it is spread five dollars. In regard to the 

 mineral portion of the manure, it is proper that the essay should 

 speak for itself; thus on page 216, under the head of the mineral 

 portion of the manure, it is said: 



" We now come to the consideration of the remaining 90 

 pounds of solid mineral matter obtained by burning 1,500 pounds 

 of farm yard manure. The composition of this will depend upon 

 the provender, therefore we will allow the animals to be fed on 

 the finest hay. One hundred pounds of the ash of fine hay yield 

 according to Sprengel, 



Potash and soda, 24.0 pounds. 



Lime and magnesia, - 16.0 do 



Sulphuric acid, 5.5 do 



Phosphoric acid, • 0.5 do 



Sand, carbonic acid and other unimportant bo- 

 dies, 54.0 do 



100.0 

 Therefore 54 per cent of the 90 pounds of animal matter in 

 the load will be sand and substances in no way important or valu- 

 able. There will be 24 pounds of potash and soda, quantities 

 accurately represented by 100 pounds of unleached ashes from 

 the maple, hickory, oak or chestnut. Sixteen pounds of lime 

 and magnesia arc to be had by taking about double that weight 



