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which contained but a minimum of potash to a maximum of 

 chloride of sodium, or common salt ; a subsequent analysis prov- 

 ing that the composition as given was incorrect, the proportion 

 of potash present being not nearly so great as the original analy- 

 sis set forth. Thanks to our agricultural college with its agri- 

 cultural professors, this deception was duly detected and duly 

 exposed, so that the public is not so likely again to pay for a good 

 article and get a poor one. In these three articles were the three 

 substances which make up about all that vegetation needs, viz: — 

 nitrogen, phosphate of lime and potash. The hen manure and 

 bone were each rich in nitrogen and phosphates, while the kanite 

 gave the potash. The hen manure was especially rich in nitro- 

 gen and the bone in phosphates. To manure the three acres I 

 used twenty-five barrels of hen manure, twelve barrels of bone 

 and three of kanite. These were composted with about an 

 equal quantity of fine loam — a square heap being made by 

 spreading layer on layer of each to a height of about three feet. 

 The mass was allowed to remain for three days, until well heat- 

 ed by fermentation, when it was pitched over and very thorough- 

 ly mixed together and allowed to stand about twenty-four hours 

 longer when heat having again been developed it was again pitch- 

 ed over, and the process was a third time repeated. The entire 

 mass had now become very thoroughly mixed together and was 

 mechanically in very fine condition. The ground having been 

 thoroughly prepared, about a quart of this compost was applied 

 to each hill, covered with soil, and the seed planted upon it. 

 The result showed that the kanite was too strong of common salt, 

 for but few of the seed vegetated. The trouble could not have 

 arisen from the hen manure being too concentrated, for I have 

 often used it as strong and even stronger and yet had no dif- 

 ficulty in getting healthy plants. The result was, we were com- 

 pelled to transplant into many vacant hills. The crop received 

 the usual cultivation, and, though a part of the growing season 



