218 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



commercial fertilizers ? He had taken the ground that it was bad 

 management to do so ; and preferred to feed the crops. 



Professor Caldwell did not think green manuring an economical 

 process : it takes time ; and it is better to put the crop through 

 the animal, where stock feeding is at all profitable. Animals 

 retain only ten per cent of the food they consume. Clover would 

 be least profitable of all crops to plough in, because it is so good 

 for fodder ; it is too good to plough in. When cut it leaves a 

 great deal of fertilizing material in the stubble and roots, and is an 

 excellent preparation for wheat. He advised the ploughing in of 

 green crops only when they cannot be used for fodder. He did 

 not pretend to stand here as a judge of manures ; but the nitrogen 

 in the hen manure did cost twenty-seven cents per pound. Ammo- 

 nia in the form of sulphate or nitrate would have cost onl}- twenty- 

 two cents. There is a great difference in the quality of hen 

 manure ; some is taken better care of than others. 



Mr. Bowker said he had heard a great deal of talk about applying 

 the South Carolina phosphate directly to the soil in a finely ground 

 state, without rendering it soluble, and asked Professor Caldwell's 

 opinion of it. 



Professor Caldwell replied that ver}' few careful. experiments had 

 been made with the South Carolina phosphates. In Europe 

 experiments have been made with such mineral phosphates as 

 they have there, and the results have not been favorable ; but 

 those found in South Carolina are of better quality. Writers using 

 the term " South Carolina phosphates" sometimes mean superphos- 

 phates made from them. Superphosphate containing phosplioric 

 acid in a soluble or reverted state has a very great advantage 

 over the mineral, in the ease with which it is dissolved and dis- 

 tributed in the soil. 



Rev. A. B. Muzzey said that when in Europe some years ago 

 he called on Thomas Carlyle in company with the Massachusetts 

 Commissioner of Agriculture, and Mr. Carlyle said to them, 

 "Two men I honor: him who cultivates the soil, and him who 

 educates the human mind ; — and no other." These two things are 

 often united, as in these meetings ; where we have a paper, followed 

 by a discussion of the subject by practical men. He thought the 

 Committee on Discussions deserved great credit for their sagacity 

 in the selection of essayists — including one lady. However much 

 we know, there is more and better yet to be told ; but the informa- 



