312 



NEW ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



July 



Scriptures, where the plant without seed is 

 represented as preceding the seed-bearing 

 plant. I tjied various experiments, all of 

 which proved that ( nly the stalks and foliage 

 of plants can be produced by such compounds 

 as were recommended, impliedly at least, for 

 a complete production. In one case I selected 

 a very light soil, unquestionably free from in- 

 jurious acids, of good indmatioa and of favora- 

 ble altitude, but containing so little catbona- 

 ceous matter as to be just suited for my experi- 

 ment. 1 ploughed it well, and dressed boun- 

 tifully of the compound, which it was said 

 would do the needtul to secure a crop any- 

 where, ai;d planted with Indian corn. It 

 came up quickly, looked beautifully, and fifty 

 days from planting gave promise most cheer- 

 ing. The season was favorable, but an eighth 

 of an acre yielded not more than one pec!i of 

 corn, at harvest timi. 'Ihe reason exisied in 

 the nature of the case. Nature, with all her 

 ample powers, cannot create. 



Another experiment with the same com- 

 pound, for the purpose of producing fodder 

 without grain, was in the highest degree suc- 

 cessftd. On a cold soil, where the piodiaction 

 of fodder only was intended, a dressing of 

 green manure was first applied, and then on 

 one part the same special compound before 

 referred to was added. The difference in 

 favor of the special addition was as thirteen 

 and a half to one, 



A safe motto ever is, "Prove all things, and 

 hold fast that which is good." 



Lee, N. II., 1869. A. G. Comings. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 CEMENTINQ BARJST CELLARS. 



Mr. D. L. Tolman asks for definite infor- 

 mation on the subject of manure vats As I 

 have cemented two barn cellars to hold ma- 

 nure, with what I consider Complete success, I 

 will endeavor to reply. 



First, I used the common Hydraulic Cement 

 in both cases. In the first instance, 1 employed 

 a mason to superintend the work, and 1 olio wed 

 his directions to the letter, which were, first, 

 to level otF the bottom of the cellar and then 

 make it very hard by pounding it with a ram, 

 such as is used by pavers ; then to put down 

 three inches in thickness of a pla^^ter composed 

 of one part cement and three p irts gravel, and 

 water sulti lent to make it as thick as mortar 

 for plastering. Mix in small quantities, and 

 use it quick. 



The second one I did myself in my own way. 

 This cellar bottom was the loosest of fine sand, 

 which it would do no good to pound. So I 

 just raked it oif level and applied the plaster 

 upon that soft surface, mixed as follows : I 

 procured two or three cart loads of gravel 

 stones, ail the dirt removed by screening, rang- 

 ing in size from as large as my fist down to the 

 size of a filbert. Then I took one bucket oi 

 cement and two of good sharp sand or gravel, 



with no loacn in it, and eight buckets of the 

 stones and applied as before, three inches thick, 

 smootLing off the surface with a little mixed 

 up without the stones, so as to make good 

 shovelling. I protected the edge where I drove 

 in and out with the cart by laying down a row 

 of granite stone across the whole front of the 

 cellar to keep the edge of the cement from 

 crumbling. 



This last, as you see, is much cheaper; but 

 either one is so hard that you can drive a 

 forty-bushel cart piled full of manure across 

 it and make no more mark than on a solid 

 rock. 



In cementing a place twenty by thirty feet, 

 I used but thirteen and one-half casks of ce- 

 ment, and did the work in two days with a cheap 

 day laborer to assist me. 



If the common cement is properly mixed, I 

 think Mr. Tolman will not lose much manure 

 by its percolating through the cellar fioor. 

 J. G. Hubbard. 



Derry, N. E., May 3, 1869. 



PROP. VILLE'S COMPLETE MANURE. 



A few years ago farmers were led to expect 

 that they should be able to learn just what ma- 

 terial or substance they should apply to their 

 run-down fields to make them produce good 

 crop-i, by having a sp cimen of their soils an- 

 alyzed by the chemists. These expectations 

 have not been fully realized. 



A few years since, M. George Ville, a pro- 

 fessor in a Paris institution of learning, under- 

 took to analyze soils by the growth of the 

 plant itself, instead of the chemist"'s crucible. 

 Beginning with pure burnt sand, instead of 

 soil, placed in china pots, he planted in each a 

 few kernels of wheat. All were kept moist 

 with distilled water. To one of these pots he 

 added one kind of pure chemical substances, 

 to another, another kind, and so on, to ascer- 

 tain which substance or substances made the 

 plant grow best. After experimenting in pots 

 and fields some fifteen years he came to the 

 conclusion that a "Complete Manure" might 

 be made of four ingredients, viz : — 



1. Nitrogen, in the state of nitrate of soda, 

 or sal ammonia ; 



2. Phosphoric acid, in the state of phosphate 

 of lime ; 



3. Potassa, in the state of carbonate of po- 

 tassa; and 



4. Lime, in the state of caustic lime. 



A little pamphlet written by John A. Riddle, 

 Esq., of Manchester, N. H., embracing the 

 principal conclusions of Prof. ViUe, has been 



