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THE GENESEE FABMER. 



77 



the mixture of comparatively little value. We would compost the dry muck with horse 

 manure, and with any animal or rapidly fermenting matter we could obtain. We would 

 also use the dried muck as an absorber of the liquid excrements of the stable and hoff 

 pens. Any means the flirmer can adopt to accumulate ammonia, especially on sandy 

 soils, will be attended with direct advantage in increased crops. 



TERRA CULTURE. 



"It contains much sir both of what is new and what is true; but, unfoi-tunately, what h new is 

 not true, and what is true is not nev^."— Sheridan. ^ 



Mr. J S. Woodward, of Wilson, Niagara county, N. Y., and several other coiTcspond- 

 ents, have requested information in regard to Rdssel Comstock's discovery of "a 

 universal law in vegetation," and on his system based thereon, called "terra culture-" 

 and whether we would recommend a young farmer to attend his lecture. We have also 

 received several communications from individuals who have heard the disclosures, all of 

 which we should like to publish did our sj^ace admit. 



We have hitherto considered the "discoverer" unworthy of an extended notice- but 

 as the subject appears to be creating considerable interest, we will freely express our 

 opinions. Before giving them, however, we shall endeavor to tell what this wonderful 

 secret ,s, if indeed we are able to do so ; for, after listening to Mr. Comstock for several 

 hours, we had to ask him, in good faith, what there was in all the long and incoherent 

 array of words we had been listening to, that he considered Ms secret, and a law of 

 nature discovered by him, for the divulging of which we had paid the dollar. But some 

 of our_ readers may be ready to ask if an obligation of secrecy was not imposed, and if 

 It is fair and honorable to make public the information promised to be kept secret To 

 this we reply : If this pledge was made under false representations — if we have been 

 wilitiilly deceived by this pretended discover of a new natural law — if his wonderful 

 secret is all a humbug, kept up for the purpose of robbing farmers of their dollars and 

 ah that is of any real value in these disclosures is to be found in books accessible to all 

 — then It IS not only riffht, but it becomes our duty as conductors of an agricultural 

 journal, to expose this whole matter, and if possible prevent this gross imposition But 

 . If this does not satisfy Mr. Comstock of our right to make public his impositions, he has 

 the satisfaction of knowing that he was the first to violate the bargain, and thus released 

 us from all obligation. 



We observed that wo had difficulty in ascertaining what Mr. Comstock claimed as 

 his secret, even after we had listened to his lecture for several hours ; and yet Mr C 

 in his petition to Congress for an appropriation, says "the reality of his discovery and 

 Its application to the whole vegetable kingdom is demonstrated in ^m thmt thirty 

 words. It was perhaps unfortunate for us that we were so dull as not to more readily 

 comprehend the Professors teachings; but we have the consolation of knowino- that all 

 otliers we conversed with were as ignorant as ourselves. But, for the secret. The point 

 of union between the roots and the trunk or stem of a tree or plant, and which f^arden- 

 ers call the collar, the Professor declares he has discovered to be the seat of Ufe and 

 that in all trees and plants this collar, or seat of life, should be just even with the sur- 

 face of the ground. This is all there is of this wonderful discoVery of a new natural 

 law, to learn which the farmers are called upon to pay out their dollars, for the discoi^erv 

 of which he petitioned Congress to vote him about a million of dollars, using the follow- 

 ing pathetic lang-uago : 



I'For the honor of the Republic, for the honor of the age, and for the interest and comfort of the 

 hving, as well as the unborn, let not that discovery wluch may cause two seeds to ripTwhere one 



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