"Shell of the common oyster {Ostrca borealis) — 100 parts of the fresh shell, deprived of water, 

 gave of 



Phosphates of iron, lime, and magnesia, . . . .• 0.842 



Carbonate of lime, , 86.203 



Sulphate of liino, 2.061 



Lime, probably eombined with organic matter, 6.035 



Magnesia 0.3;J8 



Totassa, 0.101 



Soda and cliloride of sodium, 0.690 



Organic matter 3.61.3 



99.973 

 "The same shell, burned till nearly all the carbonic acid and organic matter were expelled — 100 

 parts gave of 



Phospliates of iron, lime, and magnesia, O.SOO 



Lime, 91.918 



Magnesia, 0.560 



Potassa, 0.316 



Soda and chloride of sodium, 1.144 



Sulphuric acid, 2.011 



Carbonic acid 2.060 



Orj^anic matter, trace 



98.799 

 " From these analyscB it will be seen that tlie shells of the clam contain a mnch larger per centage 

 of phosphates, magnesia, pi)tas<a, and soda, than tlio.<e of the oyster; while the latter are mueli the 

 richest in lime and su]j)liurie acid. Yours, truly, J. II. Salisbury, State Chemist. 



"Old State Hall, Albany, Feb. 14, 1853." 



Soluble Silica. — The following important item is from the Transactions of the 

 Monthly Council of the Royal Agricultural Society for March : 



•"Professor Way, the Consulting* Cliemist to the Society, reported to the Council the recent 

 discovei-y, assisted by Sir. Maixwarixg Paine, lie had made on tliat gentleman's pro))ei'ly in Surrey, 

 ot a natural source of silica, in the state known to chemists as "sohible silica." This depo-it was 

 situated, in the lower beds of the challc formation, immediately above the upper green sand, in 

 quantities that would prove inexhaustible; and it was found in many instances to contain no less 

 than To per cerft. of the soluble silica in question. This substance so unexpectedly found leadymade 

 to liand in nature, would be invaluable in a variety of ways in the manufacture of manure; and he 

 desired an early day for a lecture, if it met with the concurrence of the Council, in order tliat this 

 discoveiy might in the first instance, and at once, be laid before the Society, as a link in that chain 

 of investigations wliich had been originated and' carried on under its own direction and at its own 

 charge, in order that by such early announcement its advantages might be secured, free from 

 monopoly, to its members and the agricultural community. The Council thanked Professor Way for 

 this important eonmiunication, and decided that his leetu're on this subject should be delivered to the 

 members of the Society in the Council Koom on the second Wednesday in March, at 12 o'clock 

 at noon." 



♦•« 



Under-draining. — At a late meeting of the New York Farmei-s' Club, Mr. J. N. 

 Blakeslee, of Watertown, Conn., gave the following testimony to the great value of 

 thorough drainage : 



"I have doubled the crops of my whole fttrm by drainage. One drain eighty rods long, made 

 of stones jncked oft' of two acres, cost $30, counting the work at a dollar a day, including six rods 

 of lead pipe to bring the water into my barnyai'd. I have now got water in all but two fields by 

 my drains. I had some dry knolls, situated lower tiian the land I drained, wiiich were iinprnduc- 

 tive. Upon these I managed to empty the water of the drains, and now get first rate crops by that 

 mode of irrigation. 1 put WO rods of drain into lOO acres. 1 had M acr(>s that would not pa.-^lure 

 60 sheep. The land was covered with bitter brakes; when drained, I sowed southei'n clover seed, 

 and then cattle and sheep eat clover and young brakes till they killed out all the brakes, and now 

 I get great crops of English hay. I dig ditches two or three feet down to a hard pan and lay a jiipe 

 of stones and fill it with small stones. This is far better tlian open ditches." 



FERTii.rrf OK Nile Mud — Tlie celebrated microscopic jihilosophor, EuKEXnnRG, has examined this 

 mud, and finds its great fertility to be owing, not so much to any peculiar mineral contribution, or 

 to the presence of vegetable matter, as it is to the vast accmnulation of extremely minute formg of 

 microscopic animals, which by their decomposition enrich the soil. — Keui York Farmers' Club. 



The animal matter thus furni.shod contains a large percentage of nitrogen, and w (Uild 

 by decomposition suj)ply that invaluable fertilizer for all cereal crops — ammonia. 



