242 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



we should think would cuise these men as long as 

 they live, and make their names a lasting reproach. 



The editor of the Country Gentleman, who has 

 been instrumental in ferreting out this bold fraud, is 

 entitled to the thanks of all. The agricultural press 

 ia never more usefully employed than in watching the 

 interests of farmers and guarding them against the 

 frauds of dishonest speculators. Let the farmers see 

 that their true friends are sustained. 



We once had a libel suit hanging over our head 

 for expo.sing a fraud of this kind, although we were 

 prepared by the evidence of a former partner in the 

 Manure Company, to prove every word we had said 

 in relation to its composition. 



The following from the Jlgricultural Gazette 

 (Eng.,) is to the point: 



The shameless frauds practised by some dealers 

 have been long known and exposed, but how are 

 guch to be detected by practical farmers who are 

 not chemists, and yet want a supply just at a time 

 when a dealer is at hand and ready to sell? A case 

 of this kind came under my knowledge some time 

 fflnce, when the sale and terms of purchase had been 

 settled between the parties. It was then understood 

 that the money was to be paid on the day following:, 

 (£10 per ton); I therefore bad little enough time to 

 eflect even a slight quantitative analysis. The sam 

 pie I received was about four ounces. Having been 

 accustomed to experiment with several varieties, it 

 occnrred to me that by a few simple processes, it 

 would be possible to attain to a pretty correct idea 

 of the moi-sture contained in a given weight (which 

 ought not to exceed 10 to 12 per cent.) of the quan- 

 tity of ammonia in the soluble salts, of the insoluble 

 matters, the most valuable of which is the bone 

 phosphate in its state of extremely minute division. 

 1 now, therefore, endeavor to recite, in the most sim- 

 ple terms, the processes adopted by me, and which I 

 DOW venture to recommend to those who have not at 

 command a more refined analysis: .50 grains of the 

 gample to be examined are dried in a paper placed 

 upon the hob of a grate, and then weighed to ascer- 

 tain the lo.sa of water, and rubbed in a small mortar 

 to a flue powder; two-thirds of the quantity (say 36 

 grains of air-slaked lime are, in like manner, placed 

 on the hob of a grate, and equally dried and weighed, 

 and are then triturated together. The weight being 

 accurately noted, they are transferred to a small bal- 

 anced saucer, moistened with a dessert spoonful of 

 rain water, and stirred with a pointed quill. Ammo- 

 niacal gas is immediately developed, but in much 

 greater volume when placed upon the warm grate 

 till dry. The mixture is then to be treated with 

 boiling water sufficient to bring it to a paste, stirred 

 repeatedly and left in heat till dust dry, when the vol- 

 atile ammonia will have been totally e.xpelled by the 

 lime. The loss of weight will be found lo vary ac- 

 cording to the quality of the guano. In one exper- 

 iment made by me it was proved that a mixture of 

 50 grains of dry guano, and only 26 of lime — 76 

 grains so treated had lost 6J grains. This loss, if 

 assigned to ammonia only, would indicate 13 grains 



in the 100 of the ammonia actually existing as a base 

 to some or all of those acids which are found in the 

 soluble ingredients of pure and sound guano. If by 

 repeated experiments of the kind, with different sam- 

 ples, certain definite quantities are left, and the loss 

 of weight a.scertained, a pretty correct idea ot the 

 actual quantity of potential ammonia will be attained, 

 sufficient at all events to guide the judgment of a 

 discerning practical agriculturist. Professors Ander- 

 son and Wat concur in the opinion that " there are 

 only two constituents which practically require to be 

 considered in the estimate of the commercial value 

 of the phosphates." This is admitted, for the phos- 

 phates which exist in some of the salts soluble in 

 water contain ammonia. Yet the one most available 

 in turnip culture is the bone earth (phosphate of 

 lime) which remains in the insoluble matters after 

 water has taken up all that it can dissolve. These 

 insoluble substances include more or less urate of 

 ammonia — a valuable ingredient, but requiring time 

 and accuracy for its development. Estimating it at 

 12 per cent., and the bone phosphate at 23 per cent; 

 also other organic and saline matters at 16 per cent; 

 with 2 or 3 per cent, of sand in all; 47 percent, may 

 be taken (including from 6 to 10 parts of moisture) 

 a.^ the mean average of all the ingredients soluble in 

 rain or distilled water. — John Toivers. 



CXEAEING NEW LAND. 



Mr. EniTOR: — Having seen in the columns of the 

 Pab.mbr a few words from a subscriber, desiring to 

 know the best method, and cheapest withal, for clear- 

 ing new land, I give the plan adopted by myself and 

 others in my vicinity. 



All our industrious farmers calculate on clearing 

 from 5 to 15 acres of fallow yearly; generally chop- 

 ping during the winter months, and clearing for wheat 

 in the fall. 8ome prefer slashing and falling the tops 

 together into large heaps, or as much so as possible, 

 which is a very good way, provided the timber can 

 lay a couple of years and dry; otherwise there will 

 be a great deal that will not burn up. In such a 

 case there is a great sacrifice of time and labor in 

 clearing up the land, and getting rid of the timber. 



An old and very common way is to underbrush in 

 winrows, leaving a break in them if logs come in the 

 way, as brush will not burn when piled on logs, or on 

 the roots of fallen trees. 



Again, some adopt the plan of making small and 

 numerous brush-heaps close together, and with them 

 the great oljject is to get a good burn. 



ily opinion is, that the soil is left in the best con- 

 dition when burnt as little as possible. The land 

 where heaps of logs have been burned, after having 

 been cleared a few years, can be distinctly discerned 

 by looking over crops gi'owing on and around it. 



Hence, I would chop and fall my timber, and bum 



