12 SQUASHES, HOW TO GROW THEM, ETC. 



ding about one-six to the cost of production, Ave treble 

 the profits. Or, again, to give a commercial look to the 

 matter, for every dollar invested in manure in May, in 

 October, or five months, we receive a return of three dol- 

 lars and an eighth. The returns have proved in the same 

 proportion up to eight cords, and at times up to ten cords, 

 to the acre. These statements are not visionary ; they 

 are drawn directly from practical experience^ and can be 

 corroborated by any farmer who has tried liberal manur- 

 ing. Catch a farmer of that class going backwards, and 

 putting less and less manure on his grounds, what a 

 phenomenon he would be ! No ; the progress of all enter- 

 prising farmers is in one direction. By extra manuring the 

 probabilities of receiving paying returns, are far greater in 

 agricultural than in commercial life, as figures will readily 

 show, though the popular belief is directly the contrary. 



PREPARING AND APPLYING THE MANURE. 



As a general rule in farming, the value of manures that 

 are good for any crop, is increased by mixing them to- 

 gether, making what is called a compost. Ashes and 

 common lime are an exception to this rule ; each of them 

 sets free the ammonia, (the most valuable portion of any 

 manure,) and, being volatile, it escapes into the atmos- 

 phere. In preparing a compost for squashes, the bottom 

 of the heap may be made of muck that has been acted up- 

 on by the frost, sun, and rain of a year, if practicable ; if 

 this can not be done, let it at least be got out the fall 

 previous, that it may be disintegrated, and, in a measure, 

 sweetened by the winter's frost. In the course of the 

 winter, manure from the barn-yard may be hauled upon it. 

 If this has been well worked by hogs, the better. Toward 

 spring, if night-soil can be poured into it, the richness of 

 the heap will be much increased. Sharp sand can now be 

 thrown over the heap, and about as soon as frost breaks 



