208 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



be best for you to dispose of all your cattle and all of your 

 farm products, and continue to keep up your farm by fertilizers ? 



Dr. Nichols. If I should sell off all my stock and continue 

 my experiments with special fertilizers, at the cost at which I 

 should obtain them, I think I could maintain my farm in as 

 good tilth, and in as favorable condition, and I' think rather 

 more 80,lhan by keeping stock. That is the result of the ob- 

 servations of seven years. 



Mr. Slade. Can you not do this better than general farmers ? 

 Would it be best for us to undertake to renovate our farms in • 

 thai way, unless we have better facilities for getting purer 

 articles than we have ? 



Dr. Nichols. I should speak with a great deal of caution in 

 relation to that ; I find it so difficult to convey the idea. Of 

 course, it must necessarily be easier for me to manipulate in 

 this way than for others, because my whole life has been spent 

 in it. But at the same time, I see no difficulty in any person 

 manufacturing these fertilizers upon their own farms. For 

 instance, it is a disagreeable thing to handle oil of vitriol. It is 

 an article with which you may spoil a suit of clothes in a day, 

 which would be unpleasant. In the first place, there should be 

 great care used in turning out the oil of vitriol from the carboy 

 to make superphosphate. I suppose I could turn out a ton of 

 oil of vitriol, and scarcely get a drop on my clothes. It is my 

 facility of manipulation. Some people have undertaken to 

 measure it in wooden vessels ; but an ordinary stone pitcher 

 would be perfectly safe. By paying attention to these little 

 things, anybody can make superphosphate, and make it with just 

 as much facility as I can. But if one is easily discouraged and 

 allows little matters to disturb him, he would be very likely to 

 give it up. I have always taken the ground, and insist upon it 

 to-day, that you can make all these things upon your own farms 

 just as well as I can, if you will persevere. 



Mr. Wetherell. Would your farm continue for generations 

 to improve by the use of these special fertilizers, as it would 

 •with the use of animal excrement ? 



Dr. Nichols. I might base my reply upon the assumption 

 that plants need food, and I conceive it to be of no manner of 

 consequence through what channel they get that food. Pro- 

 vided we furnish that food for them in an assimilable condition, 



