232 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



in our compost muck or clay, which has first been exposed, if 

 practicable, to the action of frosts, rain and air for a season, 

 night soil, collected from town and cities, kelp from our beaches, 

 and barnyard manure. These four ingredients generally con- 

 stitute our compost heaps. In forming this compost, as soon as 

 our crops are out of the field, we generally make a bed of muck, 

 eighteen inches or two feet deep, and then run up a ridge four 

 feet in height, then send out our night-soil carts, as soon as law 

 allows, — the first of November or December, — and we expect 

 to put in about one-third as much night-soil as we have of muck ; 

 after that, we add our kelp, when it comes in, and also our barn- 

 yard manure, as may be convenient. These heaps are made 

 even with the ridges. If, when all these ingredients have been 

 filled in, the heap is not even with the ridge, we throw the ridge 

 in. Then, just before the frost is out, for the early spring-time 

 is very valuable, we go out with axe, pick, bar and fork, and 

 pitch over the heap, throwing the coarse lumps outside, where 

 the rains and the frosts can have access to them. We let it lie 

 a week or ten days, and then pitch it over again ; and, if we 

 have time, we turn it over a third time. By that time we have 

 had heat developed probably twice, and the manure has been 

 very thoroughly comminuted. This is the general nature of our 

 compost, of which, as I said, we use so many cords to the differ- 

 ent crops. 



We also use ashes, that have been so discussed here to-day : 

 guano, fish pomace, — " chum," we call it, — and phosphate of 

 lime. When we use the fish pomace, we make a layer of muck 

 or clay, and then put on it a thin layer of the pomace ; perhaps 

 four times the depth of clay or muck that there is of pomace. 

 I mean such pomace as has been discussed here to-day. The 

 fish are boiled, the oil pressed out, and the refuse barrelled up 

 and sold. Sometimes it is thrown into a vast pile and mixed 

 when in a high state of fermentation. In the green state, when 

 brought fresh to market, directly from the fishermen, it brings 

 about twenty dollars a ton. It is landed on our shores at about 

 that price. 



In regard to guano, I use that mostly in connection with 

 other manures. I use all of these substances, that is, the phos- 

 phates and guanos, but I depend mostly on the compost for the 

 great bulk of my manure for roots and vegetables, and add 



