492 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



million of dollars in manure is followed by a loss of much labor 

 and many millions in the crop. 



It is also practicable and economical for many farmers to 

 avail themselves of manures or fertilizers from the shops and 

 mills of the manufacturers. The dirt and waste of woollen 

 factories are found to be a superior manure for potatoes. 



The liquor and deposit of the rag bleacheries are of inesti- 

 mable value. They contain lime, soda, and whatever may be 

 extracted from the rags. The value of this composition is ap- 

 parent, and must be great in most sections of New England. 

 An intelligent manufacturer and farmer, who has had many 

 years' experience with this fertilizer, writes that, where used 

 upon land in the immediate vicinity of the bleachery, its value 

 is equal to the cost of the lime and soda. There are also many 

 other manufactories from whose ordinary operations wealth, or 

 the means of wealth, may be derived. 



