AND RURAL ECONOMIST. 213 



some blood, oil, &c., in composts. Sea water, which con- 

 tains other substances besides water and salt, whijh are ft 

 for nourishing plants. Soap-suds, replete with a prepared 

 food for plants ; excellent for watering gardens in dry 

 weather. None of this should ever be lost. If the garden 

 be distant or wet it may enrich the dung heap. Water ia 

 the hollows of farm-yards. Instead of suffering this liquor 

 to soak into the earth, it should be taken up by straw litter, 

 or some absorbent substance thrown into it, or carried out in 

 a water-cart, and sprinkled over land which needs it, in the 

 manner in which streets are watered in cities. 



In the New England Farmer, vol. ix. p. 245, was published 

 an article written by Hon. John Lowell, to the Hon. Thomas 

 L. Winthrop, president of the Massachusetts society for the 

 Promotion of Agriculture, from which the following is ex- 

 tracted : 



' A few years since, the Hon. William Ellis, of Dedham, 

 recommended to me the use of the head and feet bones of 

 oxen, as a highly valuable manure on meadow lands. He 

 said he had observed in passing, that I had grounds remarka- 

 bly well adapted for this manure. I, however, neglected this 

 hint, though I constantly kept it in mind, until the last year, 

 when, seeing an immense load of the heads of oxen passing 

 by, I inquired of the owner for what purpose he was cart- 

 ing these materials, and he answered me to the following 

 facts, viz. : that he came down a distance of eight miles 

 with an empty team, and was carrying back a load, which 

 CGSt him two dollars, to put on his meadow land. I found 

 it was no new experiment with him, and that he came often 

 for that purpose. 



' I made the experiment. Its success surpassed all his de- 

 scriptions. The manure brought in new grasses. It en- 

 couraged and invigorated the old. 



'I am aware it is only of limited application, but it is no 

 trifling thing to render useful an article formerly thrown 

 away. We know so little of the philosophy of .manure, that 

 I shall not speak positively on the subject. All I shall say 

 is, that there is much animal matter still adhering to the 

 bones, and animal matter has been found by experience to 

 promote the growth of vegetables. 



' The mode of application is to break them up with a 

 sledge, or with the back of an axe, and then to press them 

 below the surface by a rammer or beetle. The only point 

 to which I offer my testimony is that the effetts are much 



