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their value too much cannot be said. When properly intro- 

 duced into the soil they take the highest rank among fertiliz- 

 ing agents, and have never failed to answer the expectations 

 of the cultivator, when "properly prepared and used. The dis- 

 solving of bones in sulphuric acid has long been known as a 

 most valuable mode of preparing them. More recent experi- 

 ments with ashes and caustic lime seem to have resulted well. 

 And it remains to be proved how far mechanical solution will 

 take the place of these chemical processes. We most ardently 

 hope that every eifort now going on in the county to provide 

 us with bones for manure will be continued and improved up- 

 on, until we have a good supply of this manure, prepared in 

 the best manner. 



GEO. B. LORING, Chairman. 



STATEMENT OF WM. R. PUTNAM. 



To the Committee on Manures : 



Ey the request of the secretary I send for your information 

 the result of a small experiment in the use of bone manure. 

 It was made without any intention of making it public, but 

 simply to satisfy myself which was the best bone manure, 

 made at the different mills in the county. 



The soil where the corn was planted is a good loam. It 

 had been in grass for six years. It was ploughed in Novem- 

 ber, 1865, about seven inches deep. It was well worked with 

 the harrow and cultivator the last of April. The first week 

 in May it was planted ; the same kind of seed was used on 

 the whole lot of about two acres. 



Lot No. 1 was manured from bone meal from Breed's Mill 

 in Lynn, the cost of which was three cents per lb., and was 

 applied at the rate of 500 lbs. per acre. The hills were three 

 and a half feet apart each way ; the bone was mixed partially 

 with the soil. 



Lot No. 2 was manured with the flour of bone from Wal- 



