118 



Benjamin P. Ware, of Marblehead. Edmund Smith, of New- 

 biiryport, also presented a statement of an experiment which 

 he did not enter for premium, but oifered for publication. 

 It was expected that Dr. James R. Nichols, Chairman of the 

 Committee, would write a report to accompany these state- 

 ments, but ill health prevented, much to the regret of the 

 Committee and of himself, and we are sure the Society was 

 thus deprived of a discussion of the subject of manures which 

 at his hands could not fail to be instructive and interesting. 

 The details of the experiments made by the applicants for 

 prennum, as well as b^^ Mr. Smith, are very interesting and 

 valuable, and the Committee recommend the award of the 

 first premium of $15, to Francis H. Appleton, of Peabody, 

 and the second premium of $10, to Benjamin P. Ware, of 

 Marblehead. The experiments were very similar in their 

 nature, all of them being trials of the relative value of barn- 

 yard manure and Stockbridge fertilizer, and in two instances 

 Darling's fertilizer. As was well stated by the Chairman of 

 the Committee, "It is to be regretted that no information is 

 given of the nature or composition of Darling's* fertilizer. 

 The past season, owing to the extreme drought, was very un- 

 fortunate for experiments with commercial fertilizers. The 

 wonder is that they were heard from at all." Notwithstand- 

 ing this drawback, the experiments seem to give like results 

 in each case, and are quite convincing. The whole subject of 

 commercial fertilizers is of immense practical importance to 

 farmers, and any reliable collection of facts showing their 

 relative value as compared with barn-yard manure, or with 

 each other, is of great value, and will be eagerly sought. It 

 costs something to try experiments, and the fault with them 

 usually is that the details are not kej)t with suiScient exact- 



* Note. — From annual report by Professor Goessmann. Darling's Animal Fertilizer 

 with Potash. Volatile and Organic Animal Matter, 56.50 per cent. ; Ash constituents, 

 43.50 ; Moisture, 6.3G ; Nitrogen in Organic Matter, 8.58 ; Phosphoric Aoid in Ash, 9.40 : 

 Potassium Oxide, 5.07; Insoluble Matter, l.'Xi. 



Valuation of 2QQ0 pnuyuls.— \l\.<j-^o\ii\<\9 ot Nitrogen, $36.04; 11 2.8 pounds of Phosphoric 

 Acid, $11.28; 101.4 pounds of Potassium Oxide, $6.08. Total, |55.40. 



Manufactured from blood-meat and bones of animals, with addition of potash. 



