34 ON EXPERIMENTS ON MANURES. 



and loamy soils produce a fair crop of corn. In 

 the locality of Dr. Nichols's farm, it would be difficult 

 and expensive to procure animal manure in sufficient 

 quantities to plant any considerable extent of land, 

 and we know of no cheaper or better substitute. 



The attention of the Committee was also directed 

 to a piece of barley, on which a solution of pot- 

 ash and peat mud had been applied, and the quan- 

 tity of straw and grain appeared to have been 

 doubled by the operation. But the advantages of 

 this application were still more apparent on a small 

 portion of land on which onions had been sown. — 

 Although it was not in proper tilth for such a crop, it 

 produced at the rate of six hundred and forty bushels 

 to the acre. On a small part of the land none of the 

 solution had been used ; here, the crop was very 

 light, giving evidence that the superiority of the crop 

 was owing to the novel application. 



The subject is important to farmers. Manure is 

 the capital on which they do business. And the man 

 who teaches them how to obtain it at a reasonable 

 rate and in sufficient quantities, does the public bet- 

 ter service, than if he lectured the live long day on 

 copper and silver mines, and amused the sleepy 

 hours with golden dreams. 



The Committee think Dr. Nichols's experiment 

 valuable, and his statement satisfactory ; they recom- 

 mend that it be published, and that the Society's pre- 

 mium of twenty dollars be awarded to him. 

 For the Committee, 



DANIEL P. KING 



Danvers, Dec. 28, 1839. 



