13 



riching food of plants. For I think Prof. Goessmann will tell us 

 that all land plants contain potash as one ingredient of their struc- 

 ture. 



When one visits, any of the older countries of the world 

 he is always struck with the careful saving of the drainage 

 and waste of the house. And as it is carried about the streets in 

 pails as if most valuable, he is sure of a precious stench, and pre- 

 sumes that it will be precious food to the crops. He there sees 

 scavengers who more carefully save every bit of excrement than 

 does a thrifty Yankee preserve his scraps of lead, brass and iron. 



But a word for the barn yard and pig pen in this direction. If 

 farmers fully appreciated the value of liquid manures and the 

 best methods of utilizing them, this matter would take care of it- 

 self. At any rate, my limited hour allows me to presume this 

 amount of information on your part. But I must do my best to 

 enforce upon you that it is of the utmost importance to the health 

 of the household that during the months of July, August and 

 September a barn-yard with pools of filthy liquid, and even moist 

 contents, is one of the very best materials with which to generate 

 autumnal fevers, diarrhsea, dysentery, and this class of diseases. 

 And if the fai'mer coald be sure to see to it that once each day 

 all the barn-yard and pig pen waste is thoroughly covered with 

 dry earth during the dangerous months, we are willing to insure 

 mnch less of paying the doctor, and a cleaner bill of health all 

 around. And could I also impress the fact of the money advan- 

 tage in thus saving the ammonia of his manure, I am ^sure the 

 physician and the physiologist have done their duty. 



Another of the poisons of the farmer's life is merdal and moral 

 insanity. The population of Massachusetts according to the last 

 U. S. census was 1,160,666. Of these the number engaged in ag- 

 riculture as an occupation was 72,810 ; or about one-thirteenth of 

 the population were farmers. According to the registration re- 

 port of Massachusetts for 1874, we find that of the people in the 

 State over 20 years of age, during the past 30 years, engaged in 



