72 



portion of potash ; (I have not an analysis of the brand of 

 phosphate, but the proportion of potash in all of them is 

 small, for onions and potatoes). In considering, the farmers 

 will do well to bear in mind that Mr. L.'s land contains a 

 larger proportion of clay than is to be fonnd on most of the 

 farms of Essex County, and that all clays are rich in potash. 

 The Committee award Mr. Horace F. Longfellow^, the pre- 

 mium of $15. 



J. J. H. Gregory, Chairman. 



STATEMENT OF HORACE F. LONGFELLOW. 



To the Committee on ^'■Experiments with Manures''' : — 



Gentlemen :-^We have, for many years, used various kinds 

 of commercial fertilizers on our crops, and, in common with 

 others, used them in addition to, and in connection with barn- 

 yard manure, thinking its use of great benefit in promoting a 

 rapid growth in the early part of the season, and thereby 

 bringing the crop to maturity, earlier, and developing it more 

 perfectly. In other words, we used it for its forcing qualities 

 alone. But, becoming convinced that phosphates had lasting-, 

 as well as /orcmg' qualities, and that a crop could be carried 

 to maturity by its use alone — if an honest phosphate could be 

 found, vvc, in 1879, selected an acre and a quarter of land, 

 with soil of a dark, sandy clay loam, which had been undei' 

 cultivation three years, treated it with phosphate alone, and 

 sowed with onions. This experiment we have continued every 

 year since, with a result interesting to others, convincing and 

 satisfactory to ourselves. 



Below, we give in detail, everything of interest and value 

 connected with this experiment. 



The land was broken up, in 1876 — it had been in grass a 

 dozen years previously — manured with seven cords barn-yard 

 manure and planted with corn and potatoes. In 1877 the 

 treatment and crop were the same. In 1878 it was dressed 

 with ten cords of manure, and the crop was onions— 172 bbls. 



