ON EXPERIMENTS ON MANURES, 45 



there have been no applications for premiums under the 

 first class, from which something might be learned as to 

 the actual value of the substances used as manures. 



Under the second class, however, a statement has 

 been submitted to them by Allen Putnam, Editor of the 

 New England Farmer, whose remarks in that Journal 

 and elsewhere have placed his name among the list of 

 those whose noble object has been to advance the cause 

 of agriculture. Mr. Putnam has probably ti)c present 

 year done more for that cause than in any former year. 

 Having purchased a small farm in Hamilton, of that light 

 kind of soil which prevails so extensively in that region, 

 he has set to work in good earnest, without the aid of a 

 large manure pile, to improve the quality of his land. 

 The method by which this has been attempted will be 

 seen by an examination of his statement. Such efforts 

 deserve success, and cannot fail to ensure it. That he 

 has already succeeded in accumulating and applying a 

 large quantity of valuable compost manure, cannot be 

 doubted. The exact value of the various composts pre- 

 pared by him, as no experiments have been submitted, 

 cannot be stated. While these would have been highly 

 gratifying the present year^ yet as the crops on Mr. Put- 

 nam's farm were severely injured by the hail storm on the 

 last of June, it would have been difficult to arrive at any 

 certain conclusions in the premises. Should the next 

 season prove favorable, it is to be hoped that he will lay 

 before the public the result of his experiments, particu- 

 larly those of the application of spent or salt ley, of 

 which he is making such copious use. This article be- 

 ing so much more bulky than other uncommon articles 

 of manure, the expense of transportation will enter mate- 

 rially into the estimate of its value to the farmer. 



As there were no other statements but that of Mr. Put- 

 nam, the Committee have concluded to recommend, 

 as they cordially do, that the second premium of twenty 

 dollars, under the second class, be awarded him. 



For the Committee, 



ALLEN W. DODGE. 



Hamilton, Dec. 30, 184L 



