ON EXTERIMENTS ON MANURES. 83 



unfavorably. But why tainted halibut on No. 4, and 

 soapboilers' scraps on No. 17, should have so nearly neu- 

 tralized all the good effect of the muck, is a mystery 

 which throws a doubt over the value of all the informa- 

 tion derived from the experiment. Where positive in- 

 formation is wanting, probabilities are worth something; 

 and the more we study the results of Mr. P.'s experi- 

 ment, the better satisfied we shall be, that following 

 some of the indications w^ill hereafter lead to some posi- 

 tive truths in regard to the value, as manures, of several 

 articles here tried. Some other experiments were made 

 by Mr. Putnam, where his object was to get a crop, 

 which are much more satisfactory. These we shall give 

 in his ov/n words. 



A Trial of Crushed Bone as a Manure for Winter Rye. 



In the month of August, last year, we broke up be- 

 tween two and three acres of plain pasture land ; the 

 soU rather light and the surface quite mossy. After it 

 was ploughed, the roller was passed over the whole. 

 vSept. 8, we marked out a portion of it into squares, 

 three rods by three, and on to 16 of these squares, we 

 put eight bushels of bone — a half bushel on each square. 

 This bone was applied dry and unmixed, just as it came 

 from the cask. The rate was a little less than nine 

 bushels per acre. Another and contiguous portion of 

 the land had applied to it at the same time four bushels 

 of bone at the rate of 16 bushels per acre. This is all 

 the application that was made to any part of the lot. 

 The ground not covered by this bone was left without 

 any manure. 



On the 8th of Sept. the rye was sowed, 5 pecks of 

 seed per acre, and this with the bone were harrowed 

 in together. The harrow passed first lengthwise the 

 furrow, and then crosswise, and after this the ground 

 was again rolled. 



The weather immediately after this was warm and the 

 ground was moist. In one week the grain was well up, 

 and in three weeks, that where the bone was applied, 

 was very perceptibly in advance of the other. It kept 



