ON EXFERl^IENTS ON MANURES. 87 



weighed 29 lbs., or 3973 lbs. per acre. The increase 

 was 1164 lbs. per acre. On other spear grasses the ef- 

 fect was apparently quite as great as here; but upon 

 clover and barley it did no good. 



This nitrate of soda, bought in 1841, cost about $4 

 per cwt. A bushel probably would weigh near 100 lbs. 

 At this rate it would be a cheap application, were re- 

 sults to be such as we obtained on the measured piece. 

 But w^e apparently lost so much by putting it where it 

 did no good, that the purchase was not on the whole a 

 very. profitable one. We have corn, carrots, beets, po- 

 tatoes and rutabagas upon it, and expect to be able to 

 give the results in a few weeks. These w^e think now 

 will be rather favorable than otherwise. 



The present price of nitrate of soda is 6 or $7 per 

 cwt., if it can be had at any price. Report says it has 

 been bought up for the English market, where it is 

 much sought after for manure. Others in this vicinity 

 have used the nitrate of soda, and w^e hope by this ac- 

 count to induce them to give the results. More experi- 

 ments are needed before the article can be either re- 

 commended or discarded. 



JOSEPH HOW'S STATEMENT. 



To the Committee on Manures : 



Gentlemen — Feeling desirous to ascertain the com- 

 parative value of different kinds of manure, I resolved ta 

 try several experiments. For this purpose I selected a 

 piece of warm pasture land; the soil a gravelly loam. 

 After it w^as ploughed, I measured off six lots five rods 

 long, and one rod w ide. On lot No. 1 , I carted one 

 cart-load of compost, made of meadow mud, with which 

 was mixed thirteen gallons of waste soap. No. 2, one 

 cart-load of green manure. No. 3, compost made as 

 follows : I hauled a quantity of loam and meadow mud 

 into my barn cellar, about the middle of June, 1841. I 

 kept on it from six to eight shotes. Added the manure 

 of two horses about three fourths of the time; also, the 

 manure of about twenty head of cattle about six weeks; 



