58 



One farmer, whose farm lies on the sea, lias this year made some 

 trials of fish as a manure. The Munhaden, Alewives, or Hard- 

 heads, as they are called, come to the shores in the early pari of the 

 season in great numbers, and are easily taken in seines. In the 

 southern parts of this State, and in Rhode Island, they are used in 

 great quantities ; either spread upon the grass land, or laid near to, 

 or placed in, the hill of corn. They are very powerful ; but their ef- 

 fects not lasting. The animal matter contained in them is consider- 

 able ; and the bones are composed of phosphate of lime, which is 

 a strong and active manure. The great objection to their use is, 

 that to a person not interested, they render the air extremely offen- 

 sive. Not so to those who find a profit in their application. To 

 most men, a golden breeze is always fragrant. There are other ma- 

 rine manures of great value. I have found sea sand, put in the hill of 

 potatoes, in low land of great eflicacy. My experience in this mat- 

 ter is not singular. The siliceous matter divides the soil ; and the salt 

 which adheres to it serves to stimulate the plant. Sea sand has been 

 used with advantage at Sandy Bay. The marine plants are used with 

 very beneficial results. The eel-grass is of little value excepting as 

 litter. Nothing seems more grateful or heahhfiil to swine than an 

 abundance of this grass in their styes. It serves to increase the 

 compost heap ; but it becomes light and does not leave much 

 when dried. Rock weed and kelp are valuable when ploughed in; 

 but they are used to most advantage when applied directly as a top- 

 dressing upon grass land. Then their effects are remarkable, and 

 no more efficacious manure can be used. If left in heaps for any 

 length of time, they soon become heated and decomposed ; and are 

 gone. 



The refuse of the comb manufactories, horn tips and horn shav- 

 ings, are greatly valued as manures. The refuse of the glue manu- 

 factories are used with great advantage. Ashes, leeched or crude, 

 have been applied by different individuals with various success. A 

 farmer of high authority, in Newbury, states: — "I think leeched 

 ashes very valuable to spread on grass land ; likewise for onions and 

 grain. I use 20 or 30 cart loads. I gave this year three dollars 

 per load of fifty bushels." A respectable farmer states, that he 

 deems thcuj of no use unless applied in conjunction with other ma- 



