88 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



time in considering them ; yet, in the hope that my remarks 

 may set some of you to thinking and experimenting, and at 

 the risk of bringing " coals to Newcastle," I propose to offer 

 a few suggestions and remarks upon the saving, handling 

 and use of manures. 



We sometimes read and hear language which would lead 

 one to think that in the minds of some there exists a notion 

 that there is something of a conflict between manures and 

 fertilizers. This is far from my idea upon this question, 

 and I doubt not most of you will agree with me. It is 

 clearly the part of wisdom first to make the utmost of home 

 resources. There may be crops or there may be soils or 

 fields for which under certain circumstances it is preferable 

 to use fertilizers rather than manures ; and of course when 

 one must purchase the elements of fertility it is an important 

 question whether they can be more cheaply obtained in 

 manure or fertilizer, and I believe the decision must usually 

 be in favor of the latter, as I shall presently show ; but these 

 facts really indicate no necessary conflict between the two 

 classes of materials. There is clearly room enough for both. 

 With an average of only about one ton of hay, thirty-two 

 bushels of corn and about one hundred bushels of potatoes 

 per acre in this State, in face of easily possible yields of 

 three tons, seventy-five bushels and two hundred and fifty 

 bushels respectively, it will not be denied that there is place 

 enough for both manures and fertilizers. 



In the remarks that follow I shall deal principally with 

 manure made from cattle, chiefly milch cows ; and I shall 

 refer to this as farm-yard manure, as I think is the usual 

 custom. The manure from horses I shall refer to as stable 

 manure ; that from sheep and hogs will not be specially 

 referred to. 



Manure more Complete than Fertilizer. 

 At the outset it must be pointed out that manures are 

 more complex in their composition than fertilizers. They 

 contain all the elements found in plants, while fertilizers as 

 a rule do not. Besides. the nitrogen, phosphoric acid and 

 potash, manures, as has been stated, contain lime, magnesia, 

 soda, silica, chlorine, sulphur, iron, etc. AYhether this fact 



