$6 TRA.N3ACTI0NS. 



AJ ANURES. 



THEODORE G. HUNTINGTON'S REPORT. 



Of the three main tranches of agriculture, the treatment of crops 

 of the soil, and of manures, perhaps less is known with certainty con- 

 cerning the latter, than either of the others. Although the general 

 effect of manures is unquestionable, their specific action is in many in- 

 stances involved in obscurity. 



The subtle processes by which substances, in themselves worthless 

 and oftentimes offensive, are converted into forms of living beauty 

 and utility, taking place as they do under conditions that elude our 

 keenest observation, it is only by the slow process of trial, experi- 

 ment and generalization, that we are able to arrive at any definite 

 results on this important subject. Much has already been done in 

 this way, particularly in regard to compost manure ; and your com- 

 mittee take this opportunity to say, that while they value every prac- 

 tical exhibition of the importance of these manures, they have not the 

 vanity to suppose that, after the thorough treatment the subject has 

 received at the hands of our agricultural chemists, any crude thoughts 

 of theirs would be entitled to consideration. 



There was but one claimant for the prerqium on compost manure, 

 and this was for the making and not the application of the manure. 



The Hampshire Society encourages experiments, not only with com- 

 post manures, but also with guano, and the chemical or mineral ma- 

 nures. 



These are getting into very general use, and it is of the utmost im- 

 portance that farmers should become acquainted with their actual val- 

 ue. Your committee consider that single trials of this kind, while 

 they add something to the general stock of information, and bear tes- 

 timony in individual instances to their value, determine nothing as to 

 their economy or their permanent effect on the soil. For instance, if 

 a single application of guano, (though it may produce an immediate 

 good effect) should leave the land in a worse condition than before, 

 it may not be good economy to use it. If premiums were offered for 

 experiments in these manures, to be continued for four or five years sue- 



