28 



Your Committee, from observation, as weil as from several 

 experiments actually tried by themselves, are unanimous in 

 the opinion that the article in question is fully equal in value, 

 pound for pound, to the best Peruvian Guano. We grant it 

 may not be quite so rich in ammonia as that made from birds 

 fed mostly on fish, but believe it possesses other qualities in a 

 greater degree, which render it more durable in the soil, and 

 less liable to injure seeds and plants by burning, &c, and 

 which, therefore, fully offset the deficiency in ammonia. 



Your Committee have waited long for written statements 

 from some of our members who have been experimenting with 

 fowls the present season, but have thus far received only one, 

 and even that one we are not permitted to enter entire. We 

 therefore quote from it, and also from some verbal statements 

 made to us. 



A prominent member of our Society has kept from Janua- 

 ry 1st to July 1st, 100 fowls, 10 roosters, and an average 

 number of 90 laying hens. He has obtained in that time 408 

 dozen of eggs, worth 20 cents per dozen, or $81 60. He 

 estimates the value of manure saved $10 00 ; dropped in 

 the field, $8 00 $99 60 



The sole feed has been yellow com, 46 bush., cost 52 90 



In August the lot was sold at about 14 cents per pound, 

 and a new lot bought for about half what the old brought. 

 He estimates the expense of keeping from July to January at 

 $30, value of Eggs $25, of manure saved and dropped $14, 

 thus the cost of keeping for the year, is in corn $82 90, the 

 product in eggs $106 60, in manure $32, total $138 60, 

 profit $55 70. He estimates the difference between the 

 amount realized for the old lot and the cost of the new, togeth- 

 er with the benefit to his orchard by their destroying bugs, 

 &c, to equal the rent of the poultry house and the care of the 

 fowls. He gives his fowls a large range in a young orchard. 

 It will be seen that the latter part of the estimate must be 

 guess work, "judging of the future by the past." 



Another member stated that he " keeps 8 hens, black span- 



