11 



wants of plant food for a successful and economical cultivation of crops 

 is as safe, as the practice to supplement — if needed — our home-made 

 manures with commercial fertilizing ingredients, in the form of suita- 

 ble raw materials and chemicals to meet our wants ; and if obliged 

 to increase our home resources of manure, to compound them from 

 the most suitable stock in the market. Although a first trial of that 

 course of action ma}' not realize all the advantages expected, there 

 can be no doubt about the correctness of the statement, that the best 

 financial success on the part of the farmer, can ultimately onh' be 

 secured by the gradual adoption of that system of manuring the farm. 



Our leading dealers in fertilizers begin to realize the late tendency 

 in their trade, and aie preparing to meet the call. There is every 

 reason to assume that the consumption of commercial manurial mat- 

 ter will increase in the same proportion, as the principles of a rational 

 and economical system of manuring become better understood. 



Consumers of commercial manurial substances do well to buy 

 whenever practicable, on a guaranty of composition with reference 

 to their essential constituents ; and to see to it that the bill of sale 

 recognizes that point of the bargain. Any mistake or misunder- 

 standing in the transaction may be readily adjusted, in that case, 

 between the contending parties. 



257. SUMAC. 



Waste material from tanneries in Peabody, Mass. Sent on by 

 the Mass. Society for Promoting Agriculture. 



Moisture at 100° C, 63.06 



Organic matter, 36.94 



Nitrogen in organic matter, 1.19 



Crude Ash in " " • 6.80 



Calcium oxide in ash, 1.14 



Magnesium oxide in ash, 3.25 



Potassium oxide " " .17 



Phosphoric acid, .17 



Insoluble matter in ash, 2.25 



The nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid contained in the above 



article represent a commercial value of $3.50 to $4 per ton of 2000 



pounds. The tanning principle was so completely abstracted, that a 



composting with some air slacked lime, promises to render the material 



quite valuable as a manurial substance for light soils deficient in 



organic matter. 



258. KENTUCKY TOBACCO STEMS. (Ground). 



Sent on for examination. 



Per Cent. 



Moisture at 100° C, 12.18 



Dry matter, 87.82 



Nitrogen (in organic matter) , 2.616 



