346 



TALKS ON MANURES. 



eludes accuracy, yet Mr. Skiilmore (who has been testifyiug volumi- 

 nously before the New York Board of Health in relation to manure and 

 street dirt), assures me that the accompanyinj^ figures are nearly correct. 

 I enclose statement, from two roads, taken from their books, and the 

 amount shipped over the other road 1 obtained verbally from the General 

 Freight Agent, and embody it in the sheet of statistics. 



The Ash report I ktiow is correct, as I had access to the books showing 

 the business, for over ten years. I have made numerous applications, 

 verbally, and by letter, to our largest market gardeners, but there seems 

 to exist a general and strong disinclination to communicate anything 

 worth knowing. I enclose the best of the replies received. Speaking 

 for some of our largest gardeners, I may say that they cultivate over one 

 hundred acres, and use land sufficiently near to the city to enable them 

 to dispense with railroad transportation in bringing manure to their 

 jilai^es and marketing crops. I have noticed that one of the shrewdest 

 gardeners invarial)ly composts horn-shavings and bone-meal with horse- 

 manure several months before expecting to use it. A safe average of 

 manure used jter acre by gardeners, may be stated at ninety (90) tubs, 

 and from two humlrcd to twenty hundred pounds of fertilizer in addi- 

 tion, according to its strength, and the kind of cnjp. 



The following railroad manure statistics will give a generdly correct 

 idea of the age of manure, when used : 



STATB.VIENT OF MANURE SENT FROM JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1875. 



Ora- F. X. .S'. <f- C. li. li. Orer Southern li. R. 



January 1,531 tubs. 5,815 tubs. 



February 4,:i57 " 



March 740 " 12,217 " 



April 12,122 " 7,055 " 



May 7,:»3 " :^,049 " 



June 5,725 " l,::i05 " 



July (),47:U " (585 " 



August 0,3701 " 2,911 " 



September 3,197 " 14,702 " 



October S80 " 060 " 



November 512 " .VIO " 



December J,406 ^^ 4,0 23 " 



40,340 tubs. 57,679 tubs. 



A tub is equal to 14 bushels. 



Hobson, Hurtado ^ Co. report the amount of Peruvian guano sold in 

 this country last year at thirt}' thousand tons. 



Estimated numi)er of horses in New York city, 100,000. 



Estimated product of manure per horse. Four cords. 



Estimated proportion of straw to pure excrement. One-halt 



Amount shipped direct from stables. Nearly all. 



AmovNit shipped on vessels. One-half. 



Length of time the unshipped manure remains in heaps. From three 

 to four months. 



Average cost per horse, annually. S3. 



Greatest distance of shipment. Virginia- 



