No. IBl.] 401 



arranged the muck in ridges across the field, and then sprinkled the 

 tops of the ridges with lime; while it is still hot turn over the ridges; 

 the lime must be hot when put on; the whole benefit consists in its 

 dissolving vegetable matter in the muck, which thus soon becomes 

 good manure. # 



In my field No. 1, a hill covered almost with sand which drifted 

 with the wind, I put on sixty loads of muck, subsoiled the ground, 

 turned the muck under fifteen inches, planted potatoes on the 5th and 

 7th of April last. I dug the crop early in June. I had a profit of 

 $380 for that crop over all expenses. 



I collected all the bones in my vicinity and had them dissolved in 

 sulphuric acid, this I used for turneps, and obtained 1200 bushels. 

 The muck had become mixed with the soil, and apparently formed 

 an argillaceous soil, and prevented the land from blowing. 



On field No. 2, I planted Mercer potatoes, and had 263 bushels 

 per acre, which I sold for seven shillings a bushel; this field had 

 the same treatment as the first. On a field of 24 acres, on which I 

 planted corn, and I obtained 63 bushels of shelled corn per acre. 

 The general average crop among my neighbors was about thirty 

 bushels per acre. I had used the following method: I made a com- 

 post on my barn floor, of 25 bushels of lime, 25 bushels of plaster, 

 25 bushels of salt, 50 bushels of hen dung, 150 pounds of nitrate of 

 soda, the same quantity of sulphate of magnesia, the same quantity 

 of sulphate of soda, and mixed the mass thoroughly. I took the 

 urme which was saved in my tanks, wet the mass with it, and turn- 

 ed it over every three days for some time. The evolution of ammo- 

 nia from this heap was great, so that one could hardly bear the 

 smell in the barn. Of this compost, I scattered moderate quantities 

 in the drills prepared for corn, and after planting the corn, I plowed 

 the earth over the compost and seed. The land thus treated, gave 

 me sixty-one per cent more than that not manured at all; and thirty 

 per cent more than lime used with muck, and lime only. My object 

 was to supply to the soil those fertilizing elements, which by analy- 

 sis, appear to be indispensable to plants. There is no doubt that it 

 is our duty to afford food to plants as to our animals. My land con- 

 tains but four per cent of humus. When there is plenty of muck, 

 then give lime. I made a bed of muck one foot thick, then barn 

 yard manure, then muck. The lime decomposes the muck, the gases 

 will be evolved, and unite with the other components of the heap, 

 but lime must not be put in contact with the barn yard manure. 



[Assembly, No. 151.] 26 



