378 Transactions of the American Institute. 



arc set six inches deep in the trenches, which are at first about 

 fifteen inches deep, but afterward are newly filled with rich soil. 



Dr. J. M. Crowell. — Decomposed hair is a special manure for 

 celery. 



Mr. Sylvester. — The best manure I have ever used is bones dis- 

 solved in sulphuric acid, mixed with loam, and .applied at the 

 bottom of the trenches. 



Mr. Wm. B. Peck. — Farmers might easily crush all their own 

 bones. Let them take an old kettle, such as a potash or sugar 

 caldron, and set it in the ground. Then make a pestle of stone, or 

 use a cannon ball suspended by a chain and attached to two hickory 

 poles, so as to spring a short distance. Two boys can work this, 

 and crush into powder a good many bushels of bone in a day. A 

 better article of bone meal is thus obtained than going to mills 

 for it. 



Mr. G. W. Buck, Ellicottville, K Y. — I am a great hand for 

 experimenting, and had rather know a thing by experience, than 

 from the best man's "say so." I am a native of this town, but 

 three years ago I moved to Caroline county, Md., bought an old 

 worn-out farm, and have since been puzzling my wits to bring it 

 back to its original fertility. Manure was not to be had, and it 

 was too poor to produce clover; so I had to use something else. I 

 have tried many experiments, among them the dissolving of bones, 

 of which there is a bountiful supply left of old carcasses fed to the 

 buzzards. I gathered some of them, and tried dissolving them in 

 diiferent ways. The cheapest and easiest way I found was, to take 

 a deep box, barrel or hogshead (the latter I like the best), cover 

 the bottom about two incnes deep with ashes and lime mixed, about 

 one part lime to tAvo of ashes; the lime should be newly slacked, 

 and mixed with the ashes, both dry; then put in a layer of bones, 

 then two or three inches of the lime and ashes again; fill up in this 

 way to about eight inches of the top; then fill out with clear ashes, 

 or the compound, and then wet it gradually until it is thoroughly 

 saturated, but not so as to drain; let it stand at least six months; 

 the longer the better; when wanted for use, take it out, fork it 

 over and pick out all the bones that arc not soft, and save them for 

 the next batch, and then pulverize and mix the ingredients well 

 together, and you will find it one of the strongest and best fertil- 

 izers in use. 



Mr. S. Edwards Todd read the following paper on farm build- 

 ins:s: 



