Proceedinos of tee Farmers' Club. 493 



sition will yield ammonia. After phosphoric and sulphuric acids, 

 potash and lime are the most important. The former can be pro- 

 cured from various sources, such as marl, wood ashes, etc. The 

 latter, although found but in small quantities in the ashes of plants, 

 still acts a very important part in the soil as a destroying agent, 

 hastening decomposition of all inert vegetable matter. Practically, 

 I have found the best results from lime by frequent surface appli- 

 cation in small quantities, from twenty to twenty-five bushels to 

 the acre. It should always be burned before application, and 

 burnt lime left thus exposed soon becomes an impalpable powder, 

 securing perfect divisibility. In this state it is often found to pro- 

 duce noticeable effects even on lime soils. Common salt can be 

 spread broadcast at the rate of eight or ten bushels to the acre, or, 

 better still, can be added occasionally to the manure heap in small 

 quantities. 



To sum up, the farmer should prepare his soil properly to receive 

 generous supplies of manure. He should in every case use every 

 available fertilizer at hand before groino- from his own farm for 

 manure, and when he does seek it elsewhere, he should know 

 enough of the nature of the soil and of plant-life to select his 

 manures with a view to true economy and adaptation. I say true 

 economy, for I do not dignify the pitiful and short-sighted dread 

 of outlay, still inherent in the farming community, by any such 

 name. The genuine farmer is as open-handed and far-reaching irt 

 his plans as the merchant. His fields are his ships; if he freights 

 them well, they will bring him sure returns. If he puts laziness 

 and parsimony in command, he will sooner or later be wrecked, 

 or, what is worse, he will drift into sluggish waters that no tide 

 can ever enliven. 



At the conclusion of this paper, the thanks of the Club were 

 tendered to the author. 



KANSAS. 



Mr. T. H. Walker, Topeka, Kas., delivered an interesting addi'ess 

 on this State. The soil from the Missouri, for two hundred and 

 fifty miles, is loam and sand; beyond that the country is not tillable 

 without irrigation. The State is said to be subject to drouth; 

 oAving to the dry season in 1860, the people, just arrived, called for 

 assistance; but since that time the seasons up to July have a plenty 

 of moisture, and the crops are abundant. The grasshopper did 

 limited damage, and these are the only di*awbacks. Spring and 

 winter wheat do well, and also grapes. Corn is the principal 



