FjiOCUEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' ClUB. 745 



tages, bj gi-een manuring with deep-rooted plants, which, like clover, 

 draw up nutriment from the subsoil, and in stem and herbage leave 

 it upon the surface. It is therefore a question for the farmer whether 

 the one method or the other of supplying humus to the soil will be 

 the most to his profit. "When it is remembered, however, that for 

 green manuring the ground practically lies idle for one season, and 

 that the humus resulting from a thrifty growth of buckwheat upon 

 an acre of ground, will hardly equal that provided by two or three 

 solid loads of dry muck, there is good reason to belive that the latter 

 will yield the best return for the outlay. On the varieties of soil 

 mentioned as suitable, muck may be used as liberally as the farmer 

 can aftbrd, but its results must not be looked for all at once. It must 

 be kept in mind that muck benefits land by inducing slow, though 

 sure, chemical changes, and the grain from these changes, shown in 

 the greater luxuriance of crops, must be looked for as coming gradu- 

 ally! 



Aside from its value as a direct application, muck is of great 

 importance as a composting material. Kature has made a wise and 

 wonderful provision by which decayed animal matter and dead vege- 

 table stuff, both poisons, one creating typhus, the other bilious, or 

 shaking fever, are made harmless by being mixed, and a manure 

 richer than either alone is the result. In this admirable way man, 

 by knowing the true wisdom of composts, cuts off the springs of dis- 

 ease and makes the earth more productive of food. 



Dr. J. V. C. Smith moved that the thanks of the Club be given to 

 Prof. AYhitney for his valuable paper, which was adopted. 



Adjourned, 



March S2, 1870. 



Nathajt C. Ely, Esq., m t!ie chair ; Mr. John "W. Chambers, Secretary. 

 Setting Out a:!T Apple Orchard. 

 D. Purington, of Lacey, Iowa, asked information for setting out an 

 apple orchard. 



Mr. "W". S. Carpenter. — He should not begin till the ground is in 

 good condition, w^arm and mellow. When the earth is ready let him 

 take his young trees from the nursery and trim off the roots. If it 

 is six feet high the diameter of the roots, taken as a bunch, should 

 not be over two feet. Cut the tap root. In trimming the side roots 



