132 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



March 



that guano is a fertilizer, and a highly concen- 

 trated manure. He did not know as to the econ- 

 omy of using it, but he knew that many farmers 

 consider it a profitable manure. 



Mr. Brown thought the last speaker had shown 

 the opinion he expressed, that guano was not a 

 fertilizer, was correct. No man who had used 

 guano solely for ten years would say it had im- 

 proved his land. He admitted that it stimulated 

 the fertilizing qualities of the soil, and in refer- 

 ence to the use of it in Maryland, said he had a 

 letter in his possession from persons there who 

 Baid, if the practice of manuring with guano was 

 continued, the time would come when they could 

 not raise five bushels of wheat to the acre. 



Mr. FisK, of Shelburn, said he had listened to 

 what had been said on the subject with much in- 

 terest, but he thought those who had spoken were 

 princely farmers, and their practice would not an- 

 swer for the farmers in his part of the State, as 

 they were, he regretted to say, poor ; and, further, 

 that there were few farms that were not mort- 

 gaged, and thus had the life-blood taken from 

 them. Our people, said he, are not cow men ex- 

 clusively, and much of our land cannot be plowed 

 and they cannot soil their cattle, as they cannot 

 get their sheep, young cattle and colts into the 

 barns for the purpose, although some of the far- 

 mers are now soiling their cows. He condemned 

 the use of guano and the phosphates, stating that 

 the Franklin county farmers relied on their cat- 

 tle for good strong manures which would increase 

 their crops years in succession, and not exhaust 

 their fertilizing qualities in a single crop. V/e have 

 all, said he, barn cellars, and in these we keep hogs 

 on the starvation principle, and make them work. 

 We don't know about the chemical properties of 

 our manure, but we judge by the appearance and 

 smell. He agreed with Mr. Brown in relation to 

 the application of manures, but he did not be- 

 lieve that the corn crop was before the hay crop 

 in Western Massachusetts. He spoke of Prof. 

 Mapes having induced his neighbors to invest 

 money in superphosphate of lime, and said they 

 had all thrown away their money. They had come 

 to the conclusion to put their money into good 

 hard corn, and that the manure, from a good fat 

 ox is worth all the foreign manures that come 

 here. He spoke of sheep manure and said that 

 they put it in the cold, wet earth, and although it 

 did not yield a first-rate crop in one year, yet the 

 second year they got great crops. Speaking of 

 wheat, he said that the farmers in his county got 

 the best and largest crops in the country, and 40 

 bushels per acre was a common yield. He closed 

 by suggesting that speakers at future meetings be 

 limited to ten minutes. 



In accordance with this suggestion it was voted 

 to so limit speakers, except the Chairman of the 



evening. It was announced that the subject for 

 discussion at the next meeting would be, "Flax — 

 to be cultivated at the North as a substitute for 

 Cotton," and that Mr. S. M. Allen would preside. 

 On this occasion, specimens of the flax cotton, and 

 articles made from it will be exhibited. 



Atmosphkric Fertilizers. — M. Barral, of 

 Paris, has lately made the discovery that rain- 

 water contains minute quantities of phosphorus. 

 He believes that it exists in the atmosphere in the 

 form of phosphorated hydrogen, which escapes 

 from decaying animal substances. As phospho- 

 rus is necessary to the fertility of soils, we have 

 in this discovery a key which unlocks the secret 

 of "summer fallowed" lands becoming fertile. 

 The ancient Hebrews were accustomed to allow 

 the land to rest without cultivation every few 

 years. This M'as, no doubt, for the purpose of re- 

 storing it from comparative barrenness by crop- 

 ping, to renewed fertility. It is nov/ Avell known 

 that ammonia also exists in rain-water, and this 

 is held to be the chief of fertilizing agents. Any 

 worn out lands may be restored to fertility by al- 

 lowing them seasons for repose, in the same man- 

 ner that Moses provided for the perpetual fertil- 

 ity of the land of Israel. — Scientijic Americari. 



How Carrots Affect Horses. — The carrot 

 is the most esteemed of all roots for its feeding 

 qualities. When analyzed, it gives but little more 

 solid matter than any other root, 85 per cent, be- 

 ing water ; but its influence in the stomach upon 

 the other articles of food is most favorable, con- 

 ducing to the most perfect digestion and assimila- 

 tion. This result, long known to practical men, 

 is explained by chemists as resulting from the 

 presence of a substance called pectine, which op- 

 erates to coagulate or gelatinize vegetable solu- 

 tions, and favors the digestion in all cattle. Horses 

 are especially benefited by the use of carrots. 

 They should be fed with them frequently with 

 their other food. — Mark-Lane Express. 



Water on Stock Farms. — Mr. Strawn, the 

 great Illinois farmer, gives the following method 

 in the Farmer^s Advocate for keeping water on a 

 stock farm. Dig a basin five or ten rods square 

 and ten feet deep, upon a high knoll. Feed corn 

 in the basin to your hogs and cattle until it is 

 well puddled by the trampling of their feet, which 

 will make it almost water-tight. He says the 

 rains of a single winter sufficed to accommodate 

 several hundred head of cattle, and that it had 

 been dry but once in twelve years. 



English Hedges. — Nothing can exceed the 

 beauty and strength of a well trained hedge, but 

 the most of them are in bad order, and a nuisance 

 to the country. Sheep will eat through the best 

 of them. Iron fences are fast coming into use 

 and are much better. — Cor. of Ohio Cultivator. 



Side Shows. — After a full discussion, the Ohio 

 State Boai'd of Agriculture adopted the following 

 resolution : "That we recommend to our County 

 Societies to exclude from their grounds all ob- 

 scene and immoral side shows." Sage advice. 



