Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 393 



That inasmuch as whale oil soap has long been known as an effi- 

 cient agent for the destruction of insects, and a solution of tobacco is 

 equally noted for its efficacy for the same purpose, your committee 

 believe that the tobacco soap will prove an excellent preventive 

 against the ravages of insects upon plants or animals in all cases 

 where its cost does not preclude its use on the score of economy. 



Your committee, however, would utter a decided protest against 

 the too common practice of claiming for articles properties and merits 

 which they do not possess, an instance of which is found in the com- 

 munication referred to your committee of the above mentioned manu- 

 facturers with reference- to the " Sapo Tobacum," in which they 

 claim that this material is " an in vigorator, a fertilizer," and that.it 

 " gives life to the sap." It is simply impossible for any compound 

 applied to the bark or leaves of a plant to act in either of these capaci- 

 ties ; and any claim of the character indicated is reprehensible, as 

 tending to not only mislead the public as to the intrinsic value of the 

 substance, but also from its tendency to inculcate error with regard 

 to the functions and applications of manures, and kindred matters • 

 connected with agricultural science. 



Kespectfully submitted. 



JAMES A. WHITXET, 

 LOUIS FEUCHTW ANGER, 



Committee. 



Concrete Walls, 

 Mr. G. T. Coe, Toolsboro, Iowa. — Good concrete walls may be 

 made by slaking good lime and clean sharp sand ; mix so that the 

 mortar will barely slip oil a polished hoe when you lift it full ; then 

 add as much clean gravel as can be mixed in ; then put in strong 

 molds and beat down with a flat ended maul, wlien some mortar will 

 rise to the top, which must be filled with gravel, and so on. No two 

 kilns of lime are exactly of the same strength, and sand is so different, 

 no certain proportion of sand and lime will do everywhere. The only 

 true way is to test the mortar with a polished hoe ; if it sticks to the 

 lioe when just soft enougli to plaster with, it is too strong of lime ; if 

 it slips off very easily, not strong enough. Molds should be made of 

 one and a half inch plank, and frequently supported b}' bolts, so as 

 not to spring when pounding down the concrete. Now this pounding 



down is the main thing. 



Adjourned. 



