22 TRANSACTSONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



A New Fertilizer. 



Mr. AVni. Van Grawcrit/, 103 "West 49th street, cxliibited ypccimens of 

 furriers' waste, and eiKinired wlit-tlier its value as a fertilizer ^Ya.s known 

 here. lie stated that the kind eotnposed mostly of hair cnuld be bought 

 for 2^ cents a i>ound, and that composed mostly of skin at 3^ cents a 

 j)onnd, and that 100 tons could now be obtained if fanners would like to 

 try it for manure. This substance is extensively used in France, l)ut he i» 

 uot aware that it has been nsed in tliis country. 



Mr. John G. Bergen. — I notice that a considerable portion of this sample 

 is saw-dust, which tiic gentleman states is used in the preparation of tlic 

 skins to absorb the grease. \ow, as saw-dust is not a valuabh- manure, 

 I should be afraid that it would be mixed in too large rjuantities-, if the 

 article became suitable for manure, so as to make a great demand. 



Mr. Adrian Bergen. — We Long Island farmers liave found adulteration 

 one of the great evils of all concentrated nianures. At fnst I found bone 

 dust and superphosphate, and poudrette, all very excellent, and thought 

 that I should be able to manure my land very easily — mucli more so than 

 with bulky manures. I am sorry to say that the manufacturers have so 

 reduced the standard of their wares, that it is not worth while for any 

 farmer to buy. 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — Mr. E. P. Prentice, Albany, N. Y., carried on an 

 extensive furrier business some j'cars ago, and he tried to induce farmers 

 to accept of the waste and use it for manure, but could not. lie then 

 bought a poor, sandy farm, and used the waste upon it, and it proved to 

 be a most valuable manure, for it made an almost barren land very fertile. 

 It is not a question now wliethor furriers' waste is a good fertilizer. The 

 true question is whether farmers can afford t(^ pay the price named, in 

 preference to buying other fertilizers, or the bulky manures of tlie city. 



Mr. John G. Bergen. — All my experinK'iits with concentrated manures 

 have tended to confirm me in the opinion that all farmers who are so situa- 

 ted that they can obtain city manures at a moderate cost f)r transportation 

 will lind them the most economical. The horse-stable manure I have 

 found preferable, and I find that the straw mixed with the droppings, 

 an<l whidi has absorbed the liquids, acts not only as a fertilizer to the 

 plants, but has a mechanical action upon the soil that is beneficial. 1 have 

 found that our best soil, under a contintied use of C(»nce)itrated fertilizers 

 and clean culture, deteriorates. I lind that such land is actually benefited 

 by a growth of weeds after the crop, which, being turned under, act me- 

 chanically upon the soil and benefit the next crop. As to the (]uesti(tn, 

 which I wtMild jtreler at the same ct)st, horse or hog manure V I must say 

 that that depcmls upon the crop I wish to grow. Por pumpkins and coarse 

 squasheB, hog manure is the most valuable of any kind. For melons, I 

 sliould prefer hog and horse manure mixed. It is important for many kinds 

 of early market vegetaldes that we should have the bottom heat which 

 horse manure gives. Fur others, the cold nature (»f hog manure is valuable. 



The Chairman inquired: "ilow about hog manure giving a bad taste to 

 squashes and other culinary vegetables?" 



Mr. John (i. Bergen replied that he never had found it ho in all his expe- 

 rience as a market gardener. 



