PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 351 



and the balance, consisting' of lime, will be gradually absorbed. I would 

 also recommend the use of soot in the liquid, as it is not only very advan- 

 tageous to grass and the cereals, but proves injuriuus to all insects known 

 to depredate upon those crops, on account of the bitter and acrid principle 

 it contains. It will prevent the attack of the Hessian fly, and wire worm. 

 Of the saline matters employed as manure, chloride of sodium, or common 

 Bait, has attracted the most attention; but there is among farmers a great 

 diversity of opinion as to its value as a manure. It has, in many cases, 

 been extensively used, though experience is opposed to its application in 

 large quantities, as the margins of the sea are g-enerally sterile; still soils 

 which are known to abound in salt, often yield a very wholesome and nutri- 

 tious herbage. I use it with liquid irrigation and find a spontaneous her" 

 bag-e follows its application. 



AMMONIACAL SALTS. 



The last products of the putrefaction of azotized matters being ammonia- 

 cal combinations, it follows that all salts, having ammonia for their base, 

 must be useful when applied to vegetation. This is confirmed by the use 

 of guano, which rapidly developes vegetation. I applied, in liquid manure, 

 the sulphate of ammonia, and found that the effects were amazingly distinct, 

 not only upon wheat, but grass meadows, wliere the yield was precisely 

 doubled. Two hundred and ten pounds of wheat in the sheaf contains two 

 and a-half pounds of ammonia, plainly showing the advantage it must be 

 to that valuable cereal. Guano in liquid produced similar effects, and in 

 our climate it should be used in no other way. 



It is then probable that if guano, or sulphate of ammonia yield azote to 

 plants, they enter their spongiolcs and roi^lets, not as sulphate, muriate, 

 or phosphate, because acids united with an alkali are not eliminated dur- 

 ing the growth of vegetation, it therefore seems like!}' that ammonia, in 

 .order to yield its constitiaent azote to plants, must reach their organs in the 

 form of a carbonate, as that is the salt that exorcises a favorable agency. 



OF THE PRODUCTIOX OF MAXCRE ON A FARM. 



The forage consumed by cattle on a farm is the source of the manure 

 formed there. It woiild therefore seem very easy to calculate the value of 

 all made at the cow houses and stables daily. The way to do it is to ob- 

 tain the quantity of azote which is contained in the dejections and litter, so 

 as to be able to refer to a standard the quantity of manure made. 



If these azotized matters of tlie food were not partly exhaled by the ani- 

 mals, it would only be required to find the quantity of azote contained in 

 the food, to be able to decide on that contained in the litter and dung; but 

 this it is impossible to do, as I will take a case to prove. Suppose a horse 

 is allowed in one day 



23 lbs. of hay, containing 1116 grains of azote. 



12 do oats, do 1390 do 



12 do straw, do 309 do 



10 do litter, do 100 do 



Azote 3515 grains. 



Now, Boussingault assumes two per cent as the contents in azote of dry 

 farm yard dung. If this is so, the food consumed by the horse, theoreti- 



