AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 537 



In the winter of 1799, Mr. Westcar not only received a prize, 

 but sold twenty of his oxen for $5,750. 



Solon Robinson calLd the attention of the club to specimens 

 of imitation guano presented by Mr. Eruce, made from fish and 

 animal ofial, and can be made into thi:^ form, a granular dark 

 mass, at about $10 per toji, in some districts. Any person can 

 make it, barrel it up, and keep it any length of time. How valua- 

 ble, in any form of mariure, to have alj the essentials in it without 

 water ! Farmers weary out their oxen by hauling immense 

 quantities of water on to their lands. Mr. Robinson spoke of the 

 value offish, and the necessity of bringing back that fertility from 

 the sea which has run oif our hills. Great etlbrts have been 

 made to convert the vast quantities that come on the coast of 

 New-Jersey, into manure. The ex23eriment has been eminently 

 successful, and farmers are very anxious to obtain this new fish 

 guano. Something has been done by a gentleman in Providence, 

 Rhode Island, in concentrating the fertilizing materials of fish 

 into a dry powder that can be kept or transported as easy as 

 guano. Mr. Bruce's plan is to reduce the fish first to a fluid 

 state, add other substances, and then reduce to dry powder. 



It is a fact that cannot be controverted that fiirmers generally 

 haul more water than manure to their fields. Look at the loads 

 of manure going out of this city ! What is it ? Straw one part, 

 horse dropping one part, Croton water tliree parts. Three-fifths 

 of the weight nothing but water, not one whit better tlian the 

 water of the farmer s well, or brook running through the farm. 

 It is beyond dispute that we are washing the fertility of the earth 

 into the sea. It is an attendant upon the march of civilization. 

 First we denude the land of trees, then leaves and leaf mould, and 

 then the soil ; all that is productive is washed away. 



We are filling tlie sea and fatting the fish, while the earth 

 grows barren. To the sea we must look for a restorer of earth's 

 fertility. We must bring back what we are sending away. Fish 

 is the most feasible source to which we can look, and all the sea- 

 board dwellers know their value; but we cannot carry tliem in- 

 land, unless the water is evaporated, and the remainder deodo- 

 rised. And this must be by some easy, cheap process. We hope 

 this has been discovered, as well as reducing the ofial of cities 

 into some transportable form. To the sea we have sent the fer- 

 tility of the earth — to the sea we must look for its restoration. 



Dr. Waterbury thought the elements of fertility originally ex- 

 isting in the surface of the earth, were far from being exhausted. 



