PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB 387 



Dr. Waterbury said that where the American practice differs 

 decidedly from the English, the better way is to follow our own, 

 because there is some reason in our climate, soil, or other condi- 

 tions for that difference. The English use manure more fer- 

 mented than we do ; and the reason is that they liave no Indian 

 corn crop, which will consume the manure in any condition, and 

 for which the manure gains nothing by fermentation. Again, 

 composting adds nothing to the value of manure. We can add 

 nothing to the value of a crop of clover. If we pass it through 

 the bodies of animals, we depreciate it to a certain extent. Again, 

 forest leaves are a source of manure peculiar to this country. We 

 can use them instead of muck. Instead of decomposing manure, 

 he would preserve it with the least possible decomposition until 

 it goes into the plant. 



Mr, Quinn inquired how corn could get hold of the end of a 

 straw and draw it up and assimilate it. 



Dr. Waterbury — While the straw lies surrounded by an atmos- 

 phere of carbonic acid gas of its own creation, no decomposition 

 will take place ; but if the corn root enters that atmosphere, it 

 takes up that carbonic acid gas, and the decomposition goes on. 

 A corn stalk of the previous year, under a new corn hill, will be 

 decomposed, while elsewhere it will be hardly affected for a whole 

 season. 



Mr. Smith took pains to keep his manure under cover, and to 

 keep it from fermenting, and when applied to the land, to plow it 

 under as soon as possible. Dried leaves are valuable as manure, 

 but green crops he considered valueless for turning under. He 

 believed that diseased cattle came from the practice of this sys- 

 tem of soiling. 



Mr. Robinson inquired whether it was not cheaper to buy corn 

 meal and feed it to cattle, or even to spread upon the ground, 

 than to buy guano : taking corn meal cheap from the west and 

 converting it into green corn for the New York market. 



NEW SUBJECTS. 



The subjects selected for the next meeting were : " Barn yard 

 manures and their substitutes," and " The planting of seeds." 

 On motion the Club adjourned. 



JOHN BRUCE, Secretary pro tern. 



