PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 431 



matter. He (Professor Mapes) knew many cotton planters who, 

 instead of planting their seed in narrow beds, make a similar 

 alternation in their cotton rows. 



Concerning the value of farm-yard manure and the best way 

 of taking care of it, the lecturer said, that although some per- 

 sons had been opposed to his views on the question of manuring, 

 and had concluded that he was opposed to barn-yard manures 

 altogether, he would say, that the use of barn-yard manure should 

 be doubled and quadrupled everywhere. The great difficulty 

 and mistake with farmers was, that they did not cart nor use 

 one-half as much as could be used with profit and advantage to 

 themselves. This should be the question. If one hundred loads 

 of manure cost $100 and produce $500, why not employ five 

 times the amount of manure, that the profits might increase in a 

 corresponding ratio ? There were many farmers who could pro- 

 duce eight thousand cabbages on an acre ; he did not speak of 

 early cabbages, but of fall or late ones. This is done, and done 

 easily, too ; and a decided advantage is derived, in addition, from 

 the great number of leaves, which by mulching benefit the soil. 

 Then suppose the farmer obtains eight thousand cabbages ; two 

 thousand prime will be worth six cents each; four thousand sec- 

 ond class, four cents each ; and the rest would sell, upon an ave- 

 rage, for two cents. But suppose more stable manure were used — 

 as in the case of some gardners who, for every load they brought 

 to market returned with a load of manure — the crop of cabbages 

 would be so much improved that the number of prime ones would 

 be much increased, and there would be scarcely any thirds at all. 

 In such a case it was not right to use the smallest, but the great- 

 est quantity of manures ; because not only were better crops 

 secured by using plenty of manure, but the farmer was certain to 

 get his money back with fair profit. But some would ask, " Can 

 we, who are so far from great cities, be able to get this manure, so 

 as to manipulate and make available as large a quantity as ap- 

 pears to be necessary for profitable cultivation ? " It does not 

 follow that because farmers are near to cities, that therefore they 

 need necessarily be the greatest consumers of this fertilizing 

 agent. In many parts of Massachusetts stable manure, is sold at 

 five dollars a cord, and in New York it only brings one dollar ; 

 and yet, if the price Avere reduced to two cents, the New York 

 farmers would not touch it, beyond their usual quantity. 



Mr. Robinson inquired what was the practice in Jersey ? 



