264 Transactions of the American Institute. 



that can be used to build up instead of running down a farm ? They 

 will all raise good crops for a year or two, but that's not my object. 



Mr. H. L. Peade — Turning under buckwheat is a good step, but it 

 is only one step. He should not omit the ashes ; they will help him 

 wonderfully in getting in tame grass ; but for a permanent fertilizer 

 for grass he can buy nothing better than bone ; ground bone. Three 

 tons will cost him a little over $100 at the mill ; but the true policy 

 for him is to raise roots on his rich land, increase his stock, keep 

 them up, save every drop, compost, and have manure in abundance. 

 He should use ashes and bone only as stepping stones to that. 



Blasting versus Burning Boulders. 

 Mr. Charles P. Gilson, Plymouth, Yt., criticised the advice of the 

 gentleman who counseled farmers living in rock-bound neighborhoods 

 to burn big rocks. " I have," he said, "just finished a six weeks' 

 job on boulders, and I have to record that three men — two to strike 

 and one to hold the drill — will blast more rocks in one day than 

 twelve men can dispose of by burning, even if the wood is all 

 delivered on the field ; and wood at three dollars per cord would 

 take ten dollars worth to .$1.50 powder. I have spent one-quarter of 

 a day and burnt three-quarters of a cord of wood on one rock which 

 five cents' worth of powder would have blown to pieces. Therefore 

 I can see but two advantages in burning : First, when the rock is 

 flint, and so hard a drill will not hold ; and, second, in some place 

 where you do not wish the pieces to scatter. Probably our New 

 Hampshire friend does not know how to put a blast to be effective, 

 or may be he is afraid of powder ; if so, keep on burning ; but do not 

 come over into Vermont begging after wood. Where would the 

 railroads of his State have, been if not for powder, or the Hudson 

 Piver railroad, for powder or its equivalent ? I can only compare 

 the difference between burning and blasting rocks by being conveyed 

 in a canal boat or stage to a palace car or an express train. I have 

 only one thing more to say on the subject : I believe the Almighty 

 put it into man's head to make powder to remove these obstructions 

 in his way, not to kill one another with. 



Report on Phillips' Corn Husking Machine. 



The committee appointed to examine and report on Phillips' 



patent spiral corn husking machine respectfully report that they 



have seen the machine in operation at the office of the company, No. 



32 Cortlandt street, where it has been run by steam power, and it 



