Chemical Work in Canadian Agriculture. 37 



fertilizing ingredients. The resulting manure ferments well and 

 is of excellent quality. Here again we have an opportunity to 

 establish a lucrative business in Canada — one of value, not only 

 to agriculture but to commerce generally ; for moss litter is in great 

 demand for use in the stables of the larger cities of the United 

 States. 



We must pass over our deposits of marl and gypsum, merely 

 recording the fact that our analytical work in the Farm labora- 

 tories has shown that we have, in many districts, in a cheap and 

 obtainable form just that element which many of our soils re- 

 quire to bring them into a high state of productiveness. 



Seaweed from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada 

 has been analysed by us, and its value as a manure, on account 

 of the potash and nitrogen it contains, well established. The 

 ease and rapidity with which this fertilizer decays in the soil^ 

 liberating its constituents in forms at once available for plant 

 use, greatly enhance its value. 



The tidal deposits of the Maritime Provinces, and more 

 especially of the Bay of Fundy, have received careful examin- 

 ation at our hands. Their beneficial action has been shown to 

 depend not only upon the nitrogen and organic matter they con- 

 tain, but also upon the somewhat small amounts of the other 

 essential elements of fertility they possess or of the carbonate of 

 lime they supply. While not of the character of commercial 

 fertilizers in the quantities of plant food they contain, they are 

 undoubtedly valuable for many soils as amendments, both 

 chemically and physically. As they differ very much, it is 

 exceedingly difficult to speak of these muds as a class. While 

 some are but of the nature of fair soil, others on examination 

 are found to contain notable quantities of nitrogen, potash, 

 phosphoric acid and lime. 



FODDERS AND FARM CROPS GENERALLY. 



There is now such a large accumulation of analytical data 

 respecting the composition of our native and introduced grasses, 

 clovers, Indian corn, roots of all kinds, cereals and milling bye- 



