MANURES. 



Manures. — It becomes a matter of the highest consequence to thf 

 farmer to understand^ not only what substances may be useful a."- 

 manures, but also how to apply them in the best manner to his cropF, 

 so far as they may be made profitable. 



Home-made Guano of Unequalled Excellence. — Save all your 

 fowl manure from sun and rain. To prepare it for use, spread a layer 

 of dry swamp muck (the blacker it is the better) on your barn floor, 

 and dump on it the whole of your fowl manure; beat it into a fine 

 powder with the back of your spade; this done, add hard wood ashes 

 and plaster, (Gypsum) so that the compound shall be composed of the 

 following proportions: Dried muck, three bushels; fowl manure, two 

 bushels; ashes, one bushel; plaster, one and one-half bushels; mix 

 thoroughly, and spare no labor; for in this matter the elbow grease 

 expended will be well paid for. A little before planting moisten the 

 heap with water, or, better still, with urine, cover well over with old mats 

 and let it lie till wanted for use. Apply it to beans, corn, or potatoes 

 at the rate of a handful to a hill, and mix with the soil before drop- 

 ping the seed. This will be found the best substitute for guano evej; 

 invented, and may be depended on for bringing great crops of turnipE^ 

 corn, potatoes, etc. 



To dissolve large Bones for Manure without Expense. — Tak-. 

 any old flour-barrel, and put into the bottom a layer of hardwood, 

 ashes; put a layer of bones on the top of the ashes, filling the space 

 between the bones with them; then add bones and ashes alternately, 

 finishing off with a thick layer of ashes. When your barrel is filled 

 pour on water (urine is better), just sufficient to keep them wet, but do 

 not on any account suffer it to leach one drop; for that would be like 

 leaching your dungheap. In the course of time they will heat, anr' 

 eventually soften down so that you can crumble them with your fingei" 

 When sufficiently softened, dump them out of the barrel on a heap O' 

 dry loam, and pulverize and crumble them up till they are completeij 



