108 ECONOMICAL GEOLOGT. 



ners, each year. The compost was all put on the wheat; 

 no manure being used on the corn. The sorrel grew very 

 rank in the corn ; but by a diligent use of the hoe, it was 

 kept down. His first crop of wheat on 90 rods of ground, 

 was 16 bushels, weighing 65 pounds to the bushel ; and 

 his wheat has usually yielded at the rate of from 25 to 30 

 bushels an acre. His corn crop has been at the rate of 

 from 30 to 50 bushels an acre. Two years ago, he stopped 

 gathering crabs, and has used lime ; but his crops are not 

 as heavy as before. He thought they were falling off 

 while using crabs; but his neighbor says they had not 

 fallen off more than was due to the variation in seasons. 



It is presumed these cases are sufficient to show the 

 value of this manure. In regard to the methods of apply- 

 ing the crabs, there is room for much improvement. Allow- 

 ing them to lie in piles, and decompose by themselves, is 

 very wasteful ; and the composts which are usually made 

 have by far too small a quantity of absorbent material 

 added, as is evident from the escape of the gases from the 

 heaps, as well as from the results of experience in making 

 composts in other localities. The crabs, when alive, weigh 

 three or four pounds, and when thoroughly dried they 

 average nearly, if not quite, a pound each. To save all 

 the gases which will escape from them in the course of 

 their decay, not less than five times their weight of muck, 

 sods, loam, or other absorbent material, should be used ; 

 and a much larger quantity would not be injurious. 



The abundance of these crabs has suggested the plan of 

 drying and grinding them for use as a concentrated ma- 

 nure ; and Messrs. Ingham and Beesley have erected a mill 



