40 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



experiments, do not try upon too large a scale; begin 

 small. It is hard to say we know; it takes a long time to 

 prove or disprove many things. One person in England 

 had experimented thirty-six times on wheat. We should 

 measure and weigh accurately. In testing fertilizers, long 

 strips of land are best, so as to get as much variety of soil 

 and climate as possible. Manure means manual, or work- 

 ing; i. e., working the soils. All plants derive Jess of their 

 sustenance from the soil than from the air. All that goes 

 up must come down. Ten or twelve things makes up the 

 plant; so with animals. Chemical manures are good; it 

 is mostly furnished from air, water, etc. Ashes could not 

 in this country be supplied in sufSciently large quantities 

 to be practicable. Barn-yard manure must be the main 

 stand-by for the western farmer; it contains all the prop- 

 erties which plant life demands or needs. It is true that it 

 loses somewhat of ammonia, but to no serious extent. 

 The soil goes on making itself; even poor soils if allowed 

 to remain idle a few years; it will enrich itself so that it 

 becomes new again. 



John Keating was called for, but not having prepared 

 a paper, would not speak. 



Israel Boies had experimented with chemicals on a 

 small lot formerly used as a nursery; used phosphates; 

 put it on poor land in furrow, and planted top of it; also 

 tried ten loads of barn-yard manure on same land; the 

 phosphate produced corn one foot higher; could see effects 

 of it on land for several years; was satisfied that all well 

 rotted manure on grass land would yield double any other 

 manure. 



E. H. Seward had used many kinds of fertilizers ; salt 

 gave as good results with him as any. 



Dr. Slade wanted to know the relative difference 

 between fresh and well rotted manure; one was concen- 



