57 



important point. Some time ago, we noticed in the re- 

 port of a discussion on manures in Boston, that the Hon. 

 M. P. Wilder, one of the most distinguished horticulturists 

 in America, stated that he had found the following com- 

 post equal to stable manure for gardening purposes gene- 

 rally, and for fruit trees, 



" One cord of meadow muck, haying been exposed to 

 the action of the air and frost at least one year ; twelve 

 bushels leached ashes : six bushels crushed bones. This 

 mixture cost him at the rate of $4: 50 cents per cord. 

 Latterly he added to this his stable manure, and about 

 an eighth of the whole bulk of fine refuse charcoal from 

 the depot of venders, which was delivered to him at $5 

 per cord; and in this way he found it the best, as a 

 general manure, he had ever used. On fruit trees its 

 elFect was remarkable. 



" In the spring*of 1847, he planted a square in the nur 

 sery with imported trees from England, this compost 

 having been spread and ploughed in. These trees were 

 from four to five feet in height, and although it is not 

 usual for trees to make a large growth the first year, they 

 acquired branches of three to four feet, and were so hand- 

 some as to command $1 25 each, for a row of fifty trees, 

 without any selection. 



" In June last, which is very late to set out trees, he 

 prepared another square on rather poor land, and planted 

 trees just received from England upon it. The soil had 

 been thrown up to the/rost the previous winter, and the 

 compost here was applied in the trenches near the roots. 

 Mr. Wilder exhibited two shoots which had grown from 

 those trees since they were set in June. The shoots were 

 four feet in length, and the wood hard and well ripened." 



In addition to all these sources for manure, it may be 

 added that fallen leaves, scrapings of streets, weeds, 

 wood chips, sawdust, the ashes of aU prunings of trees 

 3* 



