9 
15 
horse load of manure. But all manures are 
valuable according to* the amount of am¬ 
monia, phosphoric acid and potash they 
contain. And we find by analysis that a 
two-horse load of well kept barn-yard ma¬ 
nure contains something near eleven pounds 
ammonia, six pounds phosphoric acid and 
uwelve pounds of potash. Two hundred 
pounds of artificial fertilizer contains about 
seventeen pounds of ammonia, seventeen 
pounds of phosphoric acid and fourteen 
pounds of potash. But the fertilizing qual¬ 
ities of the manure do not become avail¬ 
able until completely decomposed, and 
this will take one or two years to do; while 
the fertilizers are immediately soluble and 
begin to exert their effect upon the crop at 
once, and the farmer realizes a profit from 
his purchase money all in one year instead 
of waiting two, besides much of the val¬ 
uable elements of the manure will be lost 
from being washed away and other causes, 
for a portion of this time no crops will be 
growing on the land to take up the val¬ 
uable elements as they are generated by 
decomposition. This is an item that the 
farmer should note and take advantage of, 
that the sooner he realizes the profits from 
his outlay the better. To give the reader 
a better idea, I will relate an experiment 
made to test the difference in the value of 
artificial fertilizers and barn-yard manures. 
In the spring of 1882, two plots of ground 
were planted that had been in cultivation 
for about forty years. First plot contained 
four acres. Five loads of manure were 
purchasd from a livery stable at 75 cents 
per load in the stable. It was hauled two 
miles at a cost of 85 cents per load. The 
manure was composted; it was forked over 
three times in one month. About one pint 
of this compost was put in each hill. At 
gathering time it was judged by good far¬ 
mers that the manure made ten bushels of 
corn per acre above the natural strength of 
the soil. Cost of the manure, hauling and 
scattering on the ground was $10.00, and 
only forty bushels extra was produced by 
the manure. Second plot contained ten 
acres. Five hundred pounds of artificial 
fertilizers was purchased at $2.50 per hun¬ 
dred, and hauled five miles, costing $2.00 
for hauling. A hand was hired at 75 cents 
per day to put out the fertilizer, which was 
done in two days. This plot was judged at 
the time of the other to make fifteen bush¬ 
els above the natural strength of the soil. 
Thus one hundred and fifty bushels of corn 
was produced with fertilizer at a cost of 
only $16.00. 
From my experience with artificial and 
stable manures, I believe fertilizers are the 
best, when both have to be bought and 
hauled from a distance. 
A Sure and Safe Insecticide. 
The frequent praise of kerosene and milk 
to destroy insects is not illy bestowed. 
Professor A. J. Cook has for years, as re¬ 
ported in The Tribune , found that kerosene 
mixed with soapsuds and sponged on plants 
is quick death to plant-lice, Last summer 
he and his students experimented quite 
thoroughly with kerosene and milk—using 
sour milk, as cheaper—and found that by 
stirring well it remained mixed for some 
minutes, giving ample time to apply it. 
They tried it on many plants, and found 
that applied one of the oil to five of milk 
did no harm to any plant. That this strength 
might in some cases be injurious to some 
very tender foliage is possible, but they 
found no such case, but found the mixture 
quickly destructive to all plant-lice; to 
cabbage larvae, both the green and striped; 
to the old black squash bug, and to various 
grubs and beetles, like the grape flea-beetle 
and the grub of the same. This is not new 
to your readers, but may prove a timely re¬ 
minder .—The Amateur. 
Last Sunday one of the pastors of the 
little village of Pownal was walking to 
church, when he saw a man with his coat 
off digging in his garden. The good man 
beheld with grief and astonishment, and, 
coming up to the fence, began to recite, in 
a solemn voice, “Remember the Sabbath 
day to keep it holy. Six days thou shalt 
labor and do all thy work—” “See here,” 
said the man in the garden, looking up, “be 
you talkin’ to me?” “Yes, my poor man, 
I am.” “Wal, you needn’t worry about me, 
then; I ain’t agoin’ to do any work; I am 
only diggin’ worms to go afishin’ with.” 
