24 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIS1 
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New-York, Thursday, March 22. 
This paper is never sent where it is 
not considered paid foi—and is in all cases 
shopped when the subscription runs out. 
We occasionally send a number to persons 
who are not subscribers. This is sometimes 
done as a compliment, and in other cases to 
invite examination. Those receiving such 
numbers are requested to look them over, and 
if convenient show them to a neighbor. 
LOOK OUT FOR THE GOLDEN STREAMS. 
start that it can afterwards take care of itself 
and produce a large yield. If the manure is 
preserved unwashed, this valuable portion 
will be retained, and be ready to supply the 
first wants of the plant. We repeat, “ look 
out for the golden streams,” and do it now 
if not already done. 
The spring rains are upon us ; the ma¬ 
nures accumulated in the yards during the 
winter are becoming rotted so that they dis¬ 
solve in water; and from ten thousand of 
these yards, all over the country, are now 
flowing yellow streams of golden liquid— 
golden not in color alone, but golden in value 
if treasured and used upon hungry soils, in¬ 
stead of being lost in roadside ditches and 
running streams. In our lectures we have 
often stated, that five barrels of water, after 
being leached through a cart-load of rotted 
manure, contain more plant-food than all 
that is left behind. This is a positive truth, 
generally speaking, and yet how few farm 
yards are so arranged that their contents are 
not actually washed by more than five bar¬ 
rels of water to each cart-load. 
It is not uncommon for a barrel of rain 
water to fall upon every plot of ground two 
feet square, during the months of April and 
May, and often the amount greatly exceeds 
this. Now though some of this evaporates 
yet in most yards the greater portion runs 
off, carrying with it the very richest part of 
the manures. From a comparatively small 
yard this wasted liquid is fully equal in val 
ue to a tun of the best Peruvian guano, cost¬ 
ing $50. Last week a farmer purchased in 
this city four tuns of guano for $200, when 
we know that, during the past and present 
month, he has lost from his yard by washing 
of rains, what would have been equal to six 
tuns of guano, if there had been a small out 
lay in properly saving it. We would not 
discourage the use of Peruvian guano—for 
in nine cases out of ten it pays a first-rate 
profit—but our motto is, first save and use 
the home-made “ guano.” 
How to Save this Liquid. —Put all kinds of 
manure under cover, as fast as produced 
Pile it up under a shed ; or, if shed-room is 
scarce, place it in heaps where water will 
not run upon it, and cover with any old 
boards or slabs—with anything that will 
shed off the bulk of the rain-water. A good 
arrangement is to put up a few crotched 
stakes, with poles across them ; cover these 
with boards, or lay on rails ‘slanting’ and cover 
them with straight straw, held on by another 
layer of rails or poles. Under this extern 
pore covering throw every particle of animal 
droppings, straw litter, &c. Such work 
pays. Any one having twenty animals can 
afford to hire one man to take care of the 
manure. One gill of manure washings 
placed in a hill of corn, will give it such 
ported from the nominating committee, con¬ 
sisting of one from each State, and the fol¬ 
lowing officers were chosen for 1855 : 
PRESIDENT. 
Marshall P. Wilder, of Massachusetts. 
VICE-PRESIDENTS. 
REPLIES TO CORRESPONDENTS. 
Curculio —J. Mason, Ulster County.—The 
Matthews remedy, so much talked about, re¬ 
mains in statu quo. The committee have 
taken another year to think about it and try 
it. We have not much faith in its success. 
See page 118, vol. xii. 
Lime Queries —S. Ramsey, Tenn.—On a 
loose black soil with a gray bottom,” and 
indeed on any soil, lime may be sown broad 
cast and plowed in. The best plan, however, 
is to sow it upon the plowed surface and 
work it in with a harrow, or cultivator. The 
end to be aimed at is to get the lime incor¬ 
porated as thoroughly and uniformly as pos¬ 
sible with the soil several inches in depth. 
The quantity and time of application de¬ 
pends much upon the condition of the soil. 
If it is dry, warm, and light, the application 
may immediately precede planting or sowing. 
On such soils a small quantity is need¬ 
ed, say 5 to 25 bushels per acre, acording to 
lightness of soil. On wet, heavy soils, the 
longer the time allowed for the lime to act 
the better. So the amount may be profita¬ 
bly increased to from 30 to 50 or more bush¬ 
els per acre, depending upon the coldness 
sourness,” &c. 
It should be kept in mind that the effect of 
lime is to decompose (or decay) the vegeta 
ble matter in the soil; and that too large 
quantities upon a dry, light soil may do this 
too rapidly. See vol. xii, page 193, first 
column. 
Dissolving Bones —E. Sandford, Steuben 
County, N. Y.—Answer in a week or two 
In the mean time see vol. xi, page 113, and 
vol xii, page 56, in both of which places this 
subject is treated of at length. 
Fertilizers, Foreign— Wm. H. W., Mas 
sacliusetts.—An article will appear on this 
subject soon. 
UNITED STATES AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY- 
John D. Lang, Maine. 
H. F. French, N. H. 
Fred. Holbrook, Vt. 
B. V. French, Mass. 
Jas. J. Cooke, R. I. 
John T. Andrew, Conn. 
Henry Wagner, N. Y. 
Isaac Cornell, N. J. 
Isaac Newton, Pa. 
H. Holcomb, Del. 
H. G. S. Key, Md. 
G. W.P. Custis, Va. 
Henry K. Burgwyn, N. C. 
James Hopkinson, S. C. 
D. A. Reese, Ga. 
A. P. Hatch, Ala. 
A. G. Brown, Miss. 
D. B. DeBow, La. 
This society held their annual meeting at 
Washington, D. C., commencing on the 21st 
ult. Twenty-six States were represented 
by accredited delegates from State and Coun 
ty societies. The exercises opened with an 
address from the President of the society 
Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, in which he re 
capitulated the operations of the society du 
ring the past year. This address was well 
received, and has been printed in pamphlet 
form for distribution. 
A variety of resolutions, &c., were dis 
cussed, an address delivered in the evening 
by the venerable George Washington Park 
Custis, after which the officers and commit 
tees were entertained at the National Hotel 
with a sumptuous repast by Col. C. B. Cal¬ 
vert, the proprietor of “ Riversdale.” On 
the second day, Mr. King, of New-York, re- 
J. T. Worthington, Ohio. 
B. Gratz. Ky. 
M. P. Gentry, Tenn. 
Jos. Orr, Ind. 
J. A. Kinnicutt, Ill. 
Thos. Allen. Mo. 
T. B. Flournoy, Ark. 
J. C. Holmes, Mich. 
Jackson Morton, Fla. 
T. G. Rusk, Texas. 
J. W. Grimes, Iowa. 
B. C. Eastham, Wis. 
J. M. Horner, Cal. 
Jos. H. Bradley, D. C. 
S. M. Baird, New-Mexico. 
H. H. Siblev, Minnesota. 
Joseph Lane, Oregon. 
J. L. Hayes, Utah. 
Mr. Giddings, Nebraska. 
Gen. Whitfield, Kansas. 
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 
John A. King, N. Y. B. Perley Poor, Mass. 
C. B. Calvert, Md. A. Watts, Ohio. 
A. L. Elwyn, Penn. John Jones, Del. 
J. Wentworth, Illinois. 
SECRETARY. 
Wm. S. King, Boston, Mass. 
TREASURER. 
B. B. French, Washington, D. C. 
On a report of the eexcutive committee, 
Dr. Elwyn, of Penn., Henry Wager, of New- 
York, Dr. W. T. G. Morton, of Mass., Col. 
Anthony Kimmel, of Md.,and Chas. L. Flint, 
of Mass., were appointed delegates to attend 
the coming Industrial Exhibition at Paris. 
A great variety of reports were read, which 
will be embodied in the forthcoming volume 
of the proceedings of the society. This will 
be furnished to the members, and will of 
itself amply repay the expense of member¬ 
ship. We defer further reference to the do¬ 
ings of the society till the reception of the 
official record of transactions. 
Persons wishing information as to buying, 
selling, leasing or renting farms, securing 
laborers, procuring situations and the like, 
will do well to consult our weekly adver¬ 
tising columns, where they will be likely to 
meet with something of interest. 
Good Milkers. —Mr. B. H. Andrews, of 
Waterbury, Conn., informs us that one of 
his Devon cows made 9 lbs. 6 oz. butter in 
seven successive days, and another cow 
yielded, in the season of 1851, 210 lbs. of 
butter, and raised a calf till three months 
old. 
Engravings for the American Herd Book. 
—As numerous inquiries are made of us in 
respect to these, we desire to say, that all 
such should be addressed to L. F. Allen, 
Black Rock, Erie Co., N. Y. The party 
who wishes to have his animals appear in 
this volume, must be at his own expense for 
the sketching and engraving, as it is for his 
own interest entirely that his own animals 
appear in the Herd Book. 
5®” Our thanks are especially due to cor¬ 
respondents for their numerous favors, and 
we solicit their continuance. We have a 
number of communications on hand which 
will soon appear. 
