92 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
making contracts with small cow-keepers, stable¬ 
men, and such people, who are usually a nui¬ 
sance to have coming daily to the farm, and 
whose money needs sharp-looking after—or 
else you must keep such a stock of your own 
during the growing season as will make your 
business very cumbersome. Plants grown with 
sewage are not so nutritious as natural grasses, 
and it is doubtful whether 
they arc not, to a certain extent, 
less healthful food. Probably, 
too, the milk which they pro¬ 
duce is less desirable. Sewage 
contains nothing which might 
not be converted in the soil 
into good plant-food, but it is 
used in such large quantities that 
there is not time for its com¬ 
plete conversion, and there is 
no doubt that there are organic 
impurities in the sap of sewage 
grasses which do not exist in 
plants grown under more natural 
conditions. Still, the fact exists 
that the better examples of sew¬ 
age farming prove the possibi¬ 
lity of reconverting the wastes 
of the population into available 
food, and if the same amount of 
sewage could be used over larger areas, there 
would be nothing objectionable in its effect on 
plants fertilized by it. 
Much of the effect of sewage irrigation could 
be equally well produced by irrigation with 
river water, and where water is at command it 
may be made a good medium for the distribu¬ 
tion of farm-yard manure over land of the pro¬ 
per conformation. 
The Peruvian guano now exported from the 
guano islands is of very irregular quality. Dif¬ 
ferent cargoes and even different parts of the 
same cargo vary very much in composition, 
and still more in their texture. 
Frequently the whole body 
is almost pasty, from excess of 
moisture, and frequently the am¬ 
monia is crystallized out of the 
mass, forming what seem to be 
bits of stone, and these (which 
are much the richest portion) are 
thrown out by the fanner as of 
no value. Indeed, as they exist, 
they are positively injurious, 
being so strong as to destroy 
vegetation, concentrating at a 
single point an amount of am¬ 
monia which should be spread 
over a square yard or more. 
All these guanos should be 
dried, ground, and treated with 
20 per cent of sulphuric acid, 
to fix the ammonia. They will 
then become of more uniform 
quality, and can safely be bought by analysis. 
The phosphatic minerals are used very largely 
as the basis of superphosphate of lime, taking 
the place of bones. They require rather expen¬ 
sive grinding, and the addition of more sulphu¬ 
ric acid in proportion to their content of phos¬ 
phoric acid, than bones do; but the manure 
produced by them is valuable, the only precau¬ 
tion necessary being to learn the quality of each 
lot by chemical analysis. The Southern States 
are a great market for superphosphate made in 
Engiand from Carolina phosphates, which are 
imported into England in large quantities as the 
ballast of cotton ships. 
(It would seem that we ought to be able to 
save these two ocean voyages, and to make our 
own superphosphate at home.) 
In England, where superphosphates are 
cheaper than in America, it is considered pro¬ 
fitable to import American cotton-seed cake to 
use as manure, crushing it for the purpose with 
the ordinary hand-machines, which are used to 
prepare it for sheep-feeding, and used in the 
condition in which we get it (ground to a fine 
meal) there should lie still greater economy in 
using it in America. This meal is the richest 
of all available forms of food, and the manure 
resulting from its use is better than that from 
any other food; but it is too rich to be used 
alone. It. should be mixed with an equal 
quantity of Indian meal and a little bran. In 
this condition it is excellent for all uses. 
I have gone thus fully into the details of my 
interview with Dr. Yoelcker because they seem 
to me to be suggestive of many things, which 
my readers will find profit and interest in con¬ 
sidering; and because the} 1, may indicate— 
though of course such a slight sketch as this 
falls far short of doing him justice—something 
of the character of a gentleman to whom all 
English and American writers on agriculture 
owe, directly or indirectly, a good deal of what 
is worth reading in their productions. 
' - 
Two Hew Potatoes. 
Last year did not bring out so many new po¬ 
tatoes as the few years just preceding, as at 
present a new candidate for public favor must 
have remarkable excellence to entitle it to con¬ 
sideration, Messrs. B. K. Bliss & Sons offer 
two new ones, boih of which we have tried upon 
the table, and one of which we grew last season. 
The Vermont Extra Early (which will soon 
be known as Vermont) is the variety mentioned 
last September, in “Notes from the Pines,” as 
“That Potato.” It is claimed to be a cross be¬ 
tween Jackson White and Garnet Chili, and was 
raised by Mr. George W. Wood- 
house, West Rutland, Yt. At 
“The Pines” it Was in all stages 
of its growth fully ten days 
in advance of the Early Rose, 
an experience similar to that of 
others who experimented with it 
in different parts of the country. 
Compton's Surprise was raised 
by D. II. Compton, of Hawley, 
Pa., from the Prince Albert, 
fertilized by the Long Pink- 
Eye. The tuber is of good size, 
dark purple in color and, as a 
table potato, of thoroughly excel¬ 
lent quality. Its great claim in 
addition to its good quality, is 
its enormously prolific character. 
Mr. Compton, who seems to 
be a very fair man and quite in 
earnest, states that he grew it at 
the rate of over eight hundred bushels to the 
acre! We hope to try this variety next season, 
and be able to speak from experience. At 
present we give the story upon Mr. Compton’s 
authority. The engravings are made from 
specimens of medium size, and fairly represent 
the characteristics of the two varieties. 
The Morgan Horse. 
On the first page will be found an engrav¬ 
ing of the head of a Morgan horse. This 
class of horses possesses those 
valuable qualities which make 
them particularly desirable as 
horses of all work. They have a 
neat style, great intelligence and 
honesty, quickness and spright¬ 
liness of movement, and with¬ 
out having extraordinary speed 
have great powers of endurance. 
They are generally considered 
as able and willing to maintain 
a speed of ten miles an hour for 
several hours in succession, and 
although some horsemen are in¬ 
clined to deny the possession of 
this extreme courage and endur¬ 
ance, yet they are fairly entitled 
to that character. They rarely 
if ever exceed fifteen and a half 
hands, and the original Morgan 
horse, or Justin Morgan, stood 
only fourteen hands, and weighed but 950 
pounds. They are well and compactly built; 
the forehead, the chief point of family likeness, 
is broad, the ears small and fine and set wide 
apart, the head small and bony, the eyes small, 
dark, and prominent, the nostrils large, the 
muzzle small, and the lips close and firmly set. 
The manes and tails of these horses are heavy 
and abundant. Their feet are good, and their 
walking gait, so desirable in a work-horse is gen¬ 
erally fast. For light work upon the farm or as 
roadsters, they are a valuable class of horses, 
and their good qualities go to add one more 
laurel to the Green Mountain State, which 
claims the honor of having originated the breed. 
EXTRA EARLY VERMONT. 
Compton’s surprise. 
