360 
SUMMARY. 
may'jbe supposed ; for example, all manufacturing establishments have various kinds of 
wastes, such as hair, wool, bones and animal matter, wood and horn shavings, coal dust 
and cinders, ashes, waste lime, coal ashes, apple pumice, in which, during decomposition, 
much ammonia and the phosphates exist; carcases of dead animals, weeds of the yards 
of houses and barns, all of which ought to go into the compost heap ; turf by the road¬ 
side, and the wash of roads, which ought always to be turned upon meadows or pastures. 
12. It is evident from the composition of the numerous beds of slate and shale which 
exist in all the sedimentary formations, that heaps of the fragments of these rocks might 
be turned to good account as fertilizers, provided a disintegration could be effected. In 
many instances, there is not the slightest difficulty in bringing them to a pulverulent mass. 
Where they resist decomposition, piles of the debris, if heated, would crumble more 
speedily to powder. If they were coarsely pulverized, the mechanical effects in many cases 
would be important, especially on the argillaceous soils ; and they would slowly yield up 
their potash and phosphates, magnesia and lime, to supply the annual waste to which the 
soil is subjected by cropping. Rocks which contain sulphuret of iron undergo a rapid 
disintegration, and afterwards a thorough decomposition. In these rocks are contained, 
in all cases, valuable fertilizers, which are available by the aid of cpiicklime. From them 
a large amount of gypsum may be obtained by means of the lime, in addition to the other 
soluble matters which the rock may contain. 
13. In conclusion, I feel justified in saying that the available means within the reach of 
the farmers of New-York are much greater than has been supposed. The gypsum, marls, 
limestones, pea), and broken down shales, either gypseous or calcareous, and magnesian 
or pyritous, may all be turned to account, and may be employed at a reasonable expense, 
not only to sustain the soil in its present state of fertility, but to increase considerably its 
productiveness. 
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