FOOD OF PLANTS, AND HOW THEY TAKE IT. 167 
members for his kind assistance in preparing this report, 
Mr. D. B. Pierson is, as you all know, deeply interested 
in whatever concerns the advance of horticulture. He is 
a good observer, and has proved himself a good practitioner 
in the art of preparing the soil so that it shall produce good 
crops. From a communication addressed to the Chair, your 
committee have condensed the following practical recom¬ 
mendations : 
(S Guano, when properly pulverized and evenly scattered 
over grass lands or well-cultivated grounds just before the 
fall rains, produces a marked effect upon the crops of the 
following season. The residuum from glue-factories, and 
that from the rendering establishments (bones) have highly 
fertilising properties, and may be applied upon ploughed or 
trenched ground in the fall, or composted with an equal bulk 
of stable manure, or sod, or loam, to be applied at conve¬ 
nience. These substances should be applied with caution.” 
He also highly recommends the manure-pit, into which all 
refuse matters should be thrown, with alternating layers of 
sods or loam, leaves, leaf-mould, stable manure, &c., and the 
whole to be moistened by a pipe from the kitchen sink to 
bring all waste water from that department—the drain from 
the water-closet should also terminate here. He thinks this 
application of liquid would prevent fermentation, and that if 
the mass did ferment, the water would absorb the ammonia, 
and thus be improved as liquid manure. 
For the indication as to the best season for applying 
manure, Mr. Pierson cites Dame Nature, who makes her 
applications in the autumn, and thus keeps up a constant 
fertility — whereas, the fields that come under man’s cul¬ 
ture generally grow poorer the longer he has charge of 
them. 
After some remarks upon vegetable physiology, he re¬ 
iterates : c< For spring crops I should apply manure, whether 
fermented or not, upon the surface of the ploughed ground, 
about the 1st of November, or before the setting in of the 
fall rains, and, in the spring, plough the residuum under, 
and mix thoroughly with the harrow.” For fall crops, he 
would make the application before the final ploughing, and 
thoroughly mix with the harrow, and then cover the seed 
with the drill or harrow, never with the plough. Evapora¬ 
tion never hurts manures or composts thus applied, the 
watery particles only escape. Thoroughly prepared composts 
may be applied at any time when the earth is in a condition 
to receive them ; but he prefers to manure his trees, shrubs, 
and plants, in the autumn, when he thinks that the earth is 
