114 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
AGRICULTURAL MEETING. 
The first agricultural meeting at the hall of the New- 
York State Ag. Society, took place on Thursday evening 
the 14th inst. 
Mr. Rhoades of the Senate, was chosen chairman; 
Mr. Humphrey, Mayor of Albany, opened the discus¬ 
sion. He said he had a farm a few miles from the city— 
the soil sandy. A year ago last spring, he carried out 
about 250 bushels of horn-shavings. He planted about 
three acres to corn, and put a very small quantity, only 
what could be held between the thumb and finger, in each 
hill, and used no other manure. The corn grew surpri¬ 
singly, so much so, that it attracted the attention of the 
Shakers as they passed by it; and they wanted him to 
have the crop particularly measured at harvesting. He 
did so, and found there was 126 bushels of ears, or 63 
bushels of shelled corn to the acre. The corn was the 
small eight rowed kind—was all sound and very heavy. 
He thought the land would not have produced over 15 
bushels per acre, if he had not used the horn-shavings or 
other manure. He also used the horn-shavings for pota¬ 
toes, and they did remarkably well. 
Mr. Bement said he had used horn-shavings. He usu¬ 
ally made them into compost with anthracite coal-ashes, 
muck, &c. He had applied this mixture to corn, pota¬ 
toes and turneps, and found it excellent. He had used 
hog’s bristles ; got about 60 bushels, one year, and used 
them with potatoes, putting a handful in a hill, at the 
time of planting. The season was a moist one. Where 
the bristles were put, the yield was double what it was 
in other parts of the field, where he used the common 
quantity of stable or yard manure, though the soil was 
quite similar. He had also used the refuse of a glue fac¬ 
tory, (hair, bits of skin, &e.) which is a powerful ma¬ 
nure. He had used fish, also. A few years ago, he got 
6 barrels of damaged fish, which he used as manure. He 
facetiously remarked that he was fond of fish and pota¬ 
toes, and he thought he would try the effect of mixing 
them together at planting time. He therefore put half a 
fish to a hill, on one-half the lot, and on the other half, 
he put manure. (We did not understand him to say how 
much manure he used per acre.) The soil was a stiff 
loam. Where the fish were put, the tops were best 
through the season, and the yield of potatoes was double 
what it was on the manured part. The effect of the fish 
was shown in the succeeding crops of carrots, oats, &c. 
for three years. 
Prof. Emmons said he thought horn-shavings were a 
good manure—probably better than bones. Both contain 
phosphorus and ammonia, and bones contain lime. Am¬ 
monia is an essential ingredient in Indian corn, being 
found in the grain. Liebig attributes the action of gyp¬ 
sum to its power of fixing the ammonia; that is, he sup¬ 
poses it to absorb the ammonia existing in the atmos¬ 
phere, whieh is thus brought within reach of the plant. 
Prof. E. would account principally for the action of 
horns, bones, &c., from their containing the food or ele¬ 
ments of plants. He thought the action of the fish spo¬ 
ken of, was prolonged by the animal matter being com¬ 
bined with salt. He spoke of other substances as manure. 
Nitre, he said, has a tendency to produce large stalks, but 
not so much grain. In regard to the existence of ammo¬ 
nia in the air, and its being brought down by rain and 
snow, Prof. E. said he had by evaporation, detected it in 
snow—it was very perceptible by its scent, and affected 
the olfactories in the same manner as the hartshorn of 
smelling bottles. 
Dr. Lee spoke in reference to the crop of corn raised 
by Mr. Humphrey. He thought the ammonia of the 
horn-shavings produced the principal effect; but it was 
not wholly by supplying the plant with this substance as 
food—it had a stimulating effect—by which more root 
and leaf was formed, and the plant enabled to seek and 
obtain other food, both from the earth and atmosphere. 
Plants contain 50 per cent of carbon, and they absorb this 
substance largely by their leaves; hence, by inducing the 
plant to put out leaves, its means of obtaining carbon are 
increased. Common sal ammoniac has been found high¬ 
ly beneficial in stimulating the growth of corn—the corn 
being soaked just before planting, in a solution of this sub¬ 
stance. He alluded to charcoal, which he thinks is the most 
valuable substance for absorbing ammonia. It is from 
ammonia that the gluten of wheat is formed, and when 
charcoal is applied to the soil, ammonia is given off as 
the growing wheat plant requires. To show the absorb 
ing power of charcoal, he mentioned that Port wine lo¬ 
ses its color on being run through it. He looked for a 
great increase in the yield of wheat from the use of char¬ 
coal; he had himself already produced wheat heads 6| 
inches long, and containing 140 kernels each. He belie¬ 
ved that a yield of 60 bushels to the acre was attainable 
in this country. The English, said he, have now gone 
beyond that, and have produced 80 bushels per acre. He 
thought ashes would be a very valuable manure on the 
sandy soils in the neighborhood of Albany. The potash 
would render the flint of these sandy soils, soluble, by 
which material for the straw would be provided, and 
by adding charcoal and bones or horn-shavings, the am¬ 
monia, phosphorus, &c. necessary for the grain, would 
be supplied. If the charcoal was saturated with urine, it 
would be better, because this would give the elements of 
the grain at once. He would also use some lime on such 
soils; though where lime is scarce, he would recommend 
only a moderate quantity, say 10 bushels to the acre. 
This he would apply at the time of sowing the seed. 
Clay would probably do well on these sandy lands. Clay 
has an alkaline quality, and hence its action would be in 
some degree similar to ashes; besides it would act me¬ 
chanically, by rendering the soil more retentive of wa¬ 
ter, &c. 
Dr. L. alluded again to Mr. Humphrey’s corn crop. 
Mr. H. took off 60 bushels of corn per acre. Now the 
horn-shavings did not actually make half this. What 
then was taken from the soil ? In the stalk and leaf, he 
took off that which in some shape should be returned to 
the land. If when the corn was husked, the stalks had 
been immediately plowed into the land, he thought the 
matters which the corn had taken out of it, would have 
been nearly restored. If the stalks were eaten by cattle, 
then both the dung and urine should be put back on the 
land. 
Mr. J. C. Fuller of Skaneateles, said he was pleased 
to be at this meeting. He found himself among scienti¬ 
fic men, and perhaps it would be better for him to do as 
a friend once told him he did—that is, keep still and see 
what others did—but he would make a few remarks. He 
would repeat that he was glad to see a disposition to en¬ 
courage such meetings; farmers should come here, and 
bring their sons with them. He had noticed the remarks 
that had been made about horn-shavings and other sub 
stances, used as manures. He had been interested in 
what had been said; but he wanted to know one impor¬ 
tant thing which he believed had not been mentioned, 
and that was, how much these substances cost —how much 
profit there -was in using them. His object was to see 
how much money could be made by any plan or mode of 
operation. 
In regard to the mode of applying lime, he thought the 
best way was to put it on the ground, before it was sla¬ 
ked, in small heaps, and throw a little earth over it, and 
let it thus remain till it is slaked. 
He spoke of the agriculture of England, his native 
country. He said he had spent a considerable part of the 
last year in that country. Great improvements had been 
made there within a few years. It might be said that 
they were much in advance of us; yet many of their 
modes of farming are not adapted to our circumstances. 
We must, therefore, have a system in some degree pecu¬ 
liar to ourselves; and it should be the object to seek such 
modes as are adapted to our climate and general condi¬ 
tion. He would not discourage improvement; he was in 
favor of it, but he thought farmers might well use caution 
in adopting untried schemes. The chemist may make 
useful suggestions. He had formerly some acquaintance 
with chemistry himself; but he believed men might be 
good farmers without being good chemists. He knew 
many such m England and in this country. 
Some remarks were made by the chairman, also by 
Mr. Horsford, Prof. Hall, and Mr. Strong, which for 
want of space, we are obliged to defer. 
The meeting was adjouoned to Thursday evening next. 
