110 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
They promote fermentation and decomposition, by which new affin¬ 
ities are formed. In the ordinary preparation of manures, large 
portions are dissolved and lost in the shape of gases—in consequence 
of exposure to the atmosphere. Other portions are lost by leaching 
—from want of shelter from rains and snows. This should not be 
so. They should be carefully sheltered, and the gases absorbed and 
retained by a covering of charcoal, peat, or other absorbing sub¬ 
stance. In regard to the preparation, there were a great variety of 
opinions and practices. The first object, however, was to promote 
a decomposition. This was sometimes done by putting water upon 
the compost heap to induce fermentation; which generates much 
heat—especially in the winter. Compost heaps were also servicea¬ 
ble to absorb the liquid excretions of animals, which are liable to be 
washed way. 
Mr. J. B. NOTT thought the farmer must rely mainly for the pre¬ 
sent and probably for some time to come, on the manures of the 
barn-. ard. And it should be the object, in the first place, so to man¬ 
age these manures that nothing may be lost. We should not allow 
its strength to be taken from it by frost and snow, to be drained off 
by rains, or dissipated by the winds. The fermentation of manures 
is often allowed to take place in such a manner that the most valua¬ 
ble portion is carried off, and it becomes nearly worthless. It has 
been well said that no farmer ever smelled his manure, without wit¬ 
nessing a waste of his property. The question had been raised in 
regard to the propriety of composting manures. It was the opinion 
of the late Judge Buel, and also of some other distinguished farmers, 
that the practice was useless. It was argued that the richness of the 
manure was lessened by fermentation. But there was one great 
disadvantage attending the use of long manure, and that was the 
seeds of weeds, &e., which would vegetate in the land and annoy 
the farmer. Fermentatiou in the compost heap would destroy most 
of these seeds—and cannot this fermentation be so conducted that no 
loss will accrue to the farmer ? The “ best method of applying ma¬ 
nures,” is an important question. He had had some experience, and 
had endeavored to observe the effects of different modes. He had 
come to these conclusions—that it was not proper to bury them very 
deeply, nor to leave them entirely uncovered. His soil was rather 
sandy, and plowing in manures to the depth of 6 or 7 inches had ge¬ 
nerally been attended with comparatively little benefit, but when 
they had been covered 2 or 3 inches, the greatest good had been 
produced. 
Mr. SOTHAM agreed generally with Mr. Nott in regard to the 
•node of applying manures. But perhaps one reason why that gen¬ 
tleman had supposed there was but little benefit to be derived from 
plowing in manures, was, that he did not wait long enough for the 
manure to be decomposed. He thought plowing in long manures, 
for a tenacious soil, was highly beneficial. The soil is thus render¬ 
ed more friable and adapted to the circulation of the roots of plants. 
Mr. S. would briefly state his mode of managing barn-yard ma¬ 
nures. He mixed various kinds together, in the following manner: 
First, he put down a layer of manure from the cattle-stalls; next, a 
layer from the horse-stables, and next a layer from the slaughter¬ 
houses—then the kind first used, and so on alternately till the pile 
was raised as high as convenient. In this situation it underwent a 
moderate fermentation, and when it was carted away for use, it was 
so cut down that all the various ingredients were mixed well togeth¬ 
er. He thought it very important that all animal manures should be 
saved, for they undoubtedly contained all the organic elements of 
plants—carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. 
Mr. NOTT asked—“ When is it best to apply manure to a corn- 
crop ?” 
Dr. LEE answered—when you plant the corn. The experiment 
spoken of at one of our meetings last winter, by Mr. Humphrey, the 
Mayor, was in point. He planted, some corn on a very poor, sandy 
soil, with a small quantity of horn shavings in the hill. The result 
was that where the shavings were applied, he got 60 bushels to the 
acre, but where the shavings were not applied, he only got 15 bush¬ 
els. He proposed to a friend of his last winter to soak his corn in 
muriate of ammonia. He did. and on a poor chestnut ridge he got 
94 bushels of corn to the acre. There are certain salts necessary to 
the perfection of plants. Wheat contains phosphate of lime, without 
which it is imperfect. This substance escapes from animals in their 
urine. This should be preserved. It is probable that in this state 
there is millions of pounds of this phosphate of lime taken from the 
land annually. This loss must be made good, or the soil will grow 
poor. Seeds. Dr. L. said, should be steeped in those substances ne¬ 
cessary to the perfection of the plant, before sowing. 
Prof. EMMONS said he could not altogether agree with Dr. Lee 
in some points of vegetable economy. He, (Prof. E.) thought plants 
derived their sustenance almost entirely through' their roots—the 
roots were evidently designed to take in the food of the plant—their 
spongioles were extended in every direction for this purpose. 
Leaves may be considered the stomach of the plant, where the food 
taken through the roots is digested. This is a question of practical 
importance, for if plants derive their nutriment from the atmosphere, 
then let manures be applied so as to ascend. It was possible that 
plants may absorb carbonic acid by their leaves; but was this their 
proper function ? 
Dr. LEE replied that bethought Prof. Emmons had misunder¬ 
stood him—it was conceded that plants derive part of their food from 
(he soil. The question was. how much ? If we could know this ex¬ 
actly, we should knowjust how much manure to apply. It is clear 
that we must restore more than we take away. We were at pre¬ 
sent in the dark about this, but it was his impression that in taking 
off 100 lbs. in crops, SO of the quantity comes from the atmosphere, 
which would leave 20 to be restored. 
Professor HALL said different plants possess different pow¬ 
ers. Some absorb more from the atmosphere than others. Take 
peas, for instance: the tops will remain green and flourishing, while 
an inch or two of the stalk near the ground may be nearly dried up. 
This shows that thev absorb nutriment from the atmosphere. Be¬ 
sides it was Known that plants flourish more luxuriantly in the vici¬ 
nity of odors arising from animal and vegetable decomposition. A 
vine would move in the direction of a dung-hill, and flourish better 
if suffered to run over it. Some plants will flourish in pounded glass 
watered only with distilled water—others will grow without the roots 
being covered at all. 
The President, Mr. PRENTICE, being called on, observed that 
the call had been unexpected, and he was not prepared with any da¬ 
ta from which to give the information asked. He would state, how¬ 
ever, that the peculiar manure alluded to, was the refuse of a fur- 
factory, and was composed mostly of the fatty substance, or blub¬ 
ber, adhering to the skins of seals, with portions of the skins and 
hair. Of this refuse, there was sometimes as much as three pounds 
from a single skin. Owing to the trifling estimation in which ma¬ 
nures had formerly been held by the farmers in this vicinity, he ex¬ 
perienced great difficulty in getting rid of this refuse. He had offer¬ 
ed to give it away, and afford any facilities for loading it, &c., but 
strange as it may seem, the farmers would not take the trouble to 
cart it away, and he was actually under the necessity of purchasing 
a piece of land on which to deposit it Its effects, as had been re¬ 
marked, were quite remarkable. He had never seen so powerful a 
manure. He had applied it, with results astonishingly beneficial, as 
a top-dressing to his pasture grounds, but the effluvium from it when 
applied in that shape, was exceedingly offensive. He had mixed it 
with the sweepings of the streets, so as to absorb the gases; and for 
cultivated crops, he preferred to use it in this form, worked into the 
soil. For a top-dressing to grass, it was perhaps as well to spread it 
on without mixture. Where he had so applied it, the crop had been 
increased from one ton to three tons per acre. Care was needed lest 
too much should be applied. In one instance where it had been ap¬ 
plied to a potatoe-crop, an enormous growth of vines was produced, 
some of them 8 or 9 feet long, but very few potatoes. On corn it had 
done well, when used in moderate quantities—giving, he thought, a 
third more than he had got by other manures. He had once applied 
it to his orchard, but put on so much that it destroyed about one-half 
his trees. He was unable to state, from recollection, the precise 
quantity he had used per acre in all cases. 
NEW-YORK STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
At a meeting' of the Executive Committee of the New- 
York State Agricultural Society, on the 15th February, 
1845, the following gentlemen were appointed 
County Corresponding Committees. 
Albany—C. N. Bement, Albany; Joel B. Nott, Guilderland; 
Amos Crary, Knox. 
Alleganv—A lvin Burr, Laurens Hull, Angelica. 
Broome—D r. A. Doubleday, Binghampton. 
Cayuga—J. M. Sherwood, Auburn; David Thomas, Aurora; 
Judge Hollister, Cato 4 Corners. 
Chautauque—T. B. Campbell, Westfield; Samuel A. Brown, 
Jamestown; Win. Risley, Fredonia. 
Chemung—E. C. Frost, Catherine. 
Clinton—E dwin Benedict, Plattsburgh. 
Columbia—J. P. Beekman, Kinderhook; John S. Gould, Stock- 
port ; Abm. P. Holdridge, Austerlitz. 
Cortland—J edediali Barber, Homer; Dan. Hibbard, Cortland. 
Chenango—D r. Mitchell, Norwich ; Isaac Foote, Smyrna. 
Cattaraugus—A braham Searl, Ellicottville. 
Delaware—C ornelius R. Fitch, Delhi. 
Dutchess—T homas Swift, Arnenia; Dudley B. Fuller, Hyde 
Park ; J W. Kneevels, Fishkill. 
Erie—R. L. Allen, Buffalo; Augustus Raynor, Clarence ; Ezra 
Chaffey, Boston. 
Greene—A. Van Bergen, Coxsackie; A. Marks, Durham. 
Herkimer—A. Loomis, Little Falls; A. L. Fish, Cedarville; Mr. 
I Crane, Warren. 
! Jefferson—C harles E. Clarke, Albert P. Brayton, Watertown 
William Ives. 
i Livingston—J as. S. Wadsworth, C. H. Bryan, Geneseo. 
| Lewis—E la Merriam, Turin. 
j Madison—G eo. B. Rowe, Canastota; S. B. Burcbard, Hamilton. 
I Monroe—R. Harmon, Jr. Wheatland ; Thos. H. Hyatt, Roches¬ 
ter; Abel Baldwin, Clarkson. 
Montgomery—G eorge Goertner; John Frey, Palatine. 
Niagara—W m. Parsons. Wm. A. Townsend, Lockport. 
Orleans—C harles Lee, Barre; B. L. jBessar. Albion. 
Orange—F. .1. Betts, Newburgh; Robert Deniston, Salisbury 
Mills ; J. W. Gott, Goshen. 
Onondaga—S quire M. Brown, Elbridge; James M. Ellis. Onon- 
dago ; Wm. Fuller, Skaneateles; Silas Chesebrough, De Wilt. 
Oneida—E lon Comstock, Rome ; N. L. Wright, Vernon Center; 
Henry Rhodes, Trenton ; H. B. Bartlett. Paris. 
Oswego—H. E. Sanford, Volney; B. E. Bowen, Mexico; S, B. 
Ludlow, Oswego. 
Otsego—J oseph Bennett; Henry Phinney, Coeperstown; K. H. * 
Van Rensselaer, Butternuts. 
Queens—A. G. Carll. Jericho. 
Rensselaer—W m. P. Van Rensselaer. Bath; John J. Vielie, 
Lansingburgh; Samuel Hoag, Nassau; Joseph Hastings. Bruns¬ 
wick. 
Richmond—D r. S. Akerly, Richmond. 
Saratoga—D avid Rogers. Corinth ; Seth Whalen, Ballston, P. 
O.: Howell Gardner, Greenfield. 
Scoharie—J edediah Miller, Cobleskill; Wm. Mann, Scoharie. 
Seneca—J ohn Delafield, Geneva P. O.; Samuel Williams, Wa¬ 
terloo. 
Suffolk—J ohn G. Floyd, Mastic. 
Tompkins—L. A. Morrell, Lake Ridge; J R. Speed, Caroline 
E. Mack, Ithaca. 
