1854 . 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
871 
certain crops, some deductions from the numerous ex¬ 
periments which 4ave been carried out in Europe, and 
especially in threat Britain, during the last ten years. 
I trust that in this and a preceding article, I have 
written nothing to discourage Agricultural Education,or 
destroy the farmer’s confidence in science. If any one 
promulgates f;dse doctrine in the name of science, he 
will be found out in time. Truth remains, and has a 
permanent value, no matter who defends or opposes 
it 
My object has been to define the limits within which 
chemical .analysis .cannot be practically applied. I 
desire to give chemistry all the eredit it deserves, and 
and have to© much regard for that beautiful science, 
to bring upon it future contempt, by loading it with 
present adulation. S. W. Johnson. 
Munich, Bavaria , Oct. 6, 1854. 
Home-made Manures. 
There have lately appeared in this paper some ra¬ 
ther urgent appeals to farmerson the subject of saving 
and manufacturing their own manures, instead of send¬ 
ing off money to Peru, or giving it to some boasting, 
though perhaps dishonest, manufacturer of this or the 
other chemical fertiliser. -One of the considerations by 
wh-ieh such appeals may be or are usually enforced is 
this, that farmers in saving their own manures would 
not onljr be practicing economy or saving money, but 
also be preserving themselves from the loss and an¬ 
noyance arising from purchasing adulterated articles. 
Such fraudulent articles are getting to be very abundant. 
Even respectable dealers, who mean to keep and sell 
only good .articles, occasionally get Imposed upon. 
These important truths, which it is so much for the in¬ 
terest of all farmers duly to consider, have been im¬ 
pressed upon our minds with fresh force, in consequence 
of the knowledge of a fraud in fertilizers, on a most 
extensive scale, having been lately brought to our 
knowledge. From the Transactions of the Highland 
and Agricultural Society of Scotland, we learn that a 
Mr. G. W. Hay of Roxburghshire, being desirous of 
trying experiments with various manures, put himself 
in communication with a dealer or dealers in “ agri¬ 
cultural manures.” Among the substances to be em¬ 
ployed by Mr. Hay were superphosphate of lime, ni¬ 
trate of soda, phosphate of soda, sulphate of potash, 
phosphate of magnesia, sulphate of ammonia, and mu¬ 
riate of ammonia. When the parcels of chemicals 
furnished by the respectable people of whom they were 
bought, caine to be examined, the nitrate of soda was 
found to contain only 56 lbs. of that substance in eve¬ 
ry 100 lbs; the phosphate of soda only 6 lbs. in the 
100 lbs.; the sulphate of potash 60 lbs.; the sulphate 
of ammonia not quite 9f lbs; the nitrate of potash 
(saltpetre of commerce) about 111 lbs.; the phosphate 
of magnesia 2f lbs.(!!).; and the muriate of ammonia 
54 lbs. only. As to the superphosphate of lime, as it 
was .eaEed, it contained only 4 per cent, of soluble 
phosphate of lime; the other 96 lbs. consisting of wa¬ 
ter, gypsum, siliceous matter, some kind of free acid, 
and insoluble phosphate of lime, a perfectly useless 
substance. 
When Mr. Hay ventured to complain of the fraud 
thus practiced upon him, he was coolly informed by the 
dealers that they could not think of taking their rub¬ 
bish back. They stated that what he had bought of 
them was “ the usual quality for ■agricultural pur¬ 
poses?' and contained “the quantities suitable for 
plants.” That is to say, in the opinion of the dealers 
the quantity which is suitable for plants is 2f lbs. in 
every hundred of phosphate of magnesia, 9f lbs. of 
sulphate of ammonia, 4 lbs. of superphosphate of lime, 
and 6 lbs. of phosphate of soda. This insolent answer 
is pretty good proof that some, perhaps most, dealers 
in “agricultural manures ” take it for granted that 
the agricultural community are easily imposed upon, 
ahd may be cheated and fleeced to almost any extent. 
By every case of detection and exposure of such 
frauds, farmers will be more and more persuaded of 
the expediency of manufacturing their fertilizing sub¬ 
stances, as much as possible, at home. They will turn 
their attention more and more to saving, and putting 
into available or useable forms, all the urine and ex¬ 
crements upon their premises; to saving their barn¬ 
yard manure from the wasting influences of exposure 
to winds and rains and sun; to composting; and to 
the manufacture of chemical manures under their own 
eye. That this latter can be done to some extent is 
evident from the directions given in the last volume 
of The Country Gentleman in regard to the compo¬ 
sition and domestic manufacture of what is known in 
Great Britain by the name of ‘ Economical Manure.’ 
By every case of exposure of such frauds, the number 
will be diminished of those who purchase annually va¬ 
rious quantities of guano, superphosphate of lime, pou- 
drette, &c., while the guano of their own hens and all 
the animal excretions on the premises are allowed to 
go entirely to waste. 
To Destroy Liveforever. 
M&ssbs. Editors —I notice in your paper a reward 
of ten dollars, offered by Mr. II. Stone of Warren, for 
a receipt that will effectually destroy Liveforever. 
I will give you, for the information of Mr. Stone and 
your readers generally, the result of my experience 
in the destruction of this worst of all herbs. 
I had in my meadow some f of an acre, completely 
covered with it. In the autumn of 1852, I eommenc- 
ed by plowing as shallow as possible, or not more than 
4 in. deep, laying the furrow as flat as possible so that 
it could be easily removed. I then carted and packed 
the turf in heaps about 6 ft. wide, 4 ft. high, and as 
long as was convenient, say about 4 rods, handling it 
carefully so as not to scatter the small fibres. I used 
salt and lime freely during the packing operation. 
In this way I have completely removed it from the 
soil, and I find on opening the heaps that the inside is 
completely destroyed, and suitable for top dressing or 
mixing again with the soil. I do not offer this com¬ 
munication wishing or expecting one cent for the in¬ 
formation, but simply as the result of my experience, 
and if of service to any one, they are entirely welcome. 
S. D. Goodwin. Bloomfield , Oct. 16, 1854. 
r 
