50 BULLETIN OF THE BUSSEY INSTITUTION. 
in lime also, and it is plain that the ashes of eel-grass will compare 
very favorably as a manure with the ashes of ordinary firewood. See 
Volume I., page 191. 
On contrasting this analysis of eel-grass with the figures previously 
given, in respect to tan, sawdust, straw, and leaves, it will be seen that 
not only the ash, but the sea-weed itself is comparatively rich in fer- 
tilizing matters, and that it resembles young leaves and twigs gathered 
in summer more nearly than either of the other materials. ‘The char- 
acter of the several substances will appear from the following table: — 
In eel- Spent Saw- Twigs with 
grass. tan. Straw. dust. leaves. 
Potash, . . .° 1.0234 0.08 0.5 to 1.0 0.10 0.88 
Phosphoric acid. 0.2256 0.04 0.2 to 0.3 0.05 0.33 
Nitrogen . . . 1.3020 0.16 0.33 1.00 1.28 to 2.84 
Per cent of 
The real difficulty with eel-grass, that has prevented it from being 
prized as a manure, is its singular power of resisting decay. This 
peculiarity taken in connection with the physical structure of the 
plant, makes it obnoxious to the farmer. It is a great hinderance to 
the labor of moving stable manure or compost, when there is found 
admixed with these materials any thing that, like eel-grass or leather, 
is continually clogging the forks. It is difficult, moreover, to spread 
evenly manure which is thus contaminated, or to secure the clean till- 
age of land that has been dressed with it. It is on this account that 
eel-grass is little esteemed as litter, and that no thoroughly satisfactory 
method of using it as a fertilizer has yet been devised. 
