Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-01-25
City ann County snteIliqente.


rooms of Mr.. Keith in Flagg's block, show
ed an increased interest in the newly
formed club, and twelve new members sub
scribed their names; so that the club now
numbers thirty-two farmers. The subject dis
cussed was manures and their application.
Mr.. Miles discussed the relative value of
fossil, animal, and vegetable manures. Guano,
phosphate and the other fossil class were rath-
er stimulants than fertilizers, and something
was necessary to unite them thoroughly with
the vegetable and animal class. The liquids
he thought embraced half the value of the
manure and with this view of their essential
importance he purposed the coming season to
build barn one chief feature of which shall
be provision against any waste of this valu-
able material.
MIR. Bigelow alluded to some beautiful crops
of wheat and clover which he saw growing in
Indiana, which was turned in to manure the
soil, and expressed desire to have the project
OF turning in the green crop tried here.
Mr.. Hadwen said it was a very general Gus
tom in the Connecticut river valley to pillow in
the clover crop, and very satisfactory corn
crop was the result, without any further APP
pcation of manure; but it was doubtful if
that custom could be successfully followed
here. He composted barn. yard manure with
meadow muck, letting his muck be exposed
one or two years, thus probably neutrazing
the acid it contained by one or two shovel
ings it became very fine. This manure he
ol in oil oil
adapted to old lands it was used on grass
with satisfactory results.
Mr.. Keith thought clay for sandy soil as
good as muck.
Mr.. Chafiin said that muck needed the ac-
ton of frost and heat it then became the best
retainer of ammonia. For grass crops he
would compost his barn-yard manure with
clay, but for corn or any English grain
with muck. His practice with guano was to
compost with meadow muck Ia bag of guano
to load of muck) of this he put handful in
the hill, then hoefull of dirt before he drop
ped the corn. When guano was used as a
top dressing he scattered it on the April
SHOWS, and it thus soaks the best into the
ground.
Mr.. Pond had experienced great results from
the application of night-soil to his orchard. He
considered it worth five times as much as
horse manure.
Mr.. Jaques had used night-soil for corn,
blowing it in, with very gratifying results.
He usually composted with loan, as most con-
venient though he considered peat mud very
vol I'm ,II II tlO oP,
ing moisture.
Mr.. Coe thought horse manure from the
livery stables very nearly worthless.
Mr.. Lincoln had great faith in horn shaw
ings; they contained great deal of am
monia. He should prefer to use it in cold
land, though Mr.. Mortified has been very
successful with it on light gravely soil. He
gave it as his opinion that farmers can not
afford 10 buy manure of any kind, except for
special purposes,
Mr. Chafin, in trial of guano and COM
post, saw no difference in the two crops.
Mr. Barrett had used considerable horse
MANURE and liked the result.
Mr.. Barnard gave his experience with
ashes mixed with manure. On two and one
half acres OF land he raised one hundred loads
of pumpkins, besides crop of corn.
The discussion was kept up by Messrs.
Keith, Bigelow, Miles, Jaques, and others,
till the hour for adjournment, at which time it
was discovered the topic had not been used up,
and so it was voted to discuss manures and
their application again next Monday night.
In connection with this subject it may be of
interest to state thai the Massachusetts Society
for Promoting Agriculture have offered Sc
ries Of liberal premiums for experiments with
manures. The first is premium of $780, the
second of $50; he third of S25. Notice OF in.
tention to compete is required before January
LIST, 1861. The time contemplated for the ex-
periments is three years. The society has is
sued, for the information of competitors, the
directions and conditions under which the ex-
periments are to be made. Competitors for
premiums offered by other agricultural socie-
ties in the Commonwealth are invited to COM
pete for the above, the same experiments serv-
ing for both, by filing a duplicate statement
with the secretary of this society.