Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1871-12-23
NO.. 3.

of DIR. Hoffman, of the International Exhibi-
ton held ut the (Sydenham) Crystal Palace
in 1864. 1t is there stated, that the amount
OF superphosphate mixed daily mt the estab-
llshmcnt OF Mr.. Lawes Zone of the earliest
manufacturers. as well us one of the most
successful, and who deserves the gratitude of
every farmer for his untiring abors and lib
cral expenditures in aid of progress in agri-
culture), was one hundred tons, and his year
ly product was from eighteen thousand to
twenty thousand tons; and he estimates the
amount made ut that time in England to be
from one hundred and fifty thousand to two
hundred thousand tons annually. A state
ment more recently made, and believed to
be correct, is, that the present amount eX-
cecds two hundred and fifty thousand tons
annually.
The introduction of commercial manures
into use in the United States was later and
slower than in Great Britain, and their en-
ploymcnt is chiefly limited to II moderate
distance from the seaboard. Yet, it is be-
lieved that the annual consumption of super
phosphate now reaches one hundred thousand
tons yearly, and is both steadily and rapidly
| increasing.
Now consider that the trade in commercial
manures has grown to its present magnitude
under the patronage of farmers alonc-that
these large amounts are bought and used and
cautious about Introducing new ways into
their practice, averse to parting with money
except for ''value received" and are us ca
pable rs any other class of Judging whether
they get moneys worth for money. | do
not say that II farmer may not be cheated us
easily us another man,-for oncc,-but to be-
lleve that farmers, :s u class. for II series of
years will continue to pay out money in sums
larger and larger every year, for what does
not give satisfaction, can no more believe,
than that five and five are equal to forty. Do
not the facts rather prove. that so much as
has been kilfuly and honestly manufactured,
must have been very good, and very profita-
Bile at the price it bore? How else. by any
possibility. could the trade be sustained and
exhibit IL steady growth under the accumu-
lated odium of all the frauds connected with
it?
Fraud is not the only reason why CONNER
cial manures sometimes fail to produce the
results anticipated. Ignorance has something
to do with it. | have been witness to Il de-
gree Of Ignorance on the part ofa manufac-
turcr who advertlses and putls his wares
loudly and persstently, which, if it had only
Z been related to me | should have been slow
to believe. except upon testimony impossible
to discredit And there is more or less, not
very unfrequently of msmanagement in
their application and use-and let me say
here, that ample experience has shown that
' the best method of using either Peruvian
guano, or superphosphate, or fish guano, is
not to put the whole amount used in hills. us
\ is most often DONE but to compost two-thirds
}, or three fourths of what is to be applied with
$ barnyard manure, if any of this is also to be
: applied, and then to spread and harrow it in,
, applying only the remainder in the hills. If
0 no other substance is to be applied to the
p land, then let the two-thirds or three-fourths
y be spread and narrowed in. and only enough
o put IN the hills to give Il good start to the
i plants, and let this little be spread in the hill,
: and not merely dropped in u small pile. 1t
t should be covered with II little earth, also, as
t well rs spread, to avoid injury to the tender
, germs. To expect tender rootlets to thrive
e by pushing into II small pile of concentrated
manure, such us you desire to buy is us rea-
g sonable rs to expect sucking child to thrive
o on II diet of beefsteak and brandy.
= HOMEMADE PHOsPHATEs.
: We have scattered through the columns
of agricultural newspapers n good deal of