Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-02-07

ly called the Fonding bill and whereas every
interest of this Commonwealth demands the
settlement ofthis much vexed question and
whereas, the said question cannot be better set
tied in any way than by q reference to the peo-
pie of the State-thercfore. be it
Resolved by the General Assembly Of Vir-
GINA. That at the elections to be holden IN
the several counties, cities and towns OF this
Commonwealth on the fourth Thursday 10
May. 1872, the following questions be submit
ted 10 the people of this State. viz:
"lst. Shall the act approved March 80.
! 1871. commonly called the Fundiog bill, remain
the law of this State?
I'D. Shall the majority report Of the Joint
Committee be adopted as the law of this State!
Sd. Shall the minority report of said COM
nritlee De adopted as the law of this State p
The remainder of the act provides for carry
ing out these provisions; that the Auditor
shall have 1000 copies Of the Funding bill,
the majority report and the minority report
printed and distributed among the people, and
the result of the vote shall be the law Of the
land.
The amendment was voted down by a large
majority. and the discussion continued until
adjournment.
The joint resolution s%uspending sales of prop.
erty exempted under the homestead act until
the constitutionaiity of that act shall have been
determined by the Supreme Court Of Appeals
was passed.
The Committee of Schools and Colleges re-
port, on the petition Of the Council Of the city
of Alexandria. that the money appropriated by
the State for public free school purposes shall
be apportioned among the counties and cities
of the State according to the amount Of reven-
ue paid into the State treasury by them rcSpec-
lively, that the petition cannot be granted, the
Constitution declaring that the school fund
shall be distributed for the equal benefit of all
on the basis of the population between the
ages of five and tweuty-one years OF ages. which
report was concurred in.
The President laid before the Senate to-day
a communication from the Board of Public
Works. in response to a resolution calling for
information as to what railroads OF this State
have signiied their unwillingncss to pay the
taxes imposed by the assessment and tax bills
of '10-Il. The Boards states that $4,000 Is
due by the Richmond and Danville railroad
company by the Orange, Alexandria and
Manassas railroad company SCI .239.22. The
former company last August, through Its pres
ident. proposed to pay off the entire claim OF
the State in bonds, at par, which offer the
Board declined. because said company had not
10 general meeting of the Stockholders com
piled with the provisions of the Act OF Assem-
bly, authorizing the sale of the State 5 interest.
The company has lately made known its readl-
ness to make their payments in full. IN current
funds. The O., \. l. NJ. company having
complied with the requirements OF the law tor
the sale Of the States interest in the same
is considered entitled TO pay the whole OF their
Indebtedness to the Commonwealth in State
bonds, and they have given notice Of their pur
pose to do so within the time prescribed by
said act. communication from the Auditor
of Public Accounts on the same subject was
also read and referred. 1t states that the fol
lowing companies claim exemption from taxa
ton BY virtue of their charters, viz Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad
/ company, Richmond and Pet "rsburg company,
Petersburg and Weldon company, Rlchmoud
and Danville company and Chesapeake and
Ohio company. Z.
DOMESTIC FERTILIZERS. He is not a wise
farmer, and is not lik ely to be a successful one,
! who doe, not look to his own farm a. the chief
source of his fertilizers.
1t is almost incredible the amount Of manure
which can be made at home BY a farmer who
makes it a specially.
The barn-yard-the farmers best bank to
which he can apply without the fear OF IN.
terest to pay, lawyers and sheritfs-will yield
to good management hundreds OF wagon loads
of the best fertilizer. in the world. every year.
With the stables 50 arranged as "a have man
IRE from them throwu into it aud the hog pens
near by. to yield their quota OF valuable mate
rial, ana the sheep-sheds convenient 10 ada TO
the heap, and the yard kept constantly supplied
with litter, straw. forest leaves. and everything
else which can be turned into manure by the
t~raDping cattle. the farmer would have
enough manure to employ his spare time in
hauling it out, and would soon cease, to feel
the necessity for so much OF the commercial
article. And then his resources, in this re,
spect. could be vastly increased by the careful
preservation of other matters about the farm.
Everybody knows the value OF ashes upon all
SORTS of soil and every kind Of crop. Why does
not everybody save every shovel full OF them
carefully to use upon the crops? Because
the farmers are careless of the gold about their
premises as long as pinchback is SO easy 10
buy.
Every farmer has ashes enough made upon
his premises which, mixed with an equal guam
tity of plaster, would %tertilize a large part Of
his corn crop in the hill, or which applied to his
potatoe crop would be worth to him several
tons of manufactured phosphates.
And every farmer, with proper care. might
accumulate a ton or two OF bones upon his
premises.
\! bone barrel should be considered as essen
tial an article, in a kitchen, as u wash-tub.-
These bones could be prepared: at home, for
use. or changed for the manufactured dust;
There is no question now about the value Of
bones az a manure. They form the basis OF
nearly all the fertilizers which we buy. Why
not use the care then to save the large quantity
which is wasted upon Loudoun farms?
And how many farmers in Loudoun try to
save the s~crapings of their poultry houses?
This is known to be a highly concentrated man
ure largely impregnated with ammonia.
\! ton or two OF this could be saved every
year, upon almost any farm, and, mixed with
plaster, would be worth more per ton than
three. tourths of the artificial manure TOR sale In
the markets.-LoMdom ENterprtSe.