The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-03-18

The above Board met at the rooms of
the Brandon Farmers Club on Tuesday
afternoon. The meeting was called to Or
der by the Vice President OF the Club, IL.
Ellis, Esq
Some who were expected to take part
in this afternoons session, being absent,
necessitated a change in programme, and
substituting an address from Dr. Hoskins
of St. Johnsbury, member Of the Board
i, place of one or two others that did not
arrive until after this session had closed
D.. Hoskins subject was "Nlanuring,"
which he remarked lay at the basis of
success in all farming.
His own necessities had compelled his
attention and investigation Of the sub.
ject. Under the head Of direct fertiiz-
ers, he would enumerate stable manure,
ashes. and superphosphates, There were
good many indirect fertilizers, among
which salt was named as being prominent,
which although not direct fertilizer, and
not containing plant food, had a very ben
efcial effect upon the soil, by acting up
on the plant food in it, but in an insolua-
bic state, which being rendered soluable
by its action greatly benefited the grow
ing crops of grain, by stiffcniug the
straw.
The principle manure used in this
country is excrements Of domestic ami
mals, or stable manure. That from ma
ture or fattening animals,was much more
valuable than from youGg and growing
animals
The manure from animals, contains the
substances required for the growth Of the
plants, that sustains those animals.
The value of the manure greatly de-
ponds upon the manner it is preserved,
and the manner the animals are fed from
which it is made The value Of manure
from animals fed upon clover, depends
greatly upon preserving the liquid excrc-
ment. If this is suffered to 60 to waste,
the remainder will not be worth more
than that from straw, or other hay; but
if it is properly preserved, it is much
more valuable. The liquid excrement is
worth more than the solid. All plants
require their food in liquid form, or
soluble state. and one thing that makes
the urine of more value, is its soluble
form that enables the growing plant to ut
once appropriate it to its growing wants.
Mixing sulphuric acid with bones, or
PHOSPHORUS makes it soluble, and this is
the state we find the phosphatcs in urine,
or in a soluble, or liquid state.
A good article Of muck is the next best
TO stable manure, but varies much in val
ue from the different kinds Of plants Of
which it is composed. As muck is usu-
ally in state opposed to decay, it should
be composted with ashes or lime, or bet
ter it should be used as an absorbent to
prevent the waste Of the liquid portion
of manure. Stable manure and muck arc
nearest perfect manures.
All soils furnish a large proportion Of
the nutriment Of growing plants, but by
continual cropping are exhausted of a few
Of the elements of plant food, that are
easily and cheapy returned, when they
will again produce crops as before.
The DR.. related some Of his own expei
ence in restoring to fertility, aud prof
lands, that had been exhausted OF tn,
necessary fertility for growing potatoes
they having exhausted the land of potash
Ashes we're used literally with great sue
cess. The DR.. here remarked that tn
tops of potatoes should not be burned Of
removed from the land, but should BIZ
buried, as they contained a large per cen
Of potash. Plants want large quantitie
Of phosphoric acid and lime, which w
find in bones, only in an insolube form
Fresh bones contains about fifty per cent
Of organic matter, and fifty per cent. 0
lime, about thirty-fve per cent of tn
latter is phosphoric acid Clay soils d
not need ashes because they have potash
but they are quickly exhausted Of phos
phoric acid. He had never been able t
reduce bones by burying in stable man
IRE or ashes, While we need large quau
titles of phosphate, we also need nitrogen
or ammonia this is what makes clover
and the manure from it so valuable. Thi
is depended upon largely by the farmer
Of western New York for their whea
crops. Flowing in clover had great e
feet upon the soil, not only as dirc(
fertilizer, but in mechanical way,
loo:ening up the soil and exposing it to tn
action Of the atmosphere, which converte
many Of the elements from an insolubl
to soluble form, The benefit derived
this way from blowing clover or stab
manure under, was probably greater tina
from the new material they then
selves added to the soil. Good plowin
and thorough tilage, as we'll as folowin
in this way, added to the fertility Of tn
soil, and prepared them to produce crop
Fall blowing as well as blowing in gree
crops, were in this way very beneficial I
heavy lands.
The proper way to compost manure
made very interesting subject of stud,
Fine composted manure is much bette
to apply than coarser or green manure.
In answer to question: the DoctC
stated he thought food would be as vall
able for manure after digestion, but migl
not from young growing animals, as the
appropriate largely the phosphate fro
their food He had no doubt if the brg
could be returned TO the land, it wou
continue to produce wheat year after yea
but thought the other valuable elemeu
OF the bran could be saved by feeding
animals, and still leave the bran as a va
liable fertilizer.
La answer to another question, the b
stated that burning bones does no: q
st OF the phosphoric acid, although muC
valuable matter is lost, but it had be,
found Improbable tie save all the va
able parts,and still reduce the phospha'
to soluble form. All soils contain
large quantity Of phosphoIic acid Oh
it is in an insoluble form, that does Il
decay fast enough to produce large crcT
although the natural decomposition