IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) V A <•/ :/ L^ <3f W/J. 1.0 I.I 1.25 |50 "^ |3.: lU ... 25 22 M U i 1.6 V] <^ /a /y % V '^^ o"^ %' a7'ff ls?a)K?. Bk it l{KMi:Min:iii:i), thai on lliis 'VlwA ilay nC Alienist, A. I)., I87'2. P \\ HowFiis (ir(;iiarl(itl(M()\vii, ill 111" saiil Islaris csKi) IN Phim;i: Ki.wmii. Isi \M), \s Mwniis \M) [mi'Uovkhs oi' ini: Son. : hy .1. W. '! wi.Kit, hsoimi;, l-'Kiiow OK Till- (Jkoi.ocicu. Soc'i-ty OK LoNOON, K.NCi.AM-. incoiilor- initv Willi llio All I'oi- 111.' iH'ohTlion n!' cniiyriu-hl. 1»ETER DHSBinSAV, Assistant (loUmial Sccrolai y. I V/ / MUSSEL MUB. v/ A.: E'^fjuiry l^ito Ihe Nature and Value of Various EMPLOYED IN PRENCE EDWARD ISLAND, AS Manures and Improvers of the Soil, It would be siipertluous in these few pages to expatiate upon the advantages of Manures in general. Every farmer is fully cognizant of their importance ; still in order to estimate correctly the relative value of the various Shell Muds em- ployed in Prince Edward Island, it will be neces- sary to compare them witli the Manures most familiar to Agriculturalists ; and the writer be- lieves that the few pages devoted to their des- cription will embody nnich useful information, and such as could be, with only some difficulty and research, obtained l)y the general farmer. Distinction v/ill be made between Manures proper and substances added to improve thi' texture, or f MUSSBL MU1>. mineral and clieinical properties of a soil. AmongHt these latter we should place clay, lime, * peat, parings, &c. Of perfect manures we have but few, most oi them being manufactured or recpiiring skill and care in preparing, collecting or keephig,-the following are the principal :— 1st. Guano mixed with decayed vegetal^le matter or wood ashes, when necessary. 2d. Animal matter, such as dead beasts, blood, tish offal, &c., made into compost with peat or other vegetable matter, the bones being reduced to soluble phosphate and sulphate of lime, ])y Sulphuric Acid, ad. Human excreta, gypsum and vegetable mat- ter, the organic acids of which comliine with the ammonia. 4th. Farmyard dmig, gypsum, if lime be ricces- sary, saturated with the liquid excreta. The above manures, if added in suthcient (quantity, force good crops without leaving the soil poorer than before adding them; and are, therefore, manures for tlie soil as well as for the crops. The following substances are in manures:-- Mineral, Lime. Magnesia, Silex, Soda, Potash, Salt, and other Chlorides, Sulphuric Acid, and "^"NoTE^^Iimvtlwugh absolutely necessary for the growth of certain plants, must not be considered as a Manure proper, lor a soil rich in lime may become as barren as one dehcient m that jiubstauce. MUSSEL MUD. are, ■I other coinpoundH of Sulpliiir ; und with chiyey animal coinpostH, Alumina and Iron. Organic or Gaseous. Oxygen, Hydrogen, Carbon, and Nitrogen. Of these latter elements, plants favorably cir- cumstanced, and in vigorous growth, absorb the greater portion of what they require by their leaves ; and this they appear to be better able to do when manures, containing these elements, are ;nipplied to their roots. The most important and valuable of the above are Phosphoric Acid and Nitrogen. Chemists, after muuy experhnents, have lixed the present agricultural value of all the constiti ents of manures, and thus their true commercial price will, with very slight variation, be the same in every country. Price per Ton. Nitrogen, £131 currency. Ammonia, Phosphate of Lime, Alkaline Salts, Organic Matters, Sulphate of Lime, Solui)le Pliosphate of Lime, :](i Magnesia, lime and silex, of no value as manures in-oper. Taking the amount of Phosphoric Acid and Nitrogen, &c., as representing the value of man- ures we shivll sec by comparing the analysis, the 90 (1 12 (1 .1 10 1 10 1 10 :]('► MUSSKL MUD. relative value of the Ibur niiiniues bi^lure men- tioned. 1st. Guano, with whieh the Kiiilroad will doubt- less soon make the farmers ol' Prin(;e Kdward Island familiar. Moisture. 15.82 Silica, 1.40 Phosphate oi" Lime. 10.52 Phosphoric Acid, .'].12 Alkaline Salts, 7.50 Organic Matter, 52.52 Of whieh Nitrogen, l-1.2il Equal to Ammonia, l7.o2 100.00 According to table of values worth, per ton, £21 2s. l)d., currency. 2hd. Animal composts, these will, of course, vary in proportion to tlie amount of soil, &c., mixed with the animal remains, and the character of the latter. Li([ui(l l)loud contains about o percent of Nitro- gen. Flesli is rich in Nitrogen, Phosphoric Acid, Potash, .^e. Fish oil'al, which may be easily procured in some parts of the Island, contains— { Moisture, Phosphate ui' Lime. Alkaline Salts imd Lime. Organic Matter. C Of which Nitrogen, i.')2 \ Equal lo Annnor.ia. 2.ol> 80.89 3.8G 1.00 14.25 100.00 I 5i It le m MUSSEL MUD. b ton. Woi'tli, [)er ton, £2 I8s. Od., oirrcncy. ord. Human excreta, like those of farm animaln, vary according to food in the quantity of ferti- lizing constituents, au ordinary sample contains J 11, s. Moisture, Nihrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, and some Phosphates, supplying valuable nourishment to pla?its. its average value is about, per ton, £1 lOs. Od. Ith. Farmyard manure, a good sample fi'om well fed animals, yielded — Moisture, Phosphate of Lime, Alkaline Salts .and Li"^e. Sand, Organic Matter, ^ Of which Niirogen, O.OOG ( Ecpial to Ammonia 1.164 75.42 0.35 1.12 0.58 16.53 100.00 Value, £() los. Od., per ton, currency. The relative value of the nuuiures is as follows : 1 Ton oi Guano, (Peruvian). 33 Toms of Farmyard Dung. 21 '' of Horse" Dung. 38 " of Cow Dung.' 32 '' Pig Duno-. 14 "' Mixed Ilunuin Kxcremeat. 7 '' Fish Oilal. Let us lunv i-eview our j'esources in manures, leaving Guano, Gypsum, and Bone Dust aside until we are pro^-idcd witli the means of trniis ■<' .■ 6 MUSSEL MUi). port. It is well known that no farm can Hupply sufficient farmyard dung, however numerous the live stock, and as it is impossible to return in dung what the animals consume, or sufficient to enable plants to draw what iw required from the atmosphere, the feeding of animals, if their bodies be sold off the farm must, if no other manure be l)rought on to the farm, end in exhausting the soil. It will be seen thai oiu' resources are but scant, and the writer considers that ihv iutrudiiction oi' Artificial iManures, will be one of the greatest benefits the Island will derive from its Railroad. We have 100,01)0 inhabitants, whence the ani- mal excreta would amount to about 2,000 tons per annum, a great portion of which is allowed to be lost, could afford maiuu*e to the value of £o,000, per annum, that is to sa\ , at purchasing price. The ultimate value of manures, by effects on the crops, is, of coui'se, consideral)ly greater, and con- stitutes the fjirmers profit on his outlay., Animal composts are rarely seen in this Ishind, and can bi' but occasionally inade; there is a general negh:'ct in this particuhir. Dead beasts, equal in value to many tons oT farm yard manure, rot in creeks aiul out (jI' the wa_\- c(/rners, not only wasting valuabij inanuiv. but making the place unpleasant and injurious to the health of the inhabitants. The land can sui ;)lv us with Farmvard Dunu', Human Excreta, Wood Ashes, aiul Animnl Coia- ^fUSSEL MUD, 7 p53ts. The .sea with Kelp, Fish olHil, in some localities, and the Shell Muds. To the examina- tion I have made of the latter, I will now draw the readers attention. SHELL OB MUSSEL MUD. Every digger oi' ..Aid must have noticed tlie different appearance which it presents in vari- ous localities and depths ; its chemical and mechan- ical composition and value as a manure differ no less. It \^ ould be of great advantage to this agricultural country if its Government would so far interest itself in the farmers welfare, as to have the nuid from several parts of each principal creek examined, so that the farmer might with certaintv take the road which would best suit his purpose, and avoid waste of labour and its attending disappointment, and the transport of a comparatively/ worthh^ss material when ji mud suited to his purpose might Ije near at hand. Such an exaniinati(ni extends beyond private means, through there being no probability of re- muneration. I have been consequently obliged to confine myself to a few examinations, and of those have chosen I'or these pages, three which may be considered good types of tlie giMierality ;)f Shell Muds. No. I, is iVom the upper end of an arm of a river into which a mill and other small streams carry some partly decomposed vegetable matter. The water vv^as ])rackish to the extent of one of «. 5nji?9i::.L vj:d. mn water to two of frcnti. This mud is very soft aiid fine, ol'n durk greenish hue, luiving none or a few living shells, except on the surface where a few oysters are sometimes found. Tlie embed- ded shells are mostly broken up and decayed, and more spiral shells are found tlnui in the other muds. It emits a strong smell of decayed matter, but acts feebly on test-pa])ers of Lead and Silver, slightly reddens Litmus. The average depth of water over this nnid was 5 feet, thickness of ice 2 feet. This nuid may be considered as the type of the most valuable nnids of the Island. No. 2, is the upper nnid from the main river, at about one-third of the distance from the local- ity of wet nnid and the rivers mouth. It is the type of the shell nuid found in most of our parti- ally closed or shallov/ rivers, and is the variety most generally employed, and obtained pr rhaps in greatest a])undance, still most rivers will supply an ample quantity of No. 1, as the man, from whom T ol^tained my samples, dug 150 load of it from a limited space, and others were taking about the same. The number 2 nmd differs visibly from No. 1, in having less vegetalde ^natter, more living or recently dead shells, (oysters and mus- sels), less spiral shells, more sand, and less finely divided nnid, and in its less greenish color. It contains many large oyster shells, and is alto- gether of a coarser texture. Dei)th of water at which it is got is froni 5 to 8 feet. No, :>. is the mud taken from the sanu; lioleas MUSSEL MUD. 9 No. 2, but tit a greater depth, in fact after all of No. 2 had Ijeen removed. The diggers cither preferred taking this mud to digging a new hole, or were not at the time provided with the neces- sary tools. A reference to the nalysis will shew that this mud, owing to its great percentage of coarse sand and large shells, is of a most inferior description, and almost valueless on light soils. It consists of very large and partly disintegrar ted oyster shells, with few mussel shells, little organic matter and fine clay, and much sane, but was richer in Phosphoric Acid than the preced- ing; A compound like the mussel mud must be ex- pected to vary under very slight alteration of conditions, such as age, nature and depth of water, position as regards proximity to the mouth or source of a river, &c., and it is only by examin- ing many specimens that a fair Ivuowleuge of its varieties can he obtained. Preliminary examinatioii sliowed that the amount of water raised and transported in. the nnid was very great, and actual weighing proved that No. i mud, as raised by the digger, was capable ol' holding nearly 7G per cent, i. e. 75.83, so that out of every 4 tons of mud put into the sleigh o tons were water. The coarser varieties of mud held less water. The shells alone held uorording to their 8tate of disintegration from 5 to 7 per cent. 10 MUSSEL MUD. Afc^ a rule, the more water held the more Jiiielv divided and more valuable is the mud, this and the extra amount ol' Alkaline Salt compensates for the labor of transporting so much water. We shall, further on, enquire whether the landing the mud at the nearest shore and transporting it after draining to the iields, is preferable to carrying it direct from the diggings to the land intended to receive it. The analyais of the different muds of which I present the three I consider most typical are arranged in a tabular form, which will show the mechanical and chemical composition at the same time, progressing from mud and water to their various constituents. i -: o w o I— I MUSSEL avb. 11 iiiielv is and nsates . We ng the t after dng it led to iich I I are ^ the same their o 125 O t— ( ' * PPV ouoiidsoqj d i-H "Btnoraiav 0^ t«n^^ 'u»3o.i;t^ o ■ ■-■■■■ — ' ■ 9i ppv oiuinH CI — o CO •snucajl 00 _6 o ^ •=> (i u i3 4> S3 ^ 1 o s o s. c5? o •BisaugBj^ d «o •epixo Tjtsoug'Bpj d •aoai ®PI^O ^ e^jBuoqiBO O rH .-uoJijoa^midps d • eo « oc - I— o **■ • •A ■31 • •vuimniv 1— 1 • o CN Wet Shells. CO * 00 p-l 00 i*H to O Tl 00 73 s ^n -*> ^ « X S 1-^2 ^ 8 5 (<-i O .2 0^ rt .2 100 take the 03 i '5 o « 'E. .E3 "3 .2 .s 00 CO CI J3 o en Oi o s •c s .3 We will now see what substancea, (and how much of each) are put upon the land, in 200 loads or 100 tons of No. 1 mud, supposing it to be taken directly from the machine to the fields. In No. 1, we ha\'c, in round numbers, 76 tons of brackish water, containing 15 cwt of Alkaline Salts, 9i tons of Carbonate of Lime or Shells, 7-^ tons of Clay, 31 tons Sand, 2 tons of Sulphate of Lime or Gypsum, from reaction of Oxidized Sul- phide of Iron upon the lime, 1 1-5 tons of Dry Organic Matter, equal to at least 5 tons of good vegetable mould, about 20 lbs. of Phosphoric Acid, and 36 lbs. of Ammonia, — N H , — principally as Nitrogen. With the help of the table of values before given we will estimate the worth of this mud as manure, and also examine it as a mineral improver of the soil, as regards its lime and clav. Note to Table on page 11.— It was net considered necessary to take the Gases in solution into account, as they would escape before the mud was applied, and would be of no practical importance. The loss is probably water, which is not easily driven off from the mud without decomposing its organic matter, it may be divided equally amongst the several constituents, or in part attached »s Acid to the Magnesia, and amounts to 0.14 on 15.06. The Sulphide of Iron, which exists la the recently dug mud speedily decomposes on exposure to air auvl moisture, by absorb- ing Oxygen, forming Sulphate of Iron, which acts upon the Car- bonate of Lime, giving Sulphate of Lime or Gypsum, which acts so beneficially upon clover and the grasses. In estimating the value of muds, the Sulphur should bo calculated as Sulphurio Acid in Sulphate of Lime,— that being its ultimate condition. and how 200 loads be taken !, 76 tons Alkaline Jhells, 7i Ipliate of Lzed Sul- s of Dry of good )ric Acid, incipally ;s lefore s mud as improver lecessary to icape before iportance. en off from it may be or in part 4 on 15.06. Y dug mud (, by absorb • on the Car- which acts mating the ; Sulphuric ndition. I MtJSSfiL UVii: IB Per loo Tons. Currency. 15 cwt. xVlkaline Salts, at £1 10s., per ton, ^1 2 (> 1 1-5 tons Organic Matter, at .£1 10s., per ton, 1 IG 2 tons Sulphate of Lime, at £1 10s., per ton, 8 20 lbs. Phosphoric Acid, or 44 lbs. Phosphate of Lime, at £12, per ton. 6 3 36 lbs. Ammonia, at £90, per ton, or OR per lb. 18 6 £7 12 3 Say equal to Is. 6d., per ton, currency, as manure. The value of the lime and clay when predom- inating will vary according to the situation of the farm. Lime may be easily obtainable in some parts, and more economically applied as such than as mussel mud. After frequent en- quiries, I consider £2. per ton, may be considered as the average price for lime for the whole Island and in relation to its varying price, the compara- tive value of the lime in nuid can be easily cal- culated for anv district. Its value as applied to the soil in mussel mud will, under certain circumstances, nut agree with the market price, for if the soil already has suffi- cient lime, its value will be nothing. To a soil 14 MUSSEL MtrO. deficient of liiiie, its value as Carbonate of Lime, slowly supplying tlie Hoil with lime, will still be but small, I would say not exceeding the 1-20 the value of burnt lime,— say Ss. per ton of shells in the nnid. If sifted and burnt, the lime and wood ashes would be worth the full price of the best lime, for agricultural purposes. But in their rough state their value is considerably impaired by the extreme slowness with which they break up, and incorporate with the soil. The next sample of mud was from the main river, about three miles nearer to the sea, the water here was still ()rackisli, but in a much slighter degree than from where No. 1 was taken. The specimen was taken from the sleigh imme- diately after raising, and drained to the same extent as No. 1. Live oysters and mussels oc- cupied the surface, the former mostly single and not so old as in the beds which yield our ordinary supplies. Note.— In estimating the amount of shells, a portion of mud was washed through a sieve of 100 meshes to the inch, all frag, ments of shells that coulu II.. u pass through were reckoned as shells, the finer particles being afterwards estimated as Carbonate of Lime. 6 w O CO l-H MUSSEL MUD. f Lime, 8till be le 1-2(1 if shellf* ic antl of the in their apaired J break i main 2a, the much taken. imme- ! same 3ls 00- le and dinary of mud all frag- oned as irbonate 16 u ^ y. Ci H ■— ' u >■ p» Q P I-- w-t X f^ ? &► P- M a; •piov oiaoi[Jsoq >» li'S ^« to fl o .2 a - a O a? q o '« 2 « i3 ^^ 2^ '. a 16 MUSSEL MUD. In 200 loada or 100 tons of thin mud, we have about 44 tons of water, containing 17i cwt of Alkaline Salts, 25J tons of Carbonate of Lime, a little more than I ton of Sulphate of Lime, ^ ton of Dry Organic Pdatter, 127 lbs. Phosphate of Lime, and 16 lbs. Ammonia. Value as Manure Pek lOU Tons. 17^ Cwt. Alkaline Salts, £1 (> 3 currency. 1 Ton Sulphate of Lime, 1 10 127 lbs. Phosphate of Lime. 13 7 a ton Organic Matter, 15 16 lbs. Ammonia, at 9kl per II). 12 8 a a a £4 17 6 Equal to per ton 11 |d. In this mud there is the advantage of a laroie proportion of finely divided Shells or Carbonate of Lime, and the disadvantage of a large propor- tion of sand, about 20 tons, there Is less Organic Matter, and less Annnonia, but more Phosphoric Acid. The value of the lime as shells may be added to this amount, takini'- price of lime in neighbour- hood. The third sample was {.aken from the hole from which No. 2 had been previously extracted, being in fact the lower part of No. 2. It was a coarser and more sandy mud than either of the preceding, contained many large oyster shells and yielded by analysis, as below. i • i MUSSEL MUD. 17 ton a a a « CO o I s O I— I w < m 1-1 H H tJ3 O r/) •+» 03 d o rn •isiuorauiv •piov ouoqdsoti J MQ'^^tjpi oiub8jo •8^1^' •qjTjQ tsiaauSuji .2 'in pi- « n S) d 00 ao ■uo.li JO opiqding CO I— O si <© CO a , Hi m3 o *A a> a c-i x 1— 1 (» « ft p ^ fci 1-^ UH • f^ 00 > ft i CO 01 H ^ CO 00 o OT CO x*< o O ,vt., Organic Matter, 3} cwt., £0 15 1 10 14 3 G £3 2 Value per ton, currency, T^d., to which may be added the Lime. The inferiority of this mud consists in its hav- ing very litUe hue Cnrbouate of Lime, and in '0 per cent oi' the wet nmd l)eing sand, which, with the large oyster shells, would tend to render the light soil of Prince Kdward Island still more porous and sMudy. In (•omparing these muds, we ought, undoubtedly, to give the preference to the least sandy, for in their other components the variatioji is not so uuirked. No. 1 has 3^ to 4 per cent sand, No. 2 has 22 '' u No. 3 has 40 •' u There can be no douhl t,l,at the addition of so nauch sand as is contained in No. 3 would more than negative the ameliorating properties of the other coT-.ponenl parts of the mud. MUSSFT, MUn. I'.) oi> tons it 1 2 toiiH H, 360 lbs. id, ton 8 its value, 15 10 14 3 {) G 2 t) I iiijiy bu its huv- nd in ^'.O ch, witb tider tbe II more e muds, jl'erence ponents 11 of so d more ! of tbe i r. The Table b«.'low ribowH tbe important con«ti- tueuLP of tbe tbree mudn compared : In KM) Part.". I Water, Alkaline Salts, Sulphate of Lime, Phosphate of Lime, Carbonate of Lime, Org. Miit. & \mmonia. Sand, (lay. 75.83 0.75 2,10 U.02 -(.34 J. 20 3.50 7.50 AVERAOE. 43.87 0.88 1.00 0.05 24.80 0.55 22.00 4.50 35.61 0.72 1.50 0.08 12.50 0.16 40.00 6.00 51.79 0.78 1 83 ' .05 15.21 0.64 25 17 6.00 £7 12 3 £4 17 6 £-'. I (;jurrency I £5 4 1 Value as manure, with- out lime, per 100 ions , Munsel Mu;l is sometimes applied to tbe land in its wet state, but more frequently islanded at, t'le nearest convenient po' nt and allowed to draiL anJ dry, this witb rai i and tbe tl awing of tbe wnow, will remove most of tbe all: 'line salts. We may safely assume tbat we lose, by Ibis treat- ment, two-tbirds of tbe water and salts. We will examine tbe composition of No. 1 Mud, tbus treated. No. 1 Mud contains 75.83 per cent, water ; two-tbirds of tbis would be 50.56, say one-balf of the wbole. Tbe otbei components, with tbe exception of tbe alkaline salts, would thus be doubled in every ton, and the value of every 1 00 tons would stand as follows : — 5 cwt. Alkaline Salts, £0 7 2 2-5 tons Organic Matter, 3 12 4 tons Sulphato of Lime, 6 88 lbs. Phosphate of Lime, 12 6 6 XiO 12 20 MUSSEIi MUD. Mud, wlien piled on shore, is frequently left during the summer, the nitrogenous matter fur- nishing ammonia is decomposed, and, to a great extent, lost ; the ammonia has, therefore, been omitted in the above calculation. The estimate represents the value of two hundred tons of No. 1 Mud, concentrated to TOO ton by drying and draining. 200 tons of No. Mud is worth £15 4 Dried and drained to 100 tons, 10 12 Loss in value of mud. £4 12 G The farmer will be the best judge, according to the situation of his farm, as to the comparative advantage or disadvantage of losing £4 12. Gd. on every 200 tons by draining the mud, or em- ploying the labor of man and horse in hauling 200 tons, instead of 100, — bearing in mind that if the drained mud be hauled to the fields before summer heat has decomposed the nitrogenous matter, the above loss will })e dimhiished by the value of the anmionia saved. No soluble salt of ammonia was detected by Nessler's test in the water saturating the newly-dug mud. It is hoped that the preceding pages will suf- fice to give a general idea of th*^ vdue and pro- perties of mussel mud. The space at disposal will not admit (jf more examples. If what is here oftered be received with approbation, more extended researches into the nature of the soil in U MUSSEL MUr». 21 itly left ter fur- a great •e, been estimate s of No. ing and 4 G 12 12 6 rding to parative 12. Gd. I, or em- haiiiing lind that ds before rogenous )d by the le salt of 3t in the will suf- and pro- disposal l' what is on, more lie soil ill « different parts of the Island, and the mussel and other muds contiguous, nuiy be attempted. (Jost of raising nuid by the present method, supposing liorses to be otherwise idle, and there- fore not chargeable in this estimate, the expense of di'jsinti and landing 200 loads, or 100 tons, of mud, would be about as follows : — Wear of machine and interest on cost, £1 20 day's hire of 2 men at 4s., 8 Wear of sleigh and horse shoes, 10 Interest & sinking fund on horses. G G Est. ftirnishod by laruiers of P.E.I., £9 IG G Mussel mud may be l)Ought at from Is. Gd. to 2s. per ton at the digging machine, and this price arrived at by practice is almost identical with its value as estluuited ])y experiment, for if to £7 12s. od., the value of 100 tons No. 1 Mud as manure, we add the lime, we shnll come but little beyond of the £9 IG;^. Gd. ; l^it as it costs as much to raise the inferior nmds as the better sort, it would jxppear that actual loss is sustained by raising the former. There is hardly a river in Prince Elward Island in which several varie- ties of mud will not be found . That in the arms and creeks will always dilfer from that in the mahi stream, and directions for the discrimina- • tion of the various nuuls will be given further on, involving no chemical experiments, but still it is hoped sufticieiit to guide any intelligent farmer. 22 MUSSEL MUD. Ill many parts ol' our liver.s large beds of irius- sels are to be tbuncl. A tanner having si a bed near him, wouhl find, in the tlesh of tne mus- sel, a manure quite equal to fish offal. They should be ploughed iu, or spread before harrow- ing, or ])etter still it applied just before sowing. Mussels do not occur in sufficient (piantity to be generally used, but no farmer should neglect such valuable manure when it is near ai. hand. Mus- sels, fish offal, and indeed all fresh animal mat- ter, are more easily divided and applied after having borne their part in the formation of com- post. The preparation oC (ish offal and such other matters, as an easily scattered manure, is attended with great dillicultics. Tiiey putrify before they can be dried and j)ulverized, and al- though several patents have been oljtained for various processes having that end in view, none seem to have established a lirm footing. Their employment in composts appjars to be the most practical, espe(nally in Prince Edward Island. Such composts, properly prepared, rank high as manure, far exceeding the best samples of mus- sel mud. To a soil so deficient in lime, and so porous and sandy as Prince Edward Island, the mussel mud, when clayey, is a great boon. Moreover, our numerous rivers and inlets 'urnish an ample sup- ply ; but when, by its use, the soil has acquired asuflficiencv of lime, it is time to examine closelv i. MU9SBL MtJD. 4 into the elfect produced by adding more mud. It iiiuht be evident to all that the continued addition of large oyster shells, which take many years to break up, would l)e productive of more evil than good ; and yet were these eliminated, the addi- tion of such mud as No. 1, to almost any extent, would continue to beneiit the soil. We must, therefore, conclude that the proper course to adopt is, after the soil has ])een amply supplied with lime, to sift the mud, apply the liner parts as manure, and burn the shells, which, with the ashes of the wood employed, should be used to lime other soils deficient in that respect, which it will do much more efficiently and rapidly than when applied sis rough shells. By using the mud in this manner, we may lime the new land and manure tUe old. But w^ must not deceive ourselves as regards the results. It is impossible to raise a crop without ibod for the plant, and if Prince* Edward Island will have good crops, it must expend suHicient in [ihsnt ers without feeling damp, weigh the vessel and contents, and note Aveight; re- place in the oven, and sifter \ hour weigh again. If the weight is the same, the nuid is dry ; if the weight be less, the drying must be continued until two weighings, made with an interval of .{ hour between, are alike. The loss in weight is to be calculated as water. The temperature of the oven should not \)v. (;uite so high as recjuired for baking bread. Fi'om S lo 24 hours will be re(juired tor thoiuimh (h'viuu. the sandv muds drying most rapidly. Vvom tiic weight lost by the four jjouuds of uhki. Uie peicentage is easily calculated, and it^- ((tialitv a^ No. I. _!. or 8, or intermediate, fi.xcd in thai ic^^pcci. SKCOXI) K.\AMI.\ATI()N — SHELLS. Procure a [)iecc of iron wii'e netting, to h^sc un sand, or other sohd matter, except such as will be in suspension (organic matter and (inely .liNided clay which will take a Ion- iimo in siuk). Place the residu*» in a large -lass jar- a oue gallon glass lozenge jav will answer— and iH>arly (ill with water, cork and shake, and allow it to vest two minutea, pour olf the water and iill again, shake, and al- low it to rest one minute, pour olV,and again till, allow to rest half minute, and repeat this until the water ceases to be iiniddy, and the sand and tiner parts of shells are washed clean . The solid resid'ie is then to be dried in the oven until it ceases to lose weigtit. aud may be ivckoned as sand. The finely divided shell can only be separ- ated from the sand by chemical means, and there- 1*8 MUSSKL MVl). fore ill this mecluinicul exainin.atioii must be dis- regarded. The water, lime as siiells, and sand beiiiii' ascertained, a reference to the tables be- fore given, page 1!), will enable the farmer to Ibrm an appropriate valuation of the mud exaiiiiii- «'d. Thus in regard to Avater, the nearer the .'imount reaches 75 per cent, the nearer it will resemble No. 1 Mud in value. If the water ranges ])etween 40 and 30 per cent., then its value Avill be less, and the mud will be eitliei of second or third ([uality. This, of course, applies to^its value as manure v>'hen applied to laiui al- ready limed. If liming be the ol)ject in vie^/. then the exjunination No. 2 will alone have to be the guide ; but in using a nmd rich in lime care should be taken that it be not too sandv, should such be the case, it will be more profitable to sift the mud and burn the shells than to add to the soil a large aL.ount of sand. RE.MAllKS UPON METHOD OF OBTAINING MUSSEL MUD. We have before referred to the estimate (fur- nished by a digger of mud) of the cost of raising 100 tons in Kildare River, if the expense varies in other localities, the reader can make the necessary allowances in the estimate. Although the plan at present adopted in dig- ing mud yields very fair results, the writer thinks that several improvements may be made which would reduce the cost of the mud ])v ol)- taining it in much loss time. At ])resent mu(;h i I ei I MURSF.r, Mltn. & time and UiLorn- are exi-eiuled on wittnig lioles in tlie ice which seldom exceed 10 by S feet, and in endeavouring to raise as much as possible from each hole, the inferior sandy muds lying low are rr».iuently taken, whereas, if a considerably l.u-..er hole were made by blasting with powder, thrmachine might worl< romid it and take on y tlie upper or best muds, and much time would he saved by not having *:) cut the ice. A slight alteration would be required in the fore part of the base of the machine. At present it rests en- tirely upon the ice, on the plan proposed itw-ould proiect over the hole in the ice and should have L small platlorm attached for the '"'^"«f ^'/''^ lovk to stand upon. The other end of the base of the machine would have to be a little longer. „,„d boarded for the horse, so as to efl^ctual ly counterbalance the weight projecting over t lie water ^ machine thus constructed could be shifted round the hole, and the labour of curting many holes be avoided. A convenient method of blowing up the ice by powder will now be descriljed. The materials to be purchased will be blasting or cannon powder, and waterproof fuse such as is used by miners and .piarrymeu in wet places, it is about the thickness of a lead pencil, is llexible, and sold by the fathom. To prepare the charge for blowing up tlie ice n. common wine bottle will make the best and 30 MUSSEL MUU. simplest cartridge, iill it witli coarse powder, or if less be Ibund siilficiciit according to the tliick- ness of the ice, some sjiw dust or sand may be placed jit the bottom, so as to bring the powder close up to the (!ork. The cork must l)e tight fitting, and have a liole bored to receive the fuse which should lit as tightly as possible, and be further secured from wet by pitcli or white lead. From to 10 feet of fuse will ))e sufficient, it should, after passing through the cork, enter an inch into the powder. A stem of alder, or (»ther llexible wood, about 8 or 10 feet long, like a stout (ishing rod, is then to be procured, and the bottle securely fiistened to itf:' thinner end, the fuse being tied here and there to the whole length of the stick, thus : Dig a narrow hole such as when fishing for trout, the more shallow the water the longer should ])e the hole. Push the rod in gently, and the thin end being more flexible, will bend and run along the bottom if it touches it, a foot of the rod with a little projecting fuse may rest on the ice. A slow match is now to be attached t(^ the fuse taking care that it is fixed in contact with the inner combustible portion either by insertion or bv a pin smd moistened powder. This slow match may be made of blotting paper or lamp cot- ton, steeped in sol. of s.'dtpetre. ;> or 4 inches MUSSliL MUU. ?1 shoulil take hnli' a minute to hiu'ii. When this slow match is lit; retire and avoid standing in front of the rod. LIMK. I In many parts of the Island burnt lime may be obtained in any (juantityat about £2 per ton, loose in the cart, and when, as in new peaty or sour land, tho liming of the soil is the principal object of the farmer, its employment instead of mussel mud is undoubtedly the more profitable and expeditious. Slaked with about one-third its weight of water, it quickly falls to ])owder, and can mix intimately with the soil, and will act rapidly in combining with organic acid, and in de- composing vegcta])le matter, whereas, shells will take many years to disintegrate, and are only in the mild form of carbonate ol lime, capable, it is true, of combini'ig with cei-tain organic or other acids, but (exercising very little decomposing power on vegetable matter in gviueral. It has been stated that ouster shells can be found almost perfect buried where the nati ,^ encamped more than 100 years since. I/nnein the form of shells ctuniot be considered to produce an eflect equivur lent to more than one-twentieth the (luantity of burnt lime, there tore, where the innnediate effect of lime is recpiired, it is very nuich cheap-r to purchase it tlian to employ and wait for the slow actiini of nmssel nuid. Where lime can- not be obtained, the sifting process may be I i MUSbKL MUD. adopted, wlion, it' the slu'lls he l)iimt, ;^()0(l liino will be obtained. The biiniin<>- attending- vdcai'ing should iilwnyM be taken advantage of; both lime for the .soil, and elay for roadn, and other pnrpo- se.s, especially lor the npper portion of railway rni!»n,nknients', niiy l)e then easily and ecojionii- ealiy prepared. The bcHt niannring muds contain abont per cent, dry shells, which wonld lose, m bnrning, abont 40 per cent. 100 tons wonld thus yield oA tons of bnrnt lime, (value, £11), so that the total value of 100 t(ms of No. 1 Mud, thus treat- ed, would amount to £11. If Time be the main ol)ject in digging mussel nnid, the quality ra- ther inferior in manuring value will, in most cases, yield the greatest amount. Such inud as example No. 2 contains 18 per cent shells. Un- der certain circnmst-^'ices, or bad numagement, the labor and time expended in sifting and burn- ing will exceed in value the price of lime, as without some kind of ;i kibi but little v, .uld be burnt at a time. It is, however so easy to con- struct a rough kihi, that neighboring farmers would do well to l)uild one for common use. Lime, although sold at a iixed price, differs exceedingly in av;''icuUural vr.liie. Some varie- ties, may be pr*. 1 from nearly pure carbon- ate of lime ; othcj.. may contain .-^o much caustic magnesia as to be injurious to the crops ; WiJle other specimonp may bo rich in phnspi ntc of MUSSKL MIM). ;^8 liiiu'. and ln' woilli iiiucli n/. nmmire us \\\'\\ as liiiH'. [ii Miir<)|u' most oj' tlu» vuim.nvr practical liMiiicrs have stiHicioiit oli-imMitar; kiiowlcilj^c »)t' clu'inistrv to ascortaiii these and such like facts loi- thenisehes; and there woidd he no dil- lindU in iiavinu' sucli nsel'nl instiuction alVorded in the .s,-hoi;hs *>r tiiis IshuxL Siiperphosphate ol" lime, a most valnahh- ma- nm-e. conhl he iirepared to some i>\tent in this countrN ir ail hones were eolh'clt'd and impost »-eni)ved iVom snlpiiinie acith Sidphate of lime (,'j,vpsum) can l»e easily o1>- tained iVom the Mainhunh and its stampii.^ii' or ;;'rindinti' hv water [)o\ver is ((nite eas\ . Itwouhl he a \ahiahU' addition to oni- h»nd I'oi' ('h)Vi'r and other lime plants. It is well knowi. that manv foinierl > vahiahle acri's of cleared land have heen completelv ex- haii ted of their plant-feediiii-' matter; and unless more attenti;)n he paid hy our farmers, and en- coura.-'ement mid facilities he afforded hy the (loveriiment. the evil will continue. All duties levied upon a,iiricu!tin'al improvements, either in the wav of machiiu's. niitnures. or chi Miicals, would he wisels- shifled to hixuries. Manure and the savin,u of lahor nnist ever he the chief ohject of thiM'a.'mer's solicitude. i GEO. W. GARDINER, Pownal Street, Has coiiHtimtlv on hand a ohoioe ^^electiou of GROCERIES FOR FAMILY USE, AT THE LOWEST MARKET PHIOKS, WOOL. WOOL. THE HIGHEST OASH PRICE PAID FOE ANY QUANTITY OF WOOL SHEEPSKINS. (ASH PAID EOR SHEEPSKINS. / r \r EGGS. EGGS. THE HWxHEST PUKE PUP EOli AN\ QUANTITY OE EGGS, Note.— A^ I ci.iplvA uo l{m,nvr.-^ in the City please come direct lo m.V Store, on Pownal Street. Avliere you sviU reciive the high- est Cash Price ibr Eggs, Sheepskins and C. W. GARDINER. Wool. PowxAi. Street. KEITH & Mcpherson, MERCHANT TAILORS, IMPORTERS AND DEALERS IN CLOTHS, TRIMMiNGS, REABYMADE CLOTHING, a-E:isrTS' FURNISHING GOODS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION. J54HIKTK mfidc to Ordei, and waiTaiited to fit. Orders by Mail will be Punctually Attended to. South Side (iueeii Squai o, Ch'towii, P. E. Island. (Opposite new Post Office Building) A. A. BALDWIN & CO., Dealers in British and American Hardware. PHILADELPHIA MILL. CIRCULAR AND CROSS-CUT SAWS. tarria^o Stock, faints, tifass, ami \ariilsli. GREENBACKS BOUaHT AND SOLD. 1 1. T11B3 ot>I>i'l I^«^I^'*^^*" LIFE IHSuilMICE CnWIPANY 0„e of the Most Popular ««" ^"''«''''^"* Compaiiips in the World. Pol* in Puree, •-•••••• 39, Polioies Issieil W Year, ■••■■• i^'^)^'- The largest number l«»«e.l by any Company ill the World! .... - $5,475,450.00. RTCHAKD W. TREMAIN. Agent t,.r P. R. 1 j d- JAMKSM<«l«>NNKI-I..Maiiag'''- .;te NOTICES. CIRCULARS, A^D ALL KrXDS OF P ! ])nNh: rrxcrrALLY AT Tin: EXAMINER OFFICE I )()!{( Ui EST Eli S THKKT New Stove Store ! ;0; THE SUBSCRIBER OFFERS FOR SALE H[ B[SI S[l[CI[B STOCK Of SIflK[S F.vF.ij ()i'n;i!r,i) ix Tins mai:kkt, amonc; whtcit \]\y. Tiiv: r(H,i.()WiN(i : XiltioNn/ Cnnh for ('<>''^'/ Porloo- for ('<>«!. I [/((rtiioiiif. do (tciii /')-'h'/t. do Artidhi. do ( 'riinn.r. do irir,lK do P^ifisf (irnh-. do Coaster, do S/tiiil. do WaferlrKt. t nr Wooil. Parlour (*<>ol\ do Majaia. ' do Arahiau hnlnnr. for Wood, (.finnit' riaitd. di.> nrjoii, do Fnrnirr. do Box Store:- do Stoves; for Cliiirclies, Sliops and Sclieoliooiiis. Register Crates, Marble Mantels, and Mantel Shelves. }-:xTiL\ rnrs. kettles^ srinh:us asi> BOILERS. ^^^' The ahove-meiihoiied I'ouk Stoves arc all Warranted First-class Bakers, or no sale '''^^ ^IIIOK If. CKlltllli, Si^ BTJ"3r AT ROBERT YOUNGS, 1 BEAUniUL SBOTTLE Sewing Machine 5 ON POLISHED WALNUT TABLE, TO WORK BY \\m) «u w)r MAKING Tie Lock stM ate on Botli siiles of tie FOR THIRTY DOLLARS h'QI AL ro V!f ^s.) -u- rONSTAN'! TTLV IN STHCK lUE FOLLOWING CELEBRATED MACHINES : The Singer Family, various Styles, ^o. No. 2, for Tailors, ao. No. 2, for Shoemakers, do' No. 3, for Carriage Trimmers. EVERY MACHINE WARRANTED .f TAUGHT GRATIS. mil North Side Queen Square, AGENTS FOR TllK eiWDSOII MSmilG MUllINf, BULLARD'S HAY TEDDER, AXl' WHITOOMB HAY KAKE. GASH SALES Auction Sales of Horses every Friday, CATTLE, (Stc, ON TUESDAYS. ,\ I.SlJ Sales of FarHi hiijU^Min^iils, Sieoiid-liaiMl Fiiriiitiirc, iVc, on Market Days, in ^ Front (M the Market House. A. McNeill, Auctioneer. 7 ■: 7 A ^a THE EXAMINER I .M THE LARGEST AND BEST PAPER PUBLISHED IN P. E. ISLAND! :0:- This Journal, which, lur nearly a t^uarter of a century, has taken a prominent part in advocating Libeial and Progressive measure^^, will, in the tut ;re, as in the past, strive to aid all Moral, Social and Political Reforms that may promote the best interests of the People. It shall discuss Public Questions independently of party influ- ence, and free from personal rancor, and shall chronicle whatever is good, true or noble, in the current thought of P. E. Island. It gives the fullest and most impartial Ec^orts of all Matters of Public Interest. IT HAS CORRESPONDENTS IN AIL PARTS OP THE COUNTRY. And is as [nvy.'.- as any of the first-class papers in the Maratinie Provinces. "The ExAJiiNKK is the neatest paper printed in Charlottetown. Its editorials are well wricten, its selected matter interesting, and its local news so classified as to make that feature of a weekly newspaj)er the most important part of it. In this re- spect, we are glad to see thf Examiner devote so much space to what really makes a newspaper interesting to the genertd reader — local news." — llalit'nx Reporter, Atuj. 22, 1872. :0: In connection with the Examiner Office, we have lately added improved Power Presses and Material for Which will be done Reasonably and Cheaply. The Examiner will be Mailed to Subscribers, from this date, For till Sii of $1.60 ner imi, stricllf in Advance. 'ill Letters (post-paid) addressed to the Subscriber, will be punctually attended to. Money Letters should be Registered r» T\-. 00"Wr:i?Si, -- - Editor «fe Proiirletov.