PERMANENT PASTURES. 77 



Gen. Brown. I have a word to say in regard to plaster, 

 which I think may be acceptable to some. It has been said 

 here that experience was the best teacher. I count it so ; 

 and we found in our town by actual experience, that where 

 plaster was used on dry soil it did very well, but where used 

 on wet soil it was utteily useless. ^vVe got uuuble Ihe amount 

 of potatoes by applying it, about a spoonful in a hill. 



Mr. Brackett of Waldo. In my county we raise a pretty 

 large crop of potatoes. We have plaster mills, and farmers 

 use much plaster ; and there they apply it to the different 

 kinds of soil, and the effect is good. The}^ raise thousands of 

 bushels of potatoes, with nothing but plaster. I have used 

 it as top-dressing on fields without seeing any benefit at all. 

 I have used it on uplands with good results. I have an idea 

 that it acts as an absorbent for ammonia, to certain limits. 



Mr. KiLBRETH. I have had some experience in the use of 

 plaster. My farm is granite soil, and after an experience of 

 five years I have come to the conclusion it is best to apply 

 when I plant the crop. I have usually bought a quantity of 

 superphosphate, and use two parts of plaster to one of super- 

 phosphate. I put a small quantity in each hill for potatoes. 

 I tried the experiment of planting two rows without this mix- 

 ture, and there was a marked difference from the time the 

 crop came up all through its growth. I gathered three bush- 

 els of potatoes from the rows planted with plaster and super- 

 phosphate to one where there was none. I have succeeded 

 well in raising corn with it, but so far as top-dressing is con- 

 cerned, I never could do much. On my clay loam I noticed 

 a slight difference in grass where it was applied, but on up- 

 land none at all. 



Mr. Leland. I think that where you can pasture ten cows 

 you can also put in ten sheep, and the cows will be as well 

 fed as before. You can also add a horse occasionally. The 

 grasses that one would reject the other would eat. 



Dr. North. Much of the advice given fiirmers in regard' 

 to improving their pastures, I think is not practical advice. 

 This matter is one we should take hold of earnestly, and at 



