No. 105.] 423 



Indian corn. He (Dr. L.) believed that the effect of fermented ma- 

 nure would be more immediately beneficial, but not so lasting. Per- 

 haps the experiments of Mr. Geddes had not been conducted with 

 sufficient accuracy to settle the question, Fermented manures, from 

 being more soluble, it was evident would give more nutriment to the 

 plant at first, but would not the crop in the end get more organic mat- 

 ter from the unfermented 1 [Mr. Sotham remarked incidentally, that 

 much would depend on the nature of the soil.] 



In regard to the practice of Mr. Geddes, Dr. L. said he was inform- 

 ed that he makes his compost heap in the yard, covers it with turf— in 

 some instances slaked lime is mixed with it — and sometimes leached 

 ashes. The effect of ashes on Mr. Geddes land had been various — in 

 some cases very little effect had followed. A gentlemen from Ulster 

 county, Mr. Crispell, had informed him that he paid ten cents a bushel 

 for leached ashes to spread on grass-land, and they pay well. He 

 got 3 tons 12 cwt of hay to the acre by using 100 bushels of ashes— 

 without the ashes, he only got a ton to a ton and a half. The soil 

 was a dry alluvion. The effects of the ashes continue many years. 



Mr. NoTT said he had near him a gentleman, Mr. Crane, who liv- 

 ed on the " barren sands" to which reference had been made at a 

 previous meeting, but notwithstanding the poorness of the soil he 

 cuts four tons of hay to the acre, in a single season, by the use of 

 lime and muck. 



Mr. Crane remarked that he was a mere novice in farming, hav- 

 ing very recently turned his attention to it. He had made, however, 

 some interesting experiments in the application of lime, ashes, and 

 muck to his sandy plains. A year ago last spring he first applied it 

 to clover, corn and potatoes, and to all with marked success. The 

 winter following he tried the experiment of sowing lime upon the 

 snow covering a poor field of clover. The crop came forward flour- 

 ishingly in the spring, and by the 20th of June began to lodge, when 

 it was cut. He had intended the second crop for seed, but in four 

 weeks after the first cutting it began to lodge again, and he was 

 obliged to mow it. He should think that at both cuttings it gave at 

 least four tons to the acre — that is, two at each cutting. Last spring 

 he prepared a field for clover by spreading over it a mixture of muck 

 and lime prepared during the winter. The seed was then sown and 

 bushed in. By a strong wind about the time of sowing, the seed of 

 some of his neighbors was blown away, and he felt some apprehen- 

 sions for his own. It came up well, however, and grew astonishing- 

 ly, taking deep root. Some of the roots measured 12 inches in length. 

 He had covered it this winter with 40 bushels of lime per acre. When 

 he came to cut the clover he found that a hard crust had been formed 

 upon the top of the sand. This effect he anticipated, and it was 

 what he desired. It did not keep the rains Irom the roots, but it ef- 

 fected a sufficient cohesion to keep the seed from blowing away. 

 The second crop grew as well as the first. He had tried the muck 

 and lime upon wheat without success. Last spring his muck-heap 

 was so highly charged with lime that he hesitated for some time about 

 applying it to his corn land. As he had no other manure, however, 



