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MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS AND NOTICES. 



I. — Application of Blue Shale to the Surface of Land. 



To the Secretary. 



Sir, — Every one who has travelled through the coal districts must 

 have observed immense accumulations near the pits of a blue clay-like 

 substance brought up from the mines, called in the West Riding of 

 Yorkshire ^^ Blue ShcUe.^' The rapidity with which this accumulates, in 

 most instances, makes it inconvenient, and in time it becomes a great 

 incumbrance. It is often burnt, and in that state is found useful for 

 the growth of turnips drilled along with crushed bones ; but as the 

 whole of the mass is to turn over before it will burn thoroughly, the 

 burning of it becomes tedious and expensive. 



Having a farm, of which many parts are hilly and very thin of soil, 

 without any bed of clay or marl near it, has compelled me to try many 

 experiments to find a substitute for them, and having now some years' 

 experience of the utility of applying this blue shale to the gravelly parts 

 of my farm, I am induced by the success which has attended its appli- 

 cation to submit my observations of one experiment (amongst many I 

 have tried) to your Society to show that even this article, which is gene- 

 rally considered not only useless but absolutely a nuisance, may become 

 of value if applied to soils of a gravelly and sandy nature. 



The soil upon which I have tried it is that lying upon the magnesian 

 limestone near Ferrybridge, proverbial for its natural poverty and in- 

 ability to resist drought. 



Amongst the experiments I above mentioned I found a great advan- 

 tage in applying the " Blue Shale " on my pastured seeds in autumn 

 previous to ploughing them up for wheat to the extent of 12 two-horse 

 cart-loads per acre. I invariably found it of great use, its effects being 

 visible in the wheat crop, not only from the straw being stronger and 

 longer, but the ear was much better filled and the grain plumper than 

 in those parts of the field where it had not been applied, and its effects 

 were very visible for several years afterwards.* That it wasof greatuse 

 to my land, being thus ascertained, caused me to apply it more liberally ; 

 and the result of one experiment of this liberal application I now lay 

 before you. 



One of the fields of my farm had been considered for many years of 

 so little value as not to be worth the trouble of cultivating it, and, from 

 the grass-roots dying away in summer on the hilly parts, it was of no 

 value when laid in grass. My predecessor in the farm had suffered this 

 field to lie (once ploughed out of stubble) for several years, until it was 



* An instance is now visible where applied in 1 833 ; the field is now wheat, and 

 where the shale was applied appears much more luxuriant. — May, 1842. 

 VOL. III. M 



