PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS'- CLUB. 301 



thoronglily, harrow down smooth and mellow, and spread the 

 oyster-shell lime on top at the rate of forty bushels to the acre, 

 and furrow out immediately. Is this the best mode of applica- 

 tion on a heavy clay soil, or had I better use some other fertilizer 

 for corn, and save the oyster-shell lime for Avheat? I intend 

 composting in the hills with short manures or ashes and plaster, 

 or whatever else I can scrape up to do good." 



Solon Robinson. — The qualities of oyster-shell lime are- such as 

 to render it fitter for agricultural purposes than lime from rocks. 

 It is profitable to use any amount that a man can afi"ord to apply, 

 but those who have used lime the most have agreed generally 

 upon about thirty bushels of slacked lime per acre, the dose to 

 be four times repeated, and then rest. It should always be applied 

 upon the surface and generally with wheat, and never composted 

 with other manure. 



Mr. Carpenter. — I have found lime valuable on a clayey soil, but 

 not on a sandy one. In the former case to the extent of even one 

 hundred bushels per acre. I find lime very beneficial on orchard 

 land, and more so on wheat than corn. If lime is applied to 

 corn, wheat should follow. Oyster-shell lime costs me five cents 

 per bushel in a powdered state in the city. The results of my 

 crops paid me well for its application — say from twenty to forty 

 bushels per acre. 



Mr. LaAvton spoke of the value of oyster-shell lime. It was 

 formerly sold in this city for three cents per bushel, but the price 

 is now advanced. 



SUBSTITUTES FOR COFFEE BARLEY. 



A. M. Carter, Johnstown, Rock county, Wisconsin, sends the 

 folloAving substitute for coffee. He says : 



" Always reading the ' Proceedings of the Farmers' Club ' with 

 much interest, and in these times of war and high prices nothing 

 can be of more interest to the people than substitutes for some 

 of the luxuries of the table. 



"At the meeting of March 3d, the subject of substitutes for 

 cofiee was discussed, and among all of them I did not see barley 

 mentioned. Thirty years ago, or more, my father used barley 

 cofiee in his family for several years, and we used to like it; 

 but it went out of use for some cause that I can't remember. 

 About four months since I commenced using it in my family, 

 and would not thank any man for better cofiee. We roast 



