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The old horses of the benevolent Howard were regarded by 

 him as old friends, whose declining age, after they had served 

 him faithfully, he endeavored to make comfortable ; and this 

 simple fact, in the history of this eminent philanthropist, is a 

 consistent and charming feature in the picture of his expanded 

 benevolence. 



XIII. Manures. 1. Lime. — Considerable deposits of lime 

 are found in this county at Bernardston and Whately ; but the 

 expense of burning the stone so as to render it applicable to 

 agricultural purposes is too heavy to make it to any great ex- 

 tent available. Lime from the quarries in Whately, and in 

 some small measure from Bernardston, has been applied to the 

 land, and it is said with marked advantage ; but the experi- 

 ments have not been so accurately conducted, or otherwise so 

 accurately reported, as to justify any confident conclusions of 

 its usefulness. A farmer of Bernardston mentions the applica- 

 tion of lime strewed broadcast on some light sandy plain-land, 

 the good effects of which were apparent for some years. Nei- 

 ther the quantity nor time of application nor condition of the 

 soil was remembered. In an experiment of the application of 

 newly slacked lime both upon corn land and the wheat crop, at 

 the rate of five hogsheads or twenty-five bushels to the acre 

 upon the alluvial soil of the Deerfield meadows, no effect ei- 

 ther beneficial or otherwise was perceived. 



2. Gypsum. — In experiments made with gypsum the result 

 has been various. In its application upon grass lands, at the 

 rate of one bushel of finely powdered gypsum to an acre, its 

 beneficial effects have been obvious. 



Gypsum, on the sandy plains of Montague, has produced no 

 benefit. In Whately, Gill, Deerfield, and Shelburne, it has } 

 been used with great advantage in the hill at planting, with 

 corn and with potatoes. In an experiment made in Gill upon 

 two rows of corn adjoining each other, the row dressed with 

 plaster produced one bushel and a half; of the adjoining row, 

 which received none, the product was only one half a bushel ; 



