200 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



growth of the crop. It is a strong manure — made from better 

 substances. 



Mr. Clement. There is one other subject about which I wish 

 to make an inquiry. It is in reference to gas lime. It is simply 

 oyster-shell lime, through which the gas has- been strained. It 

 has a very offensive odor, and is very powerful in something 

 poisonous. I do not know whether it is worth carting. We' 

 can buy this in the city at a merely nominal sum — a cent or 

 two cents a bushel. I have used a thousand bushels one year, 

 I spread some of it on grass land, and my man was not suffi- 

 ciently careful when he distributed it, and some of lay a little 

 too thick and killed the grass. If you throw a little round 

 bushes it will kill the foliage, and if you pile up a heap of it, it 

 will kill the foliage on trees twenty feet off, on the side next the 

 heap. There may be some gentleman present who can give 

 some light in relation to that, so that we may know whether to 

 use it or not. I have not tried enough experiments with it 

 myself to enable me to determine accurately whether it is worth 

 purchasing and carting it out of the city three, four or five 

 miles. 



Mr. Thatcher. What is your idea ? 



Mr. Clement. My own idea is this. I don't think I derived 

 much benefit from it where I spread it upon grass, but I did 

 derive benefit from it upon land planted with potatoes. I 

 should say seventy-five bushels is an abundant dressing for an 

 acre," and you see the expense is but slight. I thought tlie pota- 

 toes were better, but I tried it only one season. Of course one 

 experiment of that sort will not enable any one to determine 

 accurately. I would not say, distinctly, that it was a benefit, 

 but I think so. I will say this, also, that in working the soil 

 since, I frequently turn up a little lump of this shell ; it is now 

 pulverized ; it is not shell. It is not much pulverized at first ; 

 there are a good many shells, at any rate, but these soon 

 crumble to pieces. I have certainly got the impression, from 

 my reading, that oyster-shell lime was valuable in many 

 respects as a dressing for crops ; and I had hoped that I might 

 hear from some gentleman present who had had a larger expe- 

 rience with it, who could give us the details, which would 

 enable us to determine more accurately in relation to the value 

 of it. 



