GAS LIME. 201 



Mr. Smith. A neighbor of mine was accustomed to nse this 

 gas lime for quite a number of years, and I had the testimony 

 from him that he used it with good success. He used to apply 

 it to his corn lands and to his grass lands, being careful to 

 spread it thin, as my friend Clement has mentioned, because it 

 will destroy the grass if applied in lumps. But he does not 

 use it now. I was induced through his influence to purchase a 

 quantity of it, four or five years since, because of its not costing 

 much, and put about a cart-load of it upon an acre, but I have 

 never seen any advantage from it. I am of opinion that I either 

 applied too much, or else it is of no benefit. I am of opinion, 

 and I have heard the same opinion expressed by others, that no 

 benefit is gained by the passage of gas through the lime ; that 

 if there is any advantage in it, it is because of the lime nature 

 which it contains, being oyster-shell lime. 



Mr. Clark. About six years ago, the gas company in 

 Waltham offered me a large quantity if I would take it away. 

 I thought they made me a grand offer, and sent my man over 

 and got a large quantity, and put it on my land ; and that is 

 the last I have seen or known of it. I don't think it does any 

 great good. 



Mr. Smith. One of my neighbors put it on a piece he was 

 going to sow with onions, and I tried it myself, and neither he 

 nor I were able to obtain any onions, because it was so strong 

 that the seeds would not germinate. I did not put it on so 

 bountifully as I did on the other piece. 



Mr. Thompson. I have seen this gas lime tried for a number 

 of years, and the operation of it was injurious to the land. The 

 only use made of it in our place is to put it on roads to make 

 them hard ; it is very fine for that. We have composted it with 

 different kinds of material, but never found any good effects ; 

 it has always been more or less useless or injurious. 



In listening to the gentleman on my right (Mr. Ward,) who 

 spoke about discontinuing the use of peat, and taking up the 

 use of sand, as a material for composting in his cellar, it 

 occurred to me that if he had used liis peat in the proper places, 

 he would have had good results ; although I would use peat 

 myself anywhere as a compost with manure. As Mr. Brown 

 said this morning, I would rather have two loads of peat mixed 

 with one load of clear excrements from the cows, than have 



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