t390 



S II E 



SLI 



Shells may be applied lo Ihe soil 

 at one season of the year as well 

 as at another ; excepting that they 

 should not be carted on at a time 

 when the ground is so wet as to be 

 poachy; because poaching is hurt- 

 ful to all soils. The farmer may 

 generally do this work at a time 

 when he is most at leisure. Even 

 in winter those may well be re- 

 moved, which lie lower in the sea 

 than high water mark. 



Mr. Weston recommends that 

 shells be ground tine b(;fore they 

 are used as manure ; and says, the 

 fmer they are ground the farther 

 they will go. But it requires so 

 much labour to grind them, that 1 

 doubt whether it be worth while to 

 do it, unless it be for gardens. 

 And in the long run, they will 

 benefit the soil as much without 

 grinding. Though the benefit of 

 them, when applied whole, do not 

 appear much in the first and second 

 year, the tillage of every year will 

 help to break and crumble them ; 

 and in a course of years, by con- 

 tinual tillage, they will be sufficient- 

 ly dissolved, and intimately mixed 

 with the soil. 



It is chiefly the smaller shells 

 that should be thus used, such as 

 those of clams, muscles, &c. for 

 these will be sooner dissolved than 

 larger ones. As small shells are 

 mostly mixed with sand, or tena- 

 cious mud, they need not be se- 

 parated from these substances. 

 Those that arc mixed with sand 

 will be a proper dressing for cold, 

 stiff and clayey soils ; and those 

 which are mixed with mud should 

 be laid upon soils that are dry 

 znd Yight. For many of the shells 



will lie with the concave sides up- 

 wards in the earth, and will stop 

 the water in its descent, and so as- 

 sist the soil in retaining moisture. 



Mr. Eiiot tried a sort of shell 

 sand, which he says he found to be 

 equal to good dung. If it had as 

 much effect as dung at first, it must 

 have been vastly better than dung 

 upon the whole : Because shells 

 are a lasting advantage to the soil. 



SITUK, a well known instru- 

 ment to cut grass. 'J'his instru- 

 ment should consist of tough iron 

 and the best of steel, well wrought 

 together, and nicely tempered. 

 If the temper of a sithe should 

 prove to be too high, it may be 

 lowered by laying it to the hot sun 

 a few days in midsummer. 



SLED, or SLEDGE, a carriage 

 without wheels, chiefly used to 

 convey loads when the ground is 

 covered witli snow. Plank sleds, 

 and framed sleds, are both used. 

 The latter for lightness are rather 

 preferable. But plank sleds are 

 more used for the heaviest loads, 

 as masts and mill logs. The com- 

 mon length of a sled is eight or 

 nine feet : but longer ones are 

 better for carrying boards, and long 

 timber. 



SLIPS, twigs taken from a tree, 

 or shrub, to propagate by planting 

 them in a moist soil. 



More than half, or even two- 

 thirds of their iengti), should be 

 buried in the soil. They strike 

 root more easily than cuttings. 

 Early in the spring is the right sea- 

 son to perform it. I have the best 

 success when 1 do it as soon as the 

 ground is thawed in the spring. 



The slips should either bo plant- 



