2G 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



have been vfti!»ed in value to $5 per acre, by the 

 process of nuu-liiijr. 



Shell nuu-l is nsually fiiuiid under bogs and 

 mosses, and is compossJd of the rcnuiins of snKill 

 testaceous fish, wliich, dying in their shells, become 

 converted into calcareous earth, their bodies, when 

 decom[,osed, furnishing a rich mould of animal 

 matter. . 



It consists principally of carbonate ot lime, and 

 is frequentlv burnt and converted into quick-lime. 

 It is said that lime made from shell marl is uwre 

 valuable for manure than tliat made from lime- 

 stone; but of this I can not speak from experience. 

 I can not see why it should he any better. Lune 

 is lime, and it can be nothing else. The organic 

 matter, which is undoulttedly very valuable as ma- 

 nure, would be all consumed by a heat sufficient 

 to drive off the carbonic acid. 



Yvliere shell-inarl is i)lentiful, I think it would 

 be better to applv it in the crude state in consider- 

 able quantity, rather than to burn it. The organic 

 matter would decompose in the soil, and lurnish 

 the ammonia so much needed by wheat and other 

 cereals, wliile the carbonate of lime would become 

 gradually available frt)m the influence of the atmos- 

 phere and the acids of the soil. 



It usually proves very beneficial on the mucky 

 land near which it is found. It would seem as 

 thou-^h nature had placed it there for use on such 

 land." _,^ ^- «• 



IMPROVING PEEMANEKT GEASS LANDS. 



Having had some experience in the improve- 

 ment of permanent grass lands, I will state my 

 method of proceeding. 



I have had no experience with any other than 

 meadow lands, and these being too moist to plow, 

 have been allowed to remain as permanent 

 meadow. I have been particular in stating the 

 nature of the soil, for tlie reason that the same 

 management might not answer on different soils. 

 Land^ntended for permanent meadow, should first 

 have all stones, sticks, and other obstructions, re- 

 moved from the surface, in order to render it per- 

 fectly smooth; and if the field is knolly, it should 

 be leveled. It requires much labor to prepare a 

 piece of permanent meadow, but it pays well in 

 the end, in the convenience of getting over it. 

 the saving of labor in liarvesting the crop, and 

 better appearance of the field. 



"When a permanent meadow begins to fail, and 

 the crop is light, and the field must be renovated 

 the best way'is to give it a good dressing of wood 

 ashes, leached or unleached. If the unleached are 

 used, it will require considerable less than if 

 leached are used. I have tried lime and pla.ster, 

 but not with so good an eftect as wlien ashes were 

 used. Ashes have a pood effect for several years, 

 though I have found tliat after the third applica- 

 tion the benefit in a measure ceases, and the crop 

 is not materially increased. The application of 

 ashes must be changed for some other means of 

 improvement, or perhaps the field will be rendered 

 unprofitable. My way has been to draw from 

 fifteen to twenty-five loads of stable manure per 

 acre, spread it evenly upon the surface, harrow it 

 well', and then sow a peck of grass and ten pounds 

 of clover seed to each acre, and harrow again well 



After harrowing, pick up all sticks, stones, oi 

 wliatever may be brought to the surface, thus leav- 

 ing it smooth and clean. After this treatment 

 there will be a fine cro[) of grass, and the crop wil 

 continue good for many years. In the course O' 

 the first tliree years after spreading the manure, i 

 toj) dressing of plaster will increase the crop. 



With the above management, jierraanent meadow 

 lands can be improved from year to year; but of 

 all other means, the spreading of raaimre upoi 

 the surface and harrowing well, with the sowing o: 

 lira's seed with each application of manure, is th 

 best. Ashes, plaster, &c., tend to increase the actioi 

 of the manure, besides their own individual action 



I have never received much benefit from the ap 

 plication of ashes or jdaster upon poor soils ; bu 

 when applied upon lands recently manured, th 

 efiect has been wonderful. In fact, the two seer 

 intended to go together, as they each develop th 

 force of the other, and render the application ( 

 both more i/rotitable than that of either separati 



E. P. B. 



STOCK GROWING TO BE RECOMMENDED I 

 THE PLACE OF RAISING GRAIN 1 



The two systems of stock-growing and raisir 



grain should go together on all farms and in a 



situations where stock and grain can be raised.- 



Tliere may be places where the price of stock is • 



low tliat it may be more profitable to raise graii 



but even then stock-raising, to some extent, w 



be found to pay better in the end ; for it must 1 



apparent to all that continually taking from o' 



fanns and returning nothing to them, will be mo 



ruinous to the soil. We may, by applying lim 



plaster, and ashes, stimulate the sod to greater a 



tivity for a while; but this will only prove t 



more ruinous in the end ; for these articles on 



supplv the inorganic elements of plants ; and it 



or^ainc matter is returned in the shape of bar 



yard manure, our croi)S of grain will by degre 



grow beautifully less ; and then again, the 



are some soils so springy and wet that gra 



cannot be grown to advantage. On all such soi 



stock-raising of course should take the lead ; I 



as a general thing, the two systems should 



hand in hand. Many farmers who keep but lit 



stock, raise nc more grain than others who ke 



several head of cattle, horses, and sheep; a 



selling all the grain off' their farms, and sometm 



even their hav and coarse fodder, and burning 



their large stacks of straw, and in these and varit 



other ways continually drawing organic mat 



from the soil, and oftentimes " wasting their t 



grance on the desert air," their farms are all t 



Time growing poorer ; while others, wlio keej 



large amount of stock, consume some of tli 



coarse grains and all their fodder, make la: 



amounts of manure, their farms are all the ii 



frrowins better -— enabling them to raise m( 



'rrain and keep more stock. There may be, a 



no doubt is, a limit to this; but I have sometm 



thouglit tliat the more stock a man keeps, the m 



grain he can raise, thus realizing more thar 



double profit — a ])rortt from both stock and grf 



and also a profit from the increased amoun* 



both stock and grain he is enabled to raise fr 



combining the two systems. c. c. wilsox 



Xeic/ans, N. Y., Jfov., 1S5S. 



