SECRETARY'S REPORT. 97 



black moss is killed, and good, sweet, nutritious grasses take its 

 place. If ashes will have no effect on my friend Stebbins's 

 pastures, I recommend him to use clay ; perhaps that may be 

 available. There are some clays that are perfectly dead or inert, 

 and do not have any sensible effect upon the soil ; but others 

 appear to be impregnated with salts, and wherever that clay 

 goes, good results follow. I believe that the application of such 

 clay, fifteen or twenty loads to the acre, for a year or two, com- 

 bined with the application of ashes, would make Mr. Stebbins's 

 worthless pastures very valuable. ^ • 



Dr. Hartwell. — I said that stable manure would kill this 

 moss, but it was very expensive. I did not recommend it. 



Dr. W. Spear, of Greenfield. — I would like to ask about 

 exterminating the white daisy, which injures our pastures and 

 mowing land, more than the Canada thistle. 



Mr. Anderson. — Sheep, I believe, will kill it. 



Prof. Agassiz. — I know another way. I would not recom- 

 mend it, but it has been very successful in my case. I have 

 just an acre of land round my cottage at Nahant, which was 

 white with this abominable weed. I have with this hand weeded 

 out every root ; there is not one white weed upon the place ; it 

 is a beautiful meadow now. I would say that it did not take so 

 very long, as you might perhaps suppose. In three days I did 

 it ; I worked from early morning until night, for three days ; 

 and they were as thick as I have seen them anywhere. 



Mr. TiDD. — I have been very much interested in the discus- 

 sion that has taken place this afternoon, in relation to the 

 renovation of our pastures. It is a subject that we ought to 

 consider, and the best way that cftn be devised to do this ought 

 to be resorted to. I coincide with a great deal that was said by 

 the gentleman from Whately. Where pastures can bo renovated 

 without ploughing, we should all agree that that would be the 

 better way ; and where plaster can be applied, and is found 

 effective, it is a very easy way of renovating land. There is a 

 great deal of soil in the vicinity where I live, upon which it has 

 been found very beneficial indeed. It has been used to a great 

 extent on some of the mowing fields, and very beneficially. 

 Some men have almost made their fortunes by it ; that is, by 

 going on to farms that have been run out, as it were, by culti- 

 vation, and applying plaster. I have in my mind several 



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