336 HAMPSHIRE SOCIETY. 



corn could be grown upon it at a living profit ; and he has 

 done it at a great profit. He has demonstrated, that just such 

 sick lands as these, which he has purchased within a few years, 

 can be cured, and be profitably cultivated, at a far higher price, 

 per acre, than they have been held for years past. We sup- 

 pose, therefore, that every owner of such lands is a debtor, or, 

 in other words, is benefited by such knowledge as Mr. Dickin- 

 son has developed. These are some of our reasons for award- 

 ing to Mr. Dickinson the first premium. We have read Prof. 

 Norton's letter to Mr. Dickinson, and we deem it not out of 

 place here to say, that it makes us feel more than ever the great 

 loss which the farmers of this country have sustained in the 

 death of such a man. 



William P. Dickinson! s Statement. 



I offer for your consideration the following statement, in re- 

 gard to oyster-shell lime, as a manure. 



In the fall of 1851, I had a sample of nine acres of soil 

 analyzed, and found that it was very deficient in lime, (there 

 being only three one-hundreths of a pound in one hundred 

 pounds of soil.) I was advised to use shell lime plaster for 

 sulphuric acid, and a little salt, for chlorine. 



After spreading and harrowing in a compost, of ten loads to 

 the acre, upon the whole field, I made a mixture of ten bushels 

 of lime, two and one-half of plaster, and one-half bushel of 

 salt, to the acre, and put a large handful in each hill, before 

 planting. I left two rows together, in different parts of the 

 field, to see the result. So great was the difference during the 

 early part of the season, that the rows which were not limed, 

 could easily be selected by their golden color, compared with 

 other rows by the side of them, and at the time of harvesting, 

 (when your committee saw it) the difterence was so great, that 

 the rows which were not limed could be "selected froni the 

 others, as well as if there had been a stake driven at each one ; 

 the stalks and the ears were small, compared with others. .The 

 difference was estimated by good judges to be from one-fourth 

 to one-third in favor of the rows which were limed. I like- 

 wise sowed some lime in the middle of a piece of grass. At 

 the time of mowing, the quantity of grass was double, and the 



