838 HAMPSHIRE SOCIETY. 



of a kind which he obtains for about half the price of pure 

 lime. With this impure lime, containing as it does, nearly 

 50 per cent, of sand and other impurities, Mr. Smith's mode of 

 adding the lime at the same time with the yard manure, may 

 be well, and certain it is that he has succeeded with it admi- 

 rably. He has satisfied us, that with ten loads of this com- 

 post in the hill, and five loads of yard manure harrowed in, he 

 has this year grown 90 bushels of shelled corn to the acre. 

 We would, however, advise him, if he were using strong, pure 

 lime, not to bring it at first in contact with his yard manure, 

 but to compost it the previous autumn with his swamp muck, 

 and then to mix it, thus composted, with the yard manure in 

 the spring. This would probably be the safer course ; though 

 there is not much danger of driving off the ammonia from 

 manure by adding lime, if peat or swamp mud be added at 

 the same time ; for while the lime would drive off the ammo- 

 nia, the office of the peat or mud is to rise upon it and to hold 

 it fast ; and we dare not say positively but that Mr. Smith's 

 mode is the best, especially as he has tried it thoroughly and 

 been successful. At any rate, it would not be well to put lime 

 with yard manure, without adding peat or mud, at the same 

 time, nor without forking it over, to keep it, as Mr. Smith 

 says, " from burning." 



The land on which Mr. Smith has grown 90 bushels of corn 

 to the acre is of an excellent quality. That of Mr. Dickinson 

 we have before described. We will now add, that we think it 

 quite as meritorious to grow 60 bushels on such land as Mr. 

 Dickinson's as to grow 90 bushels on such as Mr. Smith's. 



All which is respectfully submitted, 



J. A. Nash, Chairman. 



