103 



A striking instance of the fiiilure of grass upon a portion 

 of a piece of peat meadow, whicli we reclaimed a few years 

 since. The meadow was drained, the surface levelled, and in 

 winter, when frozen, about one hundred ox-cart loads of gravel 

 were liauled upon it to the acre. In the follownig summer 

 this was spread, covering what grass was growing. In the 

 autumn a compost was spread upon it, and grass seed soavu. 

 The next summer the crop of hay was two and one-half tons 

 to the acre. 



The herdsgrass standing four feet upon a level upon the 

 lot, with the exception of a small piece upon one end, on 

 which no gravel was spread ; upon this part of the meadow, 

 clear peat, with the exception of the compost, the grass at- 

 tained but half the height of the gravelled part, was very 

 soft, and fell to the ground, for want of silex to give strength 

 to the stem. It is thus seen that for the want of a single 

 element of inorganic matter in the ground, the crop failed, 

 one half. 



There can be but little doubt that many of the cultivated, 

 fields of the county, which produce but a scanty crop Avithout 

 being enriched by stable or barnyard manure, might be great- 

 ly improved, at a comparatively small expense, by the appli- 

 cation of some inorganic element of manure, (for any matter 

 which makes land productive is manure,) like lime, potash, 

 soda, or any other inorganic element of plants, of which the 

 soil has been robbed by long continued cultivation. 



There is ground which at siijht looks as if it might be natu- 

 rally productive, but which scarcel}'' produces grass enough to 

 form any sward. Here, perhaps, one or two simple elements 

 of plant growth are wanting, which, if supplied, might render 

 the land productive. 



It is hoped that cultivators the coming season will make 



careful experiments with the mineral preparations which are 



for sale, and which are said in some instances to double the 



crops. For the Committee, 



J. Newhall. 



