No. 144.] 425 



for which he obtained the premium at the Orange County Fair, 

 held 23d September, the same year. 



Mr. Seymour is to send me early in the spring a quantity of 

 this corn for distribution to the members of our association, having 

 at present but one ear as a specimen ; I shall divide it among 

 those at this meeting, who may not be able to attend a few weeks 

 hence. 



Detailed accounts of the cultivation of this invaluable staple 

 are annually reported to societies throughout the country, and 

 premiums liberally distributed to successful competitors, for the 

 greatest yield per acre, but I have seen no account of a systematic 

 hybridization, for the purpose of obtaining a hardy and prolific 

 variety, so as to increase largely the product under similar culti- 

 vation, which I consider of more importance, and would suggest, 

 that some plan be adopted to produce competition, and to reward 

 the successful. 



ON THE EFFECTS OF THE SALT AND LIME MIXTURE ON 

 VEGETATION. 



Thomas W. Field, Brooklyn — Some of the uses of this compound 

 have been overlooked in the discussion, and I desire to state, that 

 the resultant compounds of salt and lime — viz: carbonate of soda, 

 and chloride of lime — have the following offices in vegetation : 



1st. Chloride of lime — the great disinfecting agent used in epi- 

 demics, to deprive the atmosphere of its malarious gases; absorbs 

 ammonia and other nutritive gaseous elements, and holds them 

 in combination for the use of plants. 



2d. Carbonate of soda retains its causticity much longer than 

 lime, and simply, as an alkali, exercises its decomposing powers 

 upon vegetable fibie to reduce it to pulverulence, and capability 

 of yielding its salts in solution, long after its fellow alkali, caustic 

 lime, has become mild as a carbonate. 



3d. Carbonate of soda, by its causticity, will destroy slugs, 

 larvae of insects, cocoons, eggs and seeds of noxious weeds, where- 

 ever it comes in contact Avith them, long after lime has lost that 

 power, by uniting with carbonic acid. 



