Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 665 



their own eggs ; but those who keep hens had better treat them in 

 such a way as to have fresh eggs all the year round. 



Mr. J. C. Thompson. — That is what I think. I myself am never 

 without fresh eggs ; and a neighbor of mine, a cute down-easter, is even 

 more successful. His plan is to hatch very early and get some months 

 of good laying time from a pullet before she begins to moult. When 

 any pullet begins to moult he takes her head off, and has younger 

 fowls to carry on the good work. 



Lbie on Certain Soils. 

 Mr. David Petit, Salem, IST, J. — The application of lime to some 

 land I have found of but little or no benefit, while it has incrased the 

 fertility of other laud to a remarkable extent. This benefit, or increase 

 of crops by liming, depends very much on the amount of organic and 

 inorganic matter in the soil, with which lime combines, or forms solu- 

 ble compounds. The following are analyses of mud or tide deposits 

 in Salem county. These are valuble and productive soils, noted for 

 their enduring fertility. They are also repositories of vast stores of 

 fertilizing materials for improving the upland. 



1. 2. 



Silica 63.50 50.65 



Alumina 13.53 13.00 



Protoxid of iron 5.05 4.27 



Lime 34 .53 



Magnesia 90 .97 



Potash 1.48 1.40 



Soda 1.14 .89 



Chlorine 12 .20 



Sulphuric acid 0.30 .29 



Phosphoric acid 0.64 



Organic matter and water 10.25 23.03 



Hygroscopic moisture 2.86 5.76 



Total 100.12 100.99 



Here we see a very large proportion of organic matter, amounting 

 in one instance to twenty-three per cent. On this kind of land, limje 

 has been very beneficial. Keport has been made to our Salem county 

 Farmers' Club, that Edward Buzby raised 1,200 bushels of wheat on 

 forty acres on such land by liming ; and Chas. Harmer had 370 bush- 

 els from ten acres by liming alone, or thirty-seven bushels per acre. 

 The fertility of this land can be kept up for a long series of years by 

 liming alone, and with very shallow plowing. An amount of lime 



