176 



NEW ENGLAOT) FARMER. 



April 



EXTRACTS AND KEPIiIES. 



GAS-HOUSE LIME. 



1 can Iniy refuse lime used at the gas-house for 

 ten cents Ii barrel. Will it pay at that priec to 

 draw it three miles ? To what crop is it best 

 adapted ; and in what Avay shall it be applied ? 

 What are the objections to it, if any ? c. h. f. 



Vermont, Jan., ISl !• 



Remarks. — When very carefully used, gas-house 

 lime may be serviceable if not brought too near 

 the germinating seed or growing plant. j 



It may be used moderately upon mossy pasture 

 land, especially if grass seeds are sown about the ^ 

 same time, and worked down with a brush harrow, j 



If scattered upon ploughed lands in the fall, the ! 

 rains would dissolve and mingle it with the soil, so i 

 tluit no seed would be likely to be injured by it in 

 the spring. It may have the etfect also, to destroy 

 slugs and wire worms in the soil. 



When preparing land for a crop of early turnips 

 for market purposes, we should suppose a ligit 

 dressing, thoroughly mingled with the soil, would 

 be an excellent dressing. 



When composted with peat and coarse manure, 

 and exposed to the air for several months, it is said 

 that the soluble portions of the lime will be con- 

 verted hito gypsum (sulphate of lime) by the ac- 

 tion of the air. If so, the resulting benefit will be 

 a good dressing of gypsum. Some 29 parts in 10. 

 being gypsum, and 56 carbonate of lime. 



In small quantities, gas-lime is thought to be 

 useful if mixed with barn -yard or any animal 

 luanmes. It is said that scattered sparingly over 

 young tui-nip plants, it prevents the attacks of the 

 turnip fly. It is too pungent to be applied to most 

 other growing crops, or to come in contact with 

 seeds. 



A good many experiments have been made with 

 gas-lime, most of which have resulted unfavorably. 

 The complaint is that it burns, or m some way 

 destroys the seed or crop to which it is applied. 

 So would hen manure, or the guano of commerce. 

 If manure is powerful, it must be used cautiously. 



We hope our corresi)ondent will test it and re- 

 port results to the New England Farmer. 



PEAT COMPOSTS. 



Will the New England Farmer infonn me in 

 what proportions meadow mud can be composted 

 with lime, salt, ashes, l)onc-dust and hen manure, 

 so as to produce the best results in top-dressing 

 and hoed crops ? _ Wm. P. Endicott. 



Salem, Mass., 1871. 



Remarks. — We know of no exact formula for 

 composting peat with the articles mentioned above. 

 In Dr. Dana's Muck Manual several formulas are 

 given for composting peat. One is to mix in the 

 proportion of thirty pounds of potash, or twenty 

 pounds of soda ash, or eight bushels of common 

 house ashes, to every cord of ft-esh dug peat, esti- 

 mating this by the pit dug out, and allowing noth- 

 ing in the spring for shrinkage. If ashes are used 

 they may be mixed in at once \vith the muck; but 



if soda ash or potashes are used, they must be dis- 

 solved in water, and the pile evenly wet with the 

 solution. The pile then is to be well shovelled 

 over and used as is otlier manure. Peat may be 

 dug in the spring, immediately mixed with the 

 alkali, and used forthwith. 



Another form which he recommends is, one 

 bushel of salt, and one cask of lime. Slack the 

 lime with the brine made l>y dissolving the salt in 

 water sufficient to make a stiff paste with the lime, 

 which will be not quite sufficient to dissolve all the 

 salt. Mix all the materials then well together, 

 and let them remain ten days, and then be well 

 mixed with three cords of peat; shovel well over 

 for about six weeks, and it will be fit for use. It 

 is believed that this .will Ije found an efiectual ma- 

 nure. 



A third fonn is to take three cords of peat, sixty- 

 one pounds sal ammoniac, sixty-one pounds lime. 

 Slack the lime, dissolve the sal ammoniac, and wet 

 the peat well with the solution through every part. 

 Then sliLvel over, mixing in the lime accurately. 

 The Ihree cords are used in these calculations, be- 

 cause the quantity of salts is equivalent to the 

 ammonia in a cord of dung. 



It is quite probable that aj'/recise amount of each 

 article enumerated by our correspondent would be 

 more efficacious than amounts used without refer- 

 ence to any kno%\'n chemical action they might have 

 iipon each other. But the only true test, after all, 

 we think, would be the use of such a compost in 

 the soil. 



A reference to chapter vii. of the book referred to 

 above may be of service to our correspondent. 



AVe make annually a compost as follows : five 

 barrels hen manure ; fifteen barrels fine peat ; eight 

 barrels well rotted dung ; five barrels house ashes ; 

 or any quantity in about those proportions. After 

 manuring broadcast for com, and working it under 

 two or three inches, a handful of the compost is 

 spread about in the hill, and slightly covered with 

 the foot as the corn is dropped upon it. This not 

 only gives the com an early start, but seems to 

 carry out the crop to perfection. We have no 

 doubt it would operate equally well as top-dressing. 



TO PROTECT PLANTS FROM COLD AND LICE. 



I have been very much interested in S. O. J.'s 

 articles on window gardening, and perhaps her 

 answer to a few questions would benefit others as 

 well as myself. I have some forty-five or fifty 

 pots, with a so.ith ex))osure at three adjoining win- 

 dows. On frosty niglits, I put up a large curtain 

 on the outside, which keeps the cold off entirely. 

 The curtain" is made like a "bed puff," or "com- 

 forter," with rings at the top, and strings at the 

 bottom to keep it close to the window. It is an 

 excellent thing. But I am ti'oublcd with lice on 

 my Verbenas, Lantanas, &c. I have fried tobacco 

 smoke, but it makes me sick. The last time I 

 smoked them, I shut them in a large box, but the 

 smoke would come out, and it did not kill all the 

 lice either. Now if you will tell me how to get rid 

 of them I will be thankful. I have a plant, which 

 I planted last spring. June 30, it blossomed, and 

 remained in bloom till Christmas. It is now in 



