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-grasses and favours the growth of a sweeter and more nutritious her- 

 bage. Gas-lime also kills Moss, Heath, Feather Grass, and other plants 

 characteristic of peaty land, and is, therefore, a valuable means for im- 

 proving peaty or mossy meadows. For improvement of peat land, the 

 liberal application of Gas-lime cannot be too highly recommended. On 

 such land it is best to use Gas-lime in the form of a compost, which 

 should be kept in a heap for a period of ten or twelve months, and 

 turned once or twice before spreading. On land naturally deficient in 

 lime, Turnips often refuse to grow, or, if they grow at all, produce but 

 a scanty crop, which is moreover very liable to be attacked by a disease, 

 known to practical farmers, as " finger and toe." A large dose of Gas- 

 lime applied to the stubble land in the autumn, before it has been turn- 

 ed up by the plough, in many instances is an effectual cure for this 

 disease. An interesting instance of the prevalence of finger and toe" 

 in a Turnip crop grown on a light, sandy soil, and the complete cure of 

 this disease by a liberal application of gas-lime, was brought under my 

 notice some years ago. On visiting the field where the Turnips were 

 affected by wart-like excrescences, and forked and twisted into the most 

 fantastical forms, I noticed a spot on which the roots were nearly all 

 sound. On stooping down and examining the soil, I picked up some bits 

 of a whitish-looking substance, which appeared to me like dried Gas- 

 lime, and I learned afterwards that on this very spot a cart of Gas-lime 

 had been unloaded the year before. The chemical examination of the 

 soid on this field showed merely traces of lime, and, at my recommen- 

 dation, the occupier applied a heavy dose of Gas-lime, which completely 

 cured the evil. 



With regard to the quantity of Gas-lime which ought to be put on the 

 land, no general rule can be laid down, for the quantity should be regu- 

 lated by the relative deficiency in calcareous constituents which different 

 soils exhibit. Speaking generally however two tons per acre may be 

 used with safety, and in many instances a heavier dressing will not be 

 amiss. The proper time for application is autumn or during the winter 

 months, when vegetation is at a standstill. On arable land gas-lime 

 should be applied to the stubble, spread out evenly, and left exposed to 

 the air before ploughing up for three or four weeks. On grass land it 

 should be spread during the months of December or January, or at any 

 rate before vegetation is making a fresh start. 



In conclusion, I may observe that it is well to remember that gas-lime 

 acts beneficially as a fertiliser mainly in virtue of its calcareous consti- 

 tuents, and therefore is most usefully supplied to land naturally deficient 

 in lime. On land abounding in this substance it has little or no effect. 

 Though by no means a substitute for farmyard manure, guano, and 

 other concentrated artificial manures, Gas-lime judiciously used is un- 

 questionably a valuable auxiliary manuring agent which frequently can 

 be used with greater economy than quicklime or marl. 



