74 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
ously. I measured one average, acre, which 
yielded 821- bushels of sound shelled corn, be¬ 
sides nearly five bushels of “nubbins.” Ihese 
last •'were from scattering stalks on spots where 
there chanced to be a quantity of the deeper 
subsoil brought to the surface. The best corn 
was on the part where I had run the plow 12 
inches deep' during my first experiment. The 
fact is, the soil was dried out by the drains so 
early, that it suffered little from the Spring 
rains, and it was worked so deeply by the sub¬ 
soil plow, that the roots went down below the 
effects of the drouth. 
You will see by what I have stated, that every 
acre of this field had cost me about $21 for 
draining and subsoiling ; but suppose it had 
cost me twice as much, or $42 per acre, my ex¬ 
tra corn crop would have paid a heavy interest. 
The average yield on similar fields around me, 
and on another field of my own, was less than 
40 bushels per acre, and I estimated that 40 
bushels of corn extra, for the same expense of 
plowing, planting, and hoeing, would pay a 
good interest on $40 an acre, and a whopping 
interest on the $21 an acre my field had cost 
me. These improvements, these deep drains, 
and deep working of the soil, are for all time, 
and amount to so much solid investment to pay 
a round interest in every future year. But to 
go on with the history of the field. 
The corn stubble was plowed under in 1857, 
and wheat sowed upon it. In the Spring I put 
on a double dose of clover seed, sowing it upon 
the frozen ground, on still mornings the last 
week in March. It took well, and after the 
wheat was off, the ground was covered with 
young clover. Though the wheat had no clover 
sod turned under ter feed upon, it showed the 
good effect of the manure applied to the corn. 
It bid fair for 35 bushels per acre, as none of it 
was winter-killed, which I attributed to the fact 
that the ground was kept free from surface 
water, by the drains. The midge, however, did 
some injury, and I duly harvested 27 bushels 
of merchantable wheat per acre. But this was 
twice as much as the average on other fields in , 
the neighborhood. The early start it got in* 
Spring, by reason of the drainage, pushed the 
crop partially ahead of the insects. 
My clover crop was so good that I concluded 
to mow it in the Summer of 1859. In the Au¬ 
tumn of that year I let the aftermath or second 
growth get well up, and then turned it under as 
deeply as I could do it evenly—intending to sow 
it to wheat. But the increasing prevalence of 
the midge rendered the wheat crop a doubtful 
one, and I let the land lie and freeze over win¬ 
ter, carting on fifteen wagon loads of manure 
to the acre, while the ground was frozen. 
In the Spring of 1860 I spread the manure 
and plowed it in rather shallow, so as not to 
greatly disturb the clover sod. My first inten¬ 
tion was to plant corn, but the low price of that 
crop, and the higher price of potatoes, led me 
to try the latter. I therefore provided about 20 
wagon loads of a compost made of rotten ma¬ 
nure, leaves, swamp muck, with which 20 bush¬ 
els of plaster were mixed. This was used in 
the hill, thus: First, a hole was dug, then a lit¬ 
tle of the compost put in; then a handful of 
ashes sprinkled over, and a little soil thrown in 
for a bed for the potatoes. The manure was 
not very warm or stimulating, there being more 
leaves and muck than of yard manure, and I 
put the asfies on, not only to quicken the ma¬ 
nure, but also to neutralize any excess of stimu¬ 
lus which might rot the potatoes, if il is possible 
lor them to rot on pitch dry, drained land. 
This is tlie whole history of that field from 
its clearing up to that crop of “ big potatoes ” 
made famous by the “ dialogue ” between 
neighbor Smith and myself. I did not measure 
the entire yield last Autumn, but one acre, which 
was about an average, measured up 318a bushels 
of fine, plump, mealy potatoes. As the highest of¬ 
fer for the crop to be taken at the field, was 30 
cents a bushel, I piled them in heaps, covering 
with straw and earth. I hope to realize 371- to 
40 cents per bushel in the Spring. 
In concluding this long narrative, given so 
minutely because you asked it thus, I will say, 
that I am more and more convinced of the profit , 
as well as pleasure, of cultivating only so much 
land as can be thoroughly tilled. The ten-acre 
field I have described will certainly pay me' 
more clear profit than any two fields along side 
of it. The wheat, clover, and potato crops, al¬ 
ready gathered, prove this; and it stands to rea¬ 
son that it should be so. It has a deeply pul¬ 
verized soil, with deep drains to always keep it 
clear of the influences of excessive wetness or 
dryness. I never pass by the field, or think 
of it, without a real pleasure, and gratitude 
to the Agriculturist , through whose teachings I 
have been led to bring it to its present condition. 
I am at work upon an adjoining field, and shall, 
as rapidly as possible, treat my whole farm in 
the same manner. I can make it pay as I go, 
and if I could not do this, I would sell off 
enough to raise the means to bring the rest up 
to the highest fertility. Solomon Jones. 
How to make Oyster Shell Lime. 
The shells of oysters being a very pure car¬ 
bonate of lime, combined with a little phosphate, 
and animal matter, are more easily reduced to 
quick lime, than the stone. The best method is 
to prepare a kiln especially for the purpose. 
The most convenient location for a kiln is upon 
a side hill, or in the face of a ledge, where tht 
shells can be dumped into the top of the kiln 
directly from the cart. The forms of lime kilns 
vary, but the best is that of the frustrum of a 
cone, (like a sugar loaf with the top cut, off,) 
which permits the ignited mass in the upper 
part to settle down freely, as the lower part is 
drawn out. It may be made of any capacity or 
bight, according to the quantity of shells it is de¬ 
sirable to burn at once. If the business is to be 
carried on extensively, there is economy of fuel 
in having the kiln large. Any kind of stone or 
brick may be used for constructing the walls. 
The thicker and stouter they are made the bet¬ 
ter they will retain heat, A foundation wall is 
first raised three or four feet high inclosing the 
pit, into which the lime falls after it is burned. 
Some kind of grate must be provided, like the 
bottom of a coal stove or furnace, for the bottom 
of the kiln. This is necessary both for draft and 
for letting down the lime. It matters very lit¬ 
tle about the finish of the work. A very rough 
kiln will burn good lime. 
In charging the kiln for burning, a layer of 
brush, dry wood, or charcoal, is put upon the 
bottom, in sufficient quantity to make a strong 
fire. Their a layer of oyster shells about afoot 
thick, then another of any convenient fuel, and 
so on alternating until the hole is filled. A very 
thick layer of shells may be put on at the top, as 
that has to receive all the heat from beneath. 
Almost any kind of combustible mat erial may 
be used for burning the shells. In cities (he 
hard coal screenings and dust, that can be had 
very cheap, are used for this purpose. They 
make a very powerful heal. On the farm, brush, 
[March, 
old stumps, sods, peat, or any vegetable matter, 
can be run through the kiln, and add much to 
the value of the burned shells. 
If one does not care to be at the expense of 
a kiln, he can reduce the shells by burning them 
in alternate layers, with brush, or wood. This 
of course will require a great deal more fuel, 
and is not to be recommended where economy 
of fuel or labor is desirable. The shells can not 
be burned so perfectly, but the most of them will 
beeome soft, if they do not crumble, and will 
soon break up in the soil. To burn them in this 
way, an excavation should be made in a side hill, 
or where this is not practicable, a circular em¬ 
bankment of sods or earth should be raised 
three or four feet high, to confine the heat.as 
much as possible. • Connecticut. 
- - “»-«--► -- - 
Manure—Queries, and Answers. 
BONES—HORSE MANURE—GUANO—LIME. 
.J. M, Hazard, Bristol Co., Mass., asks: “Which 
is the best and most economical : ground bones 
at $50 per tun; horse manure at $5 per cord, to 
be hauled three miles; or Peruvian guano at 
$65 per tun; to be applied to grass land, a dark 
loam on a sandy subsoil ?” Answer —It would 
cost $1 more to haul a cord of manure than 
a tun of guano or bone dust, so that we may 
call the horse manure $6 per cord. We then 
have, say 8| cords of manure, against one tun of 
bone dust; and 11 cords against one tun of 
guano. For all ordinary soils, we should de¬ 
cidedly prefer the horse manure, if of good qual¬ 
ity—especially if to be mixed with the soil. 
Yfiiien to be spread as a top-dressing on grass 
land, the case is not so clear. If the manure 
were pretty well rotted and put on early in 
Spring or in the Winter, on a surface where it 
would not be washed off' by rain or melting- 
snows, the manure would probably be mostly 
soaked into the soil. If in an undecomposed 
state, or applied late in Spring, or during Sum • 
mer, much of it would be wasted in the air. 
In the particular case referred to above, the 
soil is described as a “ dark loam.” If this dark 
color be caused by vegetable mold, and not by 
metallic salts, it is reasonable to conclude that 
organic matter is not so much needed as an al¬ 
kali (lime or ashes), or a stimulant like guano, 
and the order in which we would place the 
above manures would be: 1st, guano; 2nd, bone 
dust; 3rd, horse manure. 
The probability is, however, that a dres¬ 
sing of from three to six barrels of lime 1o 
the acre, well slaked, and sown broad cast, 
would be quite as effective as any one of the 
fertilizers named—particularly if the soil be at 
all inclined to wetness. This opinion is based 
upon the supposition that the dark colored loam 
already abounds inorganic matter, which would 
be rendered active by the addition of an alkali. 
If the soil be quite dry and wtjjm, and still 
abounds in black v eg etable matter, we should 
try some lime; or try lime and gypsum (plaster), 
on apart, and on another part try some guano. 
The probable best mode of procedure will de¬ 
pend upon the particular condition of the soil, 
and wc can only indicate the items to be taken 
into consideration in all such cases. To pre¬ 
sent a general rule for all soils, even those appar¬ 
ently similar, is like offering a “universal pill.” 
It would be a pleasant exorcise, and one useful 
to himself :m,d to others, for Mr. Hazard to try 
separate plots, side by side, with each of the 
fertilizers referred to. If this be done, wo would 
like to hear the particulars and the results after 
a year or t wo of observat ion, 
