1861 .J 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
ZiZZiZHOX. 
Gas Lime—Experience in its Use—Val¬ 
uable Information. 
(The rapid introduction of gas into cities and villages, 
and the large amount of lime used in purifying the gas, 
which is offered to farmers at a cheap rate, makes the sub- 
lect one of no little importance. The constant inquiries 
received, vve have usually answered* by forwarding a 
copy of the Agriculturist, Vol. XVII, No. 1, (Jan., 1858,1 
in which the subject is ably treated by Prof. Johnson of 
the Yale Agricultural School. We can not better meet 
the demand for present information, than to republish 
Prof. Johnson’s remarks ; to which is also appended an 
account of some recent experiments by a subscriber in 
Dracut, Mass.— Ed.] 
LETTER FROM PROP. S. W. JOHNSON. 
To the. Editor of the American Agriculturist. 
The various contradictory opinions held among 
practical farmers, with reference to the value of gas 
lime as a manure, are justified by the extreme varia¬ 
bleness of its composition. When perfectly fresh 
from the gas-purifiers, it is in general a rather dan¬ 
gerous application to any growing crops, or in con¬ 
tact with seed. Mr. Solomon Mead, of NewTIfiven, 
Ct., informs me that he once applied it in the hill to 
potatoes, and they never came up. A gentleman in 
Wallingford, Ct., applied it to grass land and to the 
roots of peach trees. The trees were destroyed, 
and the grass severely scorched, so that it did not 
fairly recover until the ensuing year. 
It may be used in the fresh state upon naked fal¬ 
lows, especially when it is desirable to free the soil 
from slugs, injurious worms, or couch-grass. What 
its action is upon vermin may he inferred from the 
fact, that when fresh, it contains a substance (sul¬ 
phide of calcium) which is the actual ingredient in 
the depilatories and cosmetics, which are articles em¬ 
ployed for removing hair. There is an account of 
its being thrown into a hog-pen with the intent 
that the swine should incorporate it with the com¬ 
post heap. This was effectually accomplished, but 
at the expense of the bristles and hair of the hogs, 
which wore, in a great measure, removed by the 
operation. 
It is thought, too, that the odor of the coal-tar 
which is mixed with the gas lime in greater or less 
quantity, serves to dislodge insects and vermin, and . 
it is sometimes sowed in small quantity over young 
turnip plants to prevent the attacks of the turnip- 
fly. In Scotland, it is largely applied to moss-land 
which it is intended to reclaim. 
The quantity of easily soluble matters, (sulphide 
of calcium, sulphite and hyposulphite of lime,) is 
so variable, ranging according to analytical data, 
from to 15 parts in 100, that we may readily 
■ comprehend how some gas limes may be quite 
harmless if applied in moderate doses even to grow¬ 
ing crops, while others, rich in these soluble and 
deleterious matters, destroy all vegetation. 
It has been supposed that fresh gas lime is valua- 
ole on account of the ammonia it contains. When 
the gas-lime is emptied from the purifiers in which 
it has been exposed to the gas, it has quite a pun¬ 
gent odor of ammonia, but the quantity, though 
enough to affect the nostrils, is, in reality, quite 
too small ?o have any great manuring value, and 
entirely disappears after a few days’ exposure to 
the air. Mr. Twing, of this Laboratory, found in a 
specimen of perfectly fresh gas-liine from the Ncw- 
llaven gas-works, but 8-lOths of one per cent of am¬ 
monia. In a gas-lime from the gas-works at Wa- 
terhury, Ct., which had been exposed to the air for 
one week, he found but about LlOOtlvof one per cent. 
Fresh gas-lime may he advantageously used in 
composting swamp muck, etc. 
By full exposure to the atmosphere, as when 
scattered over fallow-ground, after a time it be¬ 
comes innocuous. The soluble caustic ingredients 
are converted into no loss valuable a substance than 
gypsum (plaster), and then, after its odor and bitter 
burning taste have disappeared, it acts precisely 
like a mixture of lime and gypsum. How rapidly 
these changes take place, I have no means of know¬ 
ing without making actual trial, but should pre¬ 
sume that if a dressing of gas-lime bo incorporated 
thor.»nghly and uniformly with the soil oneioeclc, be¬ 
fore sowing or planting, no harm could result to 
the crop. [One month would be safer.— Ed.] 
In conclusion, your correspondent is recommend¬ 
ed to use it, if lie can get it more cheaply than 
other lime, at the rate of 50 bushels per acre on 
heavy soils—or 10 to 20 bushels on light soils— 
making one application in three or four years. If 
fresh, it should be put on the hare soil and not on a 
crop. In case of corn or potatoes, it may ho scat¬ 
tered between the rows and worked in at hoeing 
time. If the gas-lime is white and tasteless after ex¬ 
posure to air for a time, it may bo sown like gypsum. 
It should be remembered that a wet soil will not 
be much benefited by lime, nor by any manure, un¬ 
less in a dry season; and that a light dry soil is soon 
spoiled by lime unless a good supply of organic 
matter be maintained in it, by means of stable ma¬ 
nure, muck composts, or green manuring, Lima 
and plaster, too, are at the best, even when they ex¬ 
hibit their most extraordinary effects, hut partial 
fertilizing agents. S. IV. J ohnson. 
Experience with Gas Lime. 
J. A. S., of Dracut, Mass., under date of Jan. 
28, 1861, writes to the American Agricultur¬ 
ist thus: “ .... In the Spring of 1859 I bought 
two barrels of gas lime from the Lowell works, 
and tried a portion upon a row of early pota¬ 
toes, beside another of the same kind without 
any gas lime. One half of each row I set with 
sprouts. I could perceive no difference at dig¬ 
ging, except that the sprouts were a little later 
than the rest. The gas lime had no apparent 
effect. On the 7tli of June of the same year, I 
scattered the remaining 4$- bushels broadcast, 
before plowing, upon i acre of potatoes on ra¬ 
ther wet land, by the side of another -} acre of 
land, a portion of which was, perhaps, a very 
little dryer. About a dozen hills came up on 
the gas limed part, but these afterwards suc¬ 
cumbed. Those without lime came up finely, 
progressed rapidly, and, with the exception of a 
few rows, gave a fair return, considering the late 
planting. The seed was a late variety’. You 
wish us to give failures as .well as successes. 
That was my failure. 
Last Spring, a neighbor thought he would try 
it, as it only cost two ceuts a bushel; so lie 
turned over bis sod, and put from one to two 
quarts of the stuff in each hill, covered it slight¬ 
ly with dirt, and planted his potatoes. The cor¬ 
ner where the gas lime was buried could be 
easily distinguished a quarter of a mile off, it 
being perfectly bare. The potatoes are yet to 
appear above ground. 
Again, in the Fall of 1859, having suffered 
some weeds to go to seed by the side of a wall, 
and seeing the effects of the gas lime on my po¬ 
tatoes, I applied a barrel of it, fresh from the 
works, upon about 800 square feet, and let it 
remain on the surface all Winter. Very early in 
the Spring I iiarrowed it in, then turned it un¬ 
der, and sowed rye for soiling. The rye ap¬ 
peared earlier, was of a deeper green, headed 
out five days sooner, and was six inches taller 
than that by its side not treated in this manner. 
I afterwards plowed again and put in corn fod¬ 
der. The fodder was decidedly “ yallar,” though 
I was very sure I did not sow the yellow kind, 
and though it appeared earlier than the rest, it 
grew to be only about eight inches high! There 
were but few weeds, however, on that part. 
Again, I composted it with muck and horse 
manure, using lots of muck, and gave a liberal 
dressing to a plot where I wished to start cab¬ 
bages for transplanting. They were very strong, 
thrifty plants, and I noticed when I transplant¬ 
ed them, that where there was a lump of gas 
lime and muck, the cabbage roots were woven 
round'it. taking it up with them. (By the way, 
75 
250 plants which I puddled in a liquid of home¬ 
made guano never flagged, though the sun came 
out immediately after setting out; and moreover, 
they paid me twice oyer for my extra pains. I 
begin to see how valuable cabbages are for 
stock, now that the 2000 heads I raised between 
my early potatoes and peas are gone, and I only 
regret that I have not 2000 more.) 
My experience with cut worms has not been 
quite as disastrous as some of your correspon¬ 
dents, thanks- to hints from you. I put in plenty 
of seed and to spare, according to the advice of 
the Agriculturist, and at the first hoeing I kept a 
good watch for the Q#t worm, both where a 
spear was wilted, and every where else. Scarce • 
ly a hill did not have at least one. I 
searched till I found him if a stem was cut, and 
taking him on my hoe, with or without dirt, as 
it happened, and with the sole of my hoot made 
him disgorge forcibly. I thought, as I crushed 
each one, that he, at least, would neither trouble 
my corn again, nor produce progeny for another 
year's supply. They disappeared suddenly. 
Where they went to, or what form they assumed, 
I can not tell, but would much like to know. 
My conclusions upon the subject of gas lime 
I give for wliat they are worth, though being a 
novice, and my experiments imperfect, I speak 
with diffidence, yet hoping that my “ one item,” 
when taken in connection with others you may 
receive, may he of use to you at some time, and 
consequently to myself. To cabbages and rye it 
did seem to be a benefit. Applied to corn in any 
manner, I have been informed, it is injurious, 
and I think it would be much the safest mode 
to compost it with a goodly quantity of muck, 
and perhaps muck and manure. In that man¬ 
ner it gave me the best returns. But whether 
its value, according to cost, is greater than stone 
lime, to compost witli muck, of which I have 
an inexhaustible supply, I would much like to 
know. 
Remarks.—A careful study of wliat Prof. 
Johnson says, will, in part, explain the results 
with J. A. S., and the contrary experiences of 
many others. The crude or fresh lime from the 
works is poisonous. After thorough compost¬ 
ing witli muck, or after sufficient exposure to 
the air, and especially to frosts, on the surface 
of fallow or plowed ground, it loses its noxious 
properties, and is then probably quite as valua¬ 
ble as common lime, owing to the amount of 
gypsum formed by its decomposition.-—En.] 
Coal Ashes, 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
Wliat to do with coal ashes, was with me 
a very important matter. A friend suggest¬ 
ed, after sifting them, to spread them on my 
stable floor, under the bedding. This I did, 
and by removing them every few days, I have 
prevented the escape of the ammonia and pre¬ 
served that. All the moisture is absorbed, and mv 
stable is sweet and clean. The coarse cinders, 
etc., I use for walks. Can any of your readers 
suggest a better disposal of tlieui ?—C. C. [Un¬ 
less plenty of muck is used for bedding - , we 
would not advise mixing any kind of ashes with 
manure in the stable. The alkali of the ashes 
will hasten the fermentation, and promote the 
escape of valuable ammonia. Better spread ( lie 
ashes directly upon the soil.—E d.] 
The greatest pleasure of life is love; the great¬ 
est treasure,, contentment; the greatest posses¬ 
sion, health; the greatest ease, sleep; and the 
best medicine, a true and faithful friend. 
