Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-01-16
agricultural.
Lime. ashes and Plaster.
Lively aud Profitable Discussion ny the
Bethel Farmers.

day evening, Jan. 5d. hon. r. h. Gar
ter President, in the chair The question
for discussion was on the specific anC
co.i,bined effects of lime, ashes and plns
ter.
Mr.. Augustus NJ. Carter opened The
discussion by stating that though th'
soils of this vicinity have only small
percent. of lime in them, vet il is no
used extensively. We all need il in oul
soils. Our wheat crop needs il FOL
strengthening the stalk. The only ques
ton here is as to its cost. We do moi
live in limestone country. There !,
only one patch OF impure limestone in
this town have used oyster shell lime
on Long Island, where il could be had
for FIVE cents a busheI There they com.
post it with their other manures.
In regard TO ashes / would place the
highest value upon them. In leached
ashes we get lime aud in fact all but the
potash which has been extracted never
Vet saw a farm that was not benefited BY
ashes. No good farmer in Bethel will
sell bushel to 20 from his farm.
In regard to plaster there are two quail
iiies-the dark and The light The dark
is harder 1t contains 20 per cent. of car.
Donate OF lime and 60 per cent of sui
phSte of lime. while the soft variety con-
tains no carbonate. | would prefer the
dark variety. Carbonate OF lime j. 4
manure. but | do mol know about sui
plate of lime. For potatoes we use more
OF less plaster, as well aS for corn, beans
and grass. In some years the crop is
trebled by plaster We 10 not ordinarily
use more than 25O pounds TO the acre. 1t
is not so good on stiff clay soils Our
intervaIes are made up of clay, sand and
huviatile sediment, and it is good on all
except where there is much muck.
Does plaster pay2 We use il in the
Hill and sometimes on the tops. For
clover nothing is like it. Many persons
slave prejudice against clover, but il
YOU can raise good clover on q piece of
land YOU can raise anything else. We
SOW over our clover piece, two. three or
four to the acre in the spring. Plaster is
an absorbent of gases and moisture. L,
abSOrbs ammonia from lermenied ma
nureS and retains it; We put it in The hog
pen and stables Tor this purpose One
half hU>hel will arrest all the odOrs of a
stable cellar. At present prices il will
pay for us 10 use it 10 greater extent -
The lands are as profitable to-day where
it has been properly used as they ever
were. On enquiry, he said that he never
used over 500 pounds to the acre
j I. Kimbau. Esq. next spoke
would use the soft instead OF the hard
plaster, but for composing muck and turf
would prefer lime. DO not think so
much of lime as some. because other ma
nureS are cheaper. use some in my
manure heap because it kills the wire
worm. have Sowed il on wheat side
by side with ashes. and the latter far out
did the former There i nothing yet
discovered lie ashes for restoring land
20 It's primitive state Good ashes have
from > 90 lbs. Of potash Il is "A
good Investment 20 pay p cents bushel
ior them I regard uuleached double
the value OF lcached ashes. WHEAT will
grow wiki ashes. and grass much better
With lime. and - effects vii, continue
iocycaIs. U>e lime on ov mois; land
aul 60 viii ,iiI GA, The podjap1, Eve cant
sad Ihi> common word in Wob,ter,) bat
10 shoald no, oe used IN hi, way on dry
land tbiuS jhli good ashes are worth
20 cents ou>Hel. Plaster i The cheap.
c,t manure wc can use. Ashes are good
for POTATOES. JU, plaster usually gives "a
greater ize. Ashes arr better in vet
season ami plaster in dry one. Plaster
thicNens up the ,ward on ms land. Put
half "a barrel OF plaster in stable cellar
and it viii absorb gases and moisture. and
yuu ou, In q stream. Tue whole mass
will tura yellow. Plaster is better two
or three years old. | use quick lime TO
kiil The wire worm and 10 warm up the
manure heap.
baui put my r,ant,,., A., ,b. l,fl ar1 -,
the spring haul out my green manure and
place il by the side Of the other. | take
half bushel ot quick lime and place ii
on q bed OF manure and cover it with =
layer OF mixed old and new manures,
and above that another hail bushel and
go on. In this way the manure heap be-
comes warm. the humps of manure be-
come slHckcn and we'll pulverized. / do
this week or more before drop it. and
then put a shovel full in hill and cover
1t up and let it remain lew days before
plant. The manure is warm and the
corn comes up vigorously, without being
troubled with the wire worm.
Mr.. ID. NJ. kimball said that lime was
good chiefly to warm up manure. 1t is
moi good on a dry. naked soil. on cold
land it is good. Every sensible man will
use ashes when he can get them. On
new land grain will not often lodge when
there are ashes in the soil. II strains the
land to use plaster on soil for potatoes, it
may well be termed land strainer.
DIR. True said that is the tendency of
ali caustic subs noes to destroy vegeta-
bic and animal matter in the soil. Lime.
potash and soda in caustic state will do
tins. Hence they will always do best
with an abundance of vegetable and ami