Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-12-23
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1886.

'alns the plastic property of alumlna; it
therefore causes soils to be retentive of
moisture and, when they dry, makes them
form tough clods or crus,s, similar in char
octer to sundried brick,
Soils which contain clay are often also
mixed with sand, or with an excess of sill
ca in grains, which does not enter into the
composition of the clay. Such soil is
less liable to form tough crust than a
pure clay, but it will require large pro-
portion of sand to destroy this property al
together.
Clay mixed with sandy soils renders
them more retentive of moisture. Sand
and clay have therefore been used for ma
nures for each other; but it may reasona-
bly, be doubted whether all the advantages
that has been anticipated by some from
this process. can be realized, as such a
mixture will be merely mechanical.
Loamv soils are generally said 10 be
mixtures of sand and clay; they undoubt
edy usually contain both these earths, and
even large excess of sand. But we shall
give reasons for believing that loans owe
their peculiar value to combination of
clay with another substance, BY which
change is produced 10 its chemical charac-
tiers.
Lime is Familiarity known to farmers by
the same name that is generally used by
chemists. 1t is obtained by the aid of heat
from rocks which 90 by The name of line
stones. These are combinations of lime
with carbonlc acid, which is fixed in them
by chemical attraction, but which, when
driven off by heat, takes the same as the
air of atmosphere, or becomes a gns.-
This gas from this circumstance has been
called fixed air. by which name it is often
known when causing the sparkling of CT
der and beer The principal part of line
stone is therefore called by chemists Carlo.
nate Of lime. Carbonate of lime is also
found in shells. both those Of living ami
mails and those which exist in the ground
| 10 a fossil state. Iu the former it is mixed
with animal matter, which is more or less
separated from the latter according to the
time which has elapsed since the death Of
the shell fish.
| Mari, in the sense in which the term is
used by chemists is mixture of clay with
carbonate Of lime. The English writers
on agriculture have not observed this dis
|
ed by them to decnmposrd chalk. which
NAV contain lrilc or M clay; ard rrnic
times TO clay which contains no carbonate
of lime. In fact the u,mc Is Frequently
applied by them to any earthly matter
found below the vcgctuhic soil. which. Is
capable of increasing lis fertility. From
this mlsapprehension. the substances which
90 BY the mime of mari in New Jersey
| MaryiBrd, ana Vug,nla. do not correspond
with the chemrc- definition. oIt are gem
orally bed, OF fossil shells m'zrd in various
proportions with earthly and saline matters
of various k,iGs.
Lime Is a substance very dltlcrcnt in its
characters from the two earlhs OF which
we have previously spoken. When pre-
pared by heat from any of the original
forms Of its carbonate, II retains their shape
unaltered, bn may have its colour changed
and always loses considerably in weight.
| It is now acrld. caus,ic. aud corrosive. and
has some properties IN common with pot.
ash which are therefore alkaline. OF these
the most important is. that it unites with
| acids to form compounds included in the
general class of sails. OF the salts of lime
which are important to the farmer, the
three principal are the carbonate, which.
as we have stated is found in limestone,
chalk. shells, and mari; the Sulptaie, in
which lime is combined with sulphuric
acid, and which in combination with water
is the substance 30 well known TO our far
mers under the name Of plaster of Paris,
or less familiarity by that of gypsum; the
phosphaie, winch constitutes n large part
Of the bones OF animals.
Lime, ia lis causlc state, has the property
of RAPIDLY decOmposlng vegetable and ami
NAL substance. thus Fastening the natura
. processes by which they are finally destroy
ed; or to speak more properly, have their
elements resolved into new combinations
The offensive and unwholesome gases
which are given ont by this composition
are absorbed by the lime, and prevented
from mixing with the air. The same prop.
er,y is possessed in less degree by the
carbonate of lime. and probably by lis 9th
er compounds; but in order that either
this earth or its compounds shall manifest
this property, Or they must be in SINAI
fragments, or, which is better, in fine
powder
Wet sand and plastic clay, and those
soils to which they give their characters
also possess the property of absorbing gas
es; but they have this in a very inferior
degree to lime and its compounds, A,
the gases generated by the decomposition
of vegetable and animal substances form Q
large part OF the necessary food of plants
it is obvious that soil which contains the
carbonate of lime, may retain and store
them up for use while they will be lost il
soil of different character.
f Carbonate of lime may also be made ar
important article in the preservation of the
most valuable parts of putrescent manures
until they can be applied to the soil In
this way mari is applied TO great extent
in China ; the night soil cftheir numerou,
population is there formed into cakes like
bricks, with mari, and thus loses its offensive
smell; but when these are applied as ma
nure to the land. they give out the gases
again as they are required for the nourlsh
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