Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1837-07-20

LIMESTONE.
GnouND, but not BURNED for agricultural

purposes.
Inc following paper on the use of Lin.
stone ground Instead of burned, for agricul.
'urai purposes. was read before the Lyceum
oi Natural History of New York, by VIM.
Partridge, Esq
The facts therein set forth, are highly i'm,
porlant, and are worthy OF being tested by
those who have limestone on their farms
We ask for this subject, the attention of our
readers and OF those who have heretofore
Tested, or may hereafter test. the theory
oy experiment, To furnish US a statement of
the result tor publication. We shall also be
much obliged 10 MIR. Partridge for contin-
uation of his favors
10 The President Of the Lyceum of Natural
History
SIR-ln conversation had with you on
beard steamboat on the North river, some
lime during the summer of 1895, relative 10
line, as applied agriculturaliy, l mentioned
the advantage OF using il generally in
groundstate, as plaster is now used, instead of
burning 1t. You informed me, subsequent
| ~, that your father had applied some on v our
land IN state OF powder, and found il de-
cidedly beneficial 4 then promised TO send
you my written opinion on The subject, and
now beg leave TO fulfil that promise, with
an apology Tor delaying il SO many months.
IL Is wen Known, 20 every intelligent ag-
| ricuituraiist, that soils covering limestone
rocks are the most productive OF any on the
globe koow of but ene exception, IS hen
Inc limestone Is too highly charged with
magnetism earth. Our country affords many
! facts in proof OF this assertion / shall refer
TO TWO locations as all sufficient for my pur-
pose. The stale of Kentucky has bed OF
Limestone running underneath lis whole sur
lace, and its natural soil has been produced
and Is sill producing by the abrasion of those
rocks. The superior productive powers of
the soil OF the Stale is we'll known to every
intelligent farmer ia our extensive country,
and Is spoken OF in terms of admiration by
Europeans. That part of Pennsylvania OK.
lending from the LehIgh W alter Gap to Ess.
ION IS limestone country, and ahords anoth-
er instance OF its highly productive powers
In England, the soil deposited in valleys 1
The foot Of limestone hills, are equally pro.
ductIve. The valley running from the city
OF Bristol, to The city of Worchester, is OF
this description, and there is no soil more
productive in Great Britain. There are
more than twenty spurs ofhills bounding that
valley, each containing large bodies flme-
stone rock, and the springs flowing from
Them, are so charged with limestone, as &c
inCFust every thing lying in them When
} the springs issue from the rocks high up the
hills, they are much used for irriga,ng the
higher lands, and the beneficial effects are
visible TO every observer.
Lime, in the state OF Chalk, is also uset
very generally On land near 10 the Chalk
Mountains in England.
The lower part Of this State abouuds il
primitive limestone, and the preceding OBJ
servstioDs were made with view 10 appl,
The facts 10 rectfiy material error commit
led, ash conceiFe, by The farmers in Using i
on their land. They burn The limestone ~
oon'iderooie es peuse, aud IN that state use il
Tor agricultural purposes. / would suggest
as Tar better general application, f6al the
Limestone by merely ground, and in that stsI,
Ioppled TO the land. As this may be a neY
mode Of application, shall endeayor 10 SHOW
wherein II IS preferable to the present
have been frequently informed by farmer
, who use burnt lime on their land, that the,
Keep II some months before using, and tina
= then the good effects are not observable III
I FIRST year. We have only 10 ascertain wha
{ these facts prove, and the whole mystery wi
d be instantly solved. In burning liIscston
), two materials essential to agricultural Irc
l.. duCtiveness are driven off, its weter and il
. carbonic gas. In lis natural state il is
= carboDated bydrate, when burnt il is causu
y lime (OXidc Of calcium made so by the he;
Z driving Off lis water and Caroonic gas. VIII
}. does the farmer delay putting it on his Land
5. but for The simple reason that it is 100 csusti
J. loF vegetation. Why does il require TO ii
n in The soil one year before producing any Wis
BILE lertiiizing effect? il is for nothing MOI
y than TO give il time 10 return again to stat
= ct carbonated hydrate, the same condition
ID was in before burning
have said that limestone merely gfour
IS IS The best general mode oi applying il
h agricultural purposes; there ore some excet
4 tons to this rule. w ben a soil contain
Al 'baFd roots, dry fibres, OF Other inedrl yegt
= table matter, strong decomposine act =
y VIII take place between burnt lime, and 6
vegetable matter, rendering thai which ".
IT before comparatively inert, nuttaGse.