The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-06-09
LIME.

furnishes iii occasion TO suggest what al
our brethren, believe, deem a great de
sderatum among US. That is, for some
one TO make series Of experiments 10 as
certain the best and the greatest quantity
OF this substance which can be beneicially
applied 10 land. This is still matter al.
together undetermined, although lime has
been used TO improve land for many ceniu.
rles past. DR.. Wm. Darlington, who is
highly distinguished both as an agricultu,
rist and botanist, says, in latter In the
late Judge Buel, that in Pennsylvania the
quantity generally applied varies from 20
TO 100 bushels, according TO the quality OF
the land, the riches, requiring the most
lime. Judge Buel himself, in his Far
mer's Companion" states the maximum
and minimum at l20 and so. On the 9TH
err hand the English writer's, Of whom !
shall quote only James Anderson, the dis
tinguished author Of q Essays relating 10
Agriculture and Rural Affairs" aud OF
several other performances, recommends
far greater quantities. The extract which
| an about 10 give, is from his essay " on
quick lime as cement and a manure" than
which have never read more learned,
comprehensive, aud al the same time prac
teal treatise on the subject. 1t is publish
ed at the end of i" Marshall's Gardening"
In speaking of lime as manure, he snys:
ali is common, TO hear those, who have
had little experience Of II as manure, re
commend very great caution, least too
great a quantity be employed, for fear Of
burning the soil, as they express it. The
idea Of burning has been evidently adopted,
from what has been experienced by apply
ing caas,ic lime to animals or vegetables,
in large quantities, as il often corrodes and
shrvels them no, aud produces other effects
which greatly resemble those Of fire. But
it canno, produce an such effects, unless
there are vegetables growing upon the soil
at the time. ln that case, the vegetables
might, indeed, be corroded by the lime, i.
rain should fall Immediately after it was
spread, when newly s!aked; but as il loses
this fiery corrosive power in few days al
ter it is spread, nothing Of that kind can be
expected 10 happen TO the soil Accord
ingy, we never hear Of crops being burnt
up by too great quantity Of lime, in those
countries where it has long been used as
common manure, although il is there often
enp,uye Cd Ia mucl larger Yuurni'iss shaw
in any other places whore il is more rare.
81 myself have had the experience oil.
lime in all proportions from one hundred TO
above seven hundred bushels TO the acre,
upon great variety of soils; and have al
ways found that its effects in promoting the
fertility Of the soil, has been in proportion
to the quantity employed, other clrcum
stances being alike.
"The expense in most cases prevents
farmers from employing this manure in
greater quantities :han those above men
toned, but accidental circumstances clearly
show, that if 1t we're applied in much lar
ger quantities, the effect would only be to
promote the luxuriance Of the crop 10 T.
higher degree.
"a gentleman Of my acquaintance, in
whose veraci,y perfectly con6de, happen.
ing to be from home when large field was
lined ard having no occasion for the whole
quantity Of lime that had been brought for
that purpose and laid down n one corner
of the field, his servants, without driving it
away, mixed what remained with the soil,
although the lime lay there abou, four
inches thick over the whole surface. The
effect was, that for many years afterwards,
the grain in that place, was so immodera'elg
luxuriant, that it fell over and rotted before
i, came TO the ear. After many years this
luyuriance abated little, so as to allow
the grain to ripen; but it was there always
much more luxuriant than in any other
part Of the field.
can accidental experiment, nearly eiml
lar 10 this, fell under my own observation.
|. happened that the servants of another
farmer laid, by mistake, few heaps OF
lime upon grass field that he did not in.
tend should be broken up at that time
Tho mistake was soon discovered, and no
more lime vas laid down at that place, and
the few heaps, (about bushel in each, J
we're allowed TO lie neglected, without be.
ing spread. The field was pastured upon
for seven or eigh, years after tina, before ii
was converted into ttllage and the heaps
we're by that time become so fiat, and so
FAR sunk into the ground, that they could
not hardly be discovered
Before it was plowed up, the whole of
the field was lined, and this part equally
with the rest nor were the old heaps touch.
ed till the plow wen, through then in filling
the field when the lime was then turned
up, with only very small mixture of soil.
The consequence was that at every one OF
these heaps, q ,uft of corn sprung up with
such luxurlauce as 10 be entirely rotied be.
fore harvest; and for many years after,
wards these tufts could be distinguished
from the other parts of the field at a very
great distance, like so many buttons on a
coat"
The above facts appears to me perfectly
conclusive as to the effects OF lime IN In.
gland, and why it should not act nearly or
quite in the same way in the United States,
will not, | think, be easy TO prove.-CnHI'