The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1843-09-19
LIME IN AGRICULTURE.

OF the mineral substances tha, haye beer
employed to improve the soil, liue is the
mosi important. All our lands seem to DC
susceptible Of benefit FROM il; and believe
that N many paris Of this district, ii eHn
% obtained on such terms as to create a
probability HAT i! may be probably applied.
The theory OF its modes Of action involves
chemical principles, winch il would be be.
You'd my limits To attempt TO explain here
l may briefly slate however, The iaeis con
necied with lis various effects.
Iitenders stiff and tenacious soils more
irlable-and light and sandy soils more re.
tenllVs of moisture. Il dsposes all yegi,a-
bic matter in The soil to decompose, So as
TO supply the nourish ueai Of living plants,
und /. makes The uu,,i,ive matter itse II
more salubrious. These lasl efec,a may
be seen ia familiar instances. If little
qYlck lime be added to heap Of leaves, or
reiten wood, II is soon reduced TO black
.aou.d; aud II !i.sse be sprina!ed ca the
rank spots which set up 10 pasture fields,
and are rejected by. caaie, they viii short.
" be ea!eu down. /. is no, more active in
rendering Tho vegetable matter of the soil
available, !hau j, Is IN giving vigor TO the
plants, and goodness OF quality 10. the gram;
aad ON no gain are its fleets 30 remefks ole
as on wheat. ! koew a gentleman Who,
from having great command Of manure,
thought he might dispense with line. He
raised by measl..s as many bushels Of wheat
on the acre as his neighbors bi, it was
coarser IN quality and therefore lighter,
and IN the British markets great discrimil-
alton of price is made on account of qualify,
SO that be lost in two ways. lie had ~ last
recourse to limo, and With complete success.
In cold and humid climates it is not con-
sldered that old tuIly lands can be prckta
bly, broken up silhou, lime the straw will
be abundant, but the grain light aud unma
iured; treated with lime these lands are
the mos, productive. In our climate, the
vegetable matter has 90, such tendency
to become hea,y and inert, and hme may
uoi 10 such adesfee, be necessary for the
purpose oil promoting decomposition; bu, il |
would IN erery case make our wheat OF bet. I
ter quality. in our best lends il would give |
health and vigor TO the straw, and render ,
Il less obnoxious TO the diseases 10 which /
Injuries Is exposed, aud 1t would make lands
at present too rich for bearing grain, capa.
bic of producing healthy and productive
crops. Prom what has been SAID, it will
ollow, thai il would be improper 10 apply
me to Impoverished land, unless at the
same time accompanied with manure, with
,ut which 1t would aid 10 lie robbery OF the
;oli. For other reasons, il should not be
ipplied 10 wet land. i
in calculating the expense of lining. the
'ermaneney Of lis effects should be taken
nto account. If a proper dose be admin.
stered there will DO no need Of a repetition .
{ it for 10 or 20 years. VIA. the dose :
hould be, must depend on the qualify OF !
De land; bu. generally speaking, it should :
9 increased as the land is more adhesive, :
r as it is more filed with vegetable mat
n. There are no soils, probably, that
ould be benefited by less than 100 bush. d
$ to the acre, or which would require more ri
'an 300 to produce the maximum Effect III
s, IN proportion TO the mass Of the soil, o.
o quantity of lime used is small, the two pr
ould be mixed together as equally and as as
as possible. The lime may be 70
loved to lie Ill II falls down into state nj
-four, aud then be spread out, when the III
il has been previously we'll pulyerized.- &c
aaEiaes Address. ct