Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-09-05

The following extract fom an essay
by Willis Gaylord strikes us as very
judicious Lime is an article 20 be u scd
with caution by the farmer:
LlME.--There is no substance ron.
tanning no animal or vegetable matter
which exercise n more powerful or hen
chcial e tect than lime, m some one or
all OF ITS forms Of car Donate, phosphate.
aud Sulph0te. In the common form N
"hlct- X is found, that Of a carbonate, il
acts IN two ways, mechanically and
chemically. Being less poroIs than
sand and more SO than clay, its mixture
improves sol in which either Of these
prevail; while as an alkaline earth it
acts chemically on such animal or vcue
table matter as may exist in the SOIL
Lime dcvelopeS its chemical action most
fully when IN its caustic state, or when
burning the carbonic acid has been ex.
PEELED, and the lime rendered what is
called quick lime. In this state il dis
solves such organic matter rs may ex-
lst In soils, and prep" res il for the food
plants. liumus frequently exists in the
soil in solid and in soluble state; lime
applied to this renders it soluble in wa.
ter, IN which form it NAV be taken up
by the roots Of plants. A vast deal of
needless controversy has been carried
on respecting the value Of lime as a ma
nure, or the quantity which should be
used per acre. BY some, it has been ex.
tolled as the very highest on the list OF
effective manures; while others Rave
decrled II as Of no use whatever; and
both have appealed to experiments as
establishing their positions. 4 know.
ledge ofthe nature of the action Of lime
would have prevented such seeming con.
tradiciIons. Lime in excess forms.
from the humus Of The soil, an insoll
bic salt; and may thus, when applied to
soil ahound.ng in salts OF lime or IN
which 1t already exists, be productive
oil INJURY, whatever may be the vegeta.
bic or organic matter Of the soil. In
this state Of excess, lime converts, bu,
at the same time locks up the hnmus OF
The SOIL when, if applied in the riaht
quantity il would have been useful =
Lime is Of no value, whatever as n con.
verter, or produces no chemical efIec:
In promoting the growth, unless there
IS organic matter in the soil on which il
can act. Lime is most efficient when
used on soils full Of insoluble humus
such as peaty matter or woody fibre, by
which, from the abundance Of the tan
ming principle contained, resist the ordi
nary processes of dccomYosition.'-
There would seem to be no difficulty
1hnrntOrn in
can be used on any given soil to profit.
lhueed there are, II is 10 be believed
none where it would not be useful, ex-
cePt such as are already supplied with
inns carbonate, or those which are who.
~ destitute OF vegetable or organic mat.
ter. As general rule, the greater The.
quantity Of humus in a soil, The greater
greater the amount Of lime, which may
be applied with benefit. As Iono os
there is a store of organic matter IN the
soil, lime, IT not in excess, is valuable
manure; but, when this is exhausted
Inc application OF lime only increases
the slerllity by destroying such efforts
at vegetation Us might IN time, aided bv
light and moisture, partially remove
the uIproducliveness existing. This
conflicting statements that have apnear.
ed IN the agricultural journals OF our
country, on the use Of lime. Where bu-
mus IS abundant, the quantity that NAV
be safely used is very great; on soils
already poor, a small portion speedily
exhausted the remaining powers Of the.
Lime, from its alkaline qualities. acts in
neutrullzing whatever tree acids exists
IN soils, whether exalic, phospboric.
mallc, or others II acts also in decom.
posing some Of the earthly or c0mpound.
salts formed in the soil, and thus rem
7ders the guine, held by them available to
the plant; out It's great and most Impor.
liant use in converting the insoluble
organic matters existing into soluble or
ganIc matters existing into soluble ones
and thus directly furnishing an abundant
source Of nutrment. Carbonate of lime
IS sometimes used pounded or broken
fine; and in this state its mechanical val
ue is great in stiff or clay soils.
lSuch soils, Ltoo, usually abound
IN acids; and these gradually acting on
the lime gravel, its chemical effect is
slowly but benefciaily apparent -
COAL ASilES.-A corresponden. Of
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