New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-07-09

Science for Farmers.
No. o.. LINE.
To the Editor Of The Tribune:
The USE of Lime for feriliZing lands is now 20
generally approved by Farmers, that is hardy
worth while TO go into any detailed arguments TO
advocate its universal adoption. Taking 1t io-
granted that its great value as manure is beyond
dispute, it only remains to discuss It's appropraia-
n. So in its several forms TO different kinds OF soil.
This substance il provided naturally in great
variety Of forms. The carbonate Of Lime or COM
biuation Of Lime md Carbonic Acid is the material
OF oil Limestone Rocks the principal ingredient Of
Cacareous Murs and OF Smells. When burned,
the Carhunic Acid driven OF, well the wslcr,
which nlso forms put OF all Limes'oncs. Ii IS
then in The state OF pure Lime, caustic substance.
which acts rapidly upon all vegetable aud animal
matter, II moisture be present deconposing these,
and converting them INTO new and simpler forms,
which are readily taken up into the composition al
plants Its action upon organic matter and also
upon many suits, which may exist III the soil l. yeiy
analogous TO that OF Yeast upon dough. They r.
main 10 Il great extent ine;t aud useless until LINE
either eausric or as carbonate or some other
alkaline substance comes III contact with them;
then they begin IL undergo the changes that pre-.
pare them TO become The food Of plants and rs a
little leavcn leovcneth the whole lump, Il little
Lime, by its preScHce, acts without limit 10
d round of conversion from Carbon aud Wnter and
Air into CarbOnic Acid and Ammonia, and from Use
insoluble and useless Silicutes Of Potash and Soda
&c. other forms OF these bases, simpler and more
available TO the uses OF the plant Ii takes to itself
the Silica and the acids which would be injurious.
and sets free the bases that We're before combined
with them, and while these gradually used up
by the growing vegetables, the new components OF
Lime are changing till much of il becomes Carlo
nate, ready TO 20 through the same process again
and again, until rains have removed it from the soil
the plants have distracted II for their direct use.
Ii matters little whether the original application of
the Lime as Caustic Lime, this substance
combined with water, called Hydr0tc Of Lime. or
as Carbonate, which Lime partially becomes after
being long burned aud exposed 10 the air. Crushed
Limesones and Shells also are the same thing
But the advantage OF burning is that tho stone is
reduced 10 the very finest particles, sind n the
beneficial effect of Lime We have been considering
is purely chemical and the first requisite for all
such action TO be immediate and complete, is that
the agents shall be in the fines, state OF mechanical
division, burning suggests itself the most
venient and efectual method OF accomplishing THIS
object
In sandy soil, where there is a defcenc, Of
vegetable matter and of the different salts, whose
bases are required 10 iom portions of plants, Lure
has no field 10 act. Its application alone would he
little wiser than adding Yeast water. before The
-four was mixed into dough with it, and expecting
the action then 10 take place which should produce
good bread So II is thar covering lands with farm
yard manure profits litle il both the lands and mn
nures deficient IN due proportion o. Line !;
and the covering them with Lime is ot little ~ /,
IL there be no stock OF organic matter in the SOIL
added TO il at the same time. CompOsts are in,cul-
ed 10 furnish in themselves this VARIETY and so pro-
vida for any possible deficiency in the soil itself
limestones vary very much in their composition.
and the Lime prepared from The different kinds will
be suitable or injurious 10 different kinds of Soils
Some Limestones Magnetism, and in proportion
as they are so, should they be used with cautinn,
for the effect Of large application ot MaSneSla is
any thing but beneficial, and in smaller quantities
the nature OF its action is very doubtful. Much oi
the best quality OF Rhode Island Lime is OF this
character and therefore unsuitable for agricultural
purposes. They may again be very siliceou> or
sandy, as in ths of one lately anal wed iron!
the lands OF TIE Sylvania Association, winch con-
tanned some IS per cent. oil Silica, and only about
q OF Carb. Lime. Such stone when burned
nigh, be very useiuliy applied 10 ca,eN sou.
white il is altogether improper Tor a light sal y
land Lime b, itself serves 10 loosen and reader
porous a heavy soil. If land on IN large quantities,
and the presence of great Il proportion OF Sr!ita
would add To this effect. Still il would bc Il mater
OF calculation whether pure Lime could not be per
chased AT cheaper proportional rates than such
stones could be burned and the sand HieTai,su
added II necessary. GA cold heavy lands the action
OF L,me il much impeded bs the coscness OF ine
mass and therefore there is no danger oil applying
10 them too much lime; the larger the quantity IT,
sooner will the soil he rendered porous aud liz
aud then the better will go on The chemical action
upon the organic matter present On rich loans
Lime may be applied With great advantage; mt
even with these the first application may peI-
haps be attended with visible result for two ~
three years; but after that yearly dose OF some
thirty bushels 10 the acre will be found more scr-
viceable and any anount will not h. likely 10 DO
harm. SILL it has seemed 10 me in Witnessing tire
] wish use OF Lime M The Lime districts ci Penn
~sivana, that an unnecessary expense was incurred
providing the crops with much more OF this su.-
'anc- than they required, was needed 10 loosen
70 soil.
As the object OF these papers is not 10 attempt
Ill exposition OF the application OF Science 10 AZ
cuitursl purposes, but Ia offer TO those who have
availed themselves OF the recent valuable puhl-
"ttons on thus subject some giimpses OF the benefit
Ihey might derive trun them, this vast subject OF
'h- acllon OF Cab Lime will he no farther pursued
the other topics that may be taken up will ne
G. ssarily be treated in the cur>ory manner.
}. T. HOTSE. 70 ChaEnbers street,
FIKE--The Ceda, Grove Wooden Factory Of
9 c. & J. Jackson, OF Cazenovia, was consi,fer.
+. v injured by fire on Friday week The two
,per stories Of the building were principally con.
samed, also qunatity OF wool, and some damage
done TO the machinery. The amount OF damage
is about $4,000. Insurance $4,000, in the Ma
G.son Mutual.
SHOCKING AccIpgNT.-'rwo young men were
- 90, fsnreI fst.llv--inlurci