Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-05-05

ol The State very productive, yet containing
large proportion of magnesia; and in ma
ny parts of the State we have soils deficient
IN magnesla, all things else being present,
and yet no! S" productive as where magne
sla exists. But the evidence does not stop
here, The ashes Of the grain Of wheat con-
tain from IL SO to 1920 per cent. of mag
nesia, according to the analyses Of Bichon,
Thou, Bousslngaul,, Willis, and Fresenius !;
the inorganic part of The grain of barley con-
laIns of magnesia 1912 per cent. Corn, oats
and other crops also contain large quani
ties. These facts show the necessity Of
magnesla, as strongly as facts can show
any thing.
Blu. why multiply proofs? The above
are sufficient to show ,ha, it is one Of the
necessary constituents Of plants, and of fer
'ile soils, and if il does no, exis, in soil,
common sense tells us ,ha, it must be sup
piled, or that the soil cannot reach its maxi
mum Of produclveness. The application
OF too much csus,c msgnesia to soil, may
prove injurious from its caus,ic properties,
since II does not readily imbibe carbonic
acid from the atmosphere, and become mild,
as lime does. But from this property, that
OF remaining longer time in the quick stale
than lime, it exerls greater and more per-
manen. influence in dlsin,egra,ing the soil
and rendering soluble its dormant conslilu-
ents.
On the soils not containing large guam
lilv OF vegetable matter, from twenty 10 for
ty bushels Of msgnesia or lime to the acre,
is the best quantity. This quantity should
be applied every three or four years, until
about two hundred bushels shall have been
used. The larger the per cen,age of mag
nesa in the lime, the smaller the quantity
TO be used.
The proper quantity Of lime per acre is
question, the solution Of which is attended
with great interest. To arrive at as correct
conclusions as possible, have examined
very many productive soils, and if their fer
lili'y depended solely on lime, if i, was the
only element 10 enler into the calculation,
we mil ght very readily solve the question
But the fertility Of soil does not depend
upon The quantity Of any one constituent,
bul upon the proper proportion Of them, and
also upon the mechanical texture of the soil.
60 arrive al conclusions, then, we must not
ts nItss !s,a !hsaKa. .sysqjip.sa. yeEx manv d d6elenl
zant Of the action of different quantities Of
lime upon soils Of known composition.-|
From all of the examinations and practical
observations which have made, do not
believe that greater quantity Than seven'
,en,hs Of one per cent. is ever necessary in
The soil. now speak Of this quantity as
Obtained bv the usual mode Of analysis Of
sol, by their solution in muriatic acid
Soils having this amour. naturally, are moi
improved to the amount of its cost by lime.
and after two hundred bushels have been
applied, any additional quantity does not
compensate for the trouble and expense of
it's application. have been frequently ask.
ed whether it be best 10 apply all the desira-
BILE quantity Of line at once. or the same
qnan,I,y in divided doses. The proper So
luton Of this question depends on the abili-
~ Of the farmer; that course should be
always followed which, with The smalles,
outlay, will give the creates. return, and J
would advise all who canno, apply The ne
cessary quantity IF lime to all of the soil
which may need it, to apply from twenty to
forty bushels per acre, and repeat this for
every rotation until about Two hundred
bushels be applied. The profits Of small
quantity Of lime extended over a large sur
lace will be greater than large quantity
spplied over a small surface.