Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-04-06
Lime and its use in Agriculture.

Lime Is one OF tile most aUuu"due suc
stances in nature-usualIya carbonate.
consisting OF 56i parts pli'cafbonate, and
43A of carbonic acid. and 100 Of the mine
raj. In burning, the acid escapes 10 TIC
form of steam. 1t is then quick hme. Al
ter exposure TO the atmosphere, it itabsorbs
water, "slacks, and falls into an Apparent
dry pSwdery tits then hydrase of lime, and
is in tic form in which It is generally used
for agricultural purposes. 1t is the most
valuable, when use directly after it has fal-
len into powder. If long exposed to rains
and -dews before being spread upon the
land, it loses great portion of its fertiliz-
ing powers, which principally consist in its
action upon vegetable matters, causing
them TO dccompose and in its neutralizng
power upon acids, which abound in some
| sells. fp"," ~
The, Quaaiiip Of LIME 10 The Acre. In
Great Britain from 100 to 400 bushels arc
applied at once. at intervals Of ten, fifteen
or nineteen ycars-the term which leases
run. In this country, the most common
practice is to spply 80 or 40 bushels once
in three years, which is'the preferable
mode. We have seen it applied with good
effect, however, at the rate OF 500 bushels
to the acre. This was upon very saH.
cold clay. Three hundred bushels would
be about ten tons to the acre. Ten
inches depth of soil,would weigh about one
thousand tons. ) That would give one per
cent of lime. A case is reported in Eng
land, of soil upon which 120 bushels OF
lime had been used being analysed, which
apparently contained the same component
parts as that along side, which had not
been lined for a great number Of years.
Yet tho lined land produced twenty tons
of turnips to the acre. while the unlimed
only produced two tons, tops and all. This
was upon red sandstone land. One of tho
effects oflime'is, it gives the soil power to
absorb ammonia from the atmosphere, and
retain that which is disengaged by tho dc:
composition Of Vegetable matter ana ma
nure in the soil. Hence the importance o.
applying lime with green crops or using
coarse manure with the lime. go
Indications Of Me pant Of Lime in The Soil
may be seen in heavy crops OF straw, and
light crops of grain and in root crops
where they seem to run to fingers and seed.
Experiments should be made by every far,
mer With lime,upon various crops IN all ilis
fields. 10 ascertain whether lime would be
beneficial to him. Very few places will be
found where it will not be 30. '~+-
To appiy Lime 10 The Soil spread It even
lv upon a crop of clover abou! 10 DC plough
ed unGer or SOW It upon the surface with
the wheat and harrow thoroughly. II
should, neverbc combined with manure un-
! less the whole is Immediately 10 be plough
! ed III. ~
I To'pkal Soils is Line applicable ?-Ev-
cry clay SOIL every peaty soil, and every
sol! in which vegetable fibres does not reac,
lly decay, because that is a sign that 1t
contains some antiseptic acid, which pre-
vents decay. This is the case in peat beds
and swamps. Sandy, or thin Soils may
be oyerlimed and injured; because in eaus-
ing the decag. Of Vegetables, It. sets free the
ammonia, the very substance Of fertility
required. To prevent this, more food must
be given for the lime to act upon. No Tar
mer,who knows what the action OF lime 10,
upon all soils, will ever DO withou! lt,as an
accessory TO his manure. It's compo.
nent part Of all crops grown by the farmer
When applied to land which has not borne
wheat for many years, it has at once re-
stored It to fertility for that crop. Where
it has failed once to remunerate the farmer
using it, it has proved Of the greatest ben
fit hundred times. ~ -
Use of Lime ,ciA Pcat.-Tbe slow de-
composition of peat is an objection to its
use. By the term, we mean all ewahp
muck, partaking more or less of that char
) acter All peat contains resinous matter.
which prevents decomposition. BY adding
lime, the resin is combined, and forms
SOAP, and the Gbre then decays as rapidly
( as any other vegetable substance. .
Lime in The Soii.-Many farms which
once produced good crops of wheat be
cause there was lime enough IN the soil to
supply the requisite quantity to the grains
. have ceased to, be productive. They still
produce alarge growth of straw, but not'a
: remunel ating crop Of grain. In some IN
stances; such lands have been restored to
their former fertility without applying a
, bushel of lime. Do you ask how! SIM
. ply by ploughing deeper. In the hard'un'
r touched aud unexhaustcd subsoil, there was
plenty Of lime lying hid, which only want
ed stirriug up and exposing TO the action OF
the atmosphere, and bringing within reach
of the roots Of the plants, 10 produce the
same effect originally derived from the top
; soil before it was exhausted. Our constant
advice will be to use lime, plough deep,
subsoil and drain stiff lands, increase your
crops, and grow itch, which You will DO
if YOU read and heed.-We Plough,