The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-03-08

says
The quantity Of lime per acre which can
be used advantageously varies with the con-
dition and original character of the soil
Highly improved land will bear heavier
dressing than poor land. On soil of med
inn condition, the usual dressing is FORTY or
fifty bushels per acre. A deep rich soil or
limestone land in the great valley, will re-
ceive Serenty or eighty land | am told even
one hundred; bushels to the acre, with advan-
tage. On very poor land, tmsaty to thirty
bushels per acre is deemed most advantageous
to commence wtth. 1t is usually repeated
every five or six years, i, G., every time the
field comes in turn to be broken up with the
plow; and as the land improves, the quantl-
ty of lime is increased. The prevailing prac-
lice here is to plough down the sod or lay in
the fall or carly i'll the spring harrow it
once, and then spread the lime previously
slakcdlto a POWDER preparatory TO plouehiag
the fcld m corn. Every field in rotation, re-
ccivcs this kind of dressing and as our
farms are mostly divided into about half a
| dozen fields, the dressing. of course. comes
once in six years, more or less, according to
the number Of the fields. Some entcrprising
| farmers. however give their fields an inter-
mediate dressing on the sod, after they come
into grass; which I consider an excellent
practice. tending rapidly to improve the con-
dition of the land"
IN speaking Of the state in which the lime
is applied, DR.. Darlington states
cit is usually obtained in a caustic state
from the kilns, deposited in heaps in the fields
where it is to be spread. and water sufficient
to Stake it to powder is then thrown upon
it. AS soon as SACKED it is loaded into carts
| 1, Il, 4 IL
as possible over the ground. 1t is generally
considered best to put it on the ground whilst
1t is fresh or ,rarm, as the phrase is, and it
is certainly easier to spread it equally while
in light pulverizcd state than after 1T gets
much wet with rains. am inclined to think
too, it Is better for the land applied fresh
from the kiln"
In answer to question put to him, as "to
rhai crop lime is most nirdutageously 0ppiied,"
and lat wha. Seasons" DR.. Darlington re-
| marks:
ut is usually applied, as already intmatcd
to the crop Of ind'0a cora, in the spring Of
The year. Occasionally it is applied
preparatory to sowing wheat in autumn
When used as top-d, rssioe. on the sod, it
is generally applied in the fall-say Novcm-
Der. The prevailing impression is, that 1t is
|
crop; and hence the general practice. But
the truth Is, it is highly advantageous at any
and all seasons, and our shrcwd old farmers
have a saying :-Gd your lime on for qour
corn crop 4 yJu caa-Jm be sure that you get
ii on Tie hGld some time ia The gear"
The mo,ic of spreading and Incorporating
the lime, he describes as follows
"Ihe lime is spread as equally as possible
over the field and the ground is well narrowed
in different directions. in order to incorpor-
ate the lime with soil"
The views Of Dir. Darlington in the preccd-
ing remarks are doubtless enlightened and
corrcct--they detail his own practice and en-
pcricnce, and are in accordance with the cX-
pcrlrncc and practice Of the PENNSYLVANIA
| farmers generally. And as lime has been
| longer and more generally used in pcnnsyl-
vana for agricultural purposes than it has in
any other State. we think it safe to infer thar
the practice there so long and so successfully
followed, may be very adyantageously adop-
ted anywhere and everywhere
Monsieur Purls, of France. who is at once
a practical farmcr-thc culivator of "A large
domain, Il chemist Of reputation, as we'll as
an expert in the whole range of sciences, ai-
ter making series of experiments in the use
| of lime for agricultural purposes through q
long course of years of watching and noting
effects, arrived at the conclusion that the
safest, most economical and most advanta-
gcous application of lime was to apply ten or
twelve bushels per acre, at the commence
mcnt of every four years rotation, when the
land came to be turned by the plough.
This practice in France is not materially
different from that pointed out by DR.. OAR
lington.
With regard to our own views as to the
application Of lime, they are these:
Upon poor and exhausted lands, or light
sandy ones, we would apply twenty bushels
per acre, at the time of breaking them up.
and repeat this application until we had
given the land one hundred bushels per acre
Upon medium quality of land, we would
apply Thirty bushels as the first dose, and re-
peat that quantity when the land came to be
ploughed up again in the course Of rotation.
and continue applying the lime until we had
given it one hundred bushels per acre.
The Strong, fertile clays, well charged with
| organtic remains, we would give them fifty
bushels Of lime at the commencement of a
rotation, repeat the dose at the commence
mcnt of the next rotation, and then rest for
1t years.
Upon old grass swards, where the soil was
OF still clayey nature, and fertile, we would
not hesitate to apply one hundred bushels
per acre, in a single dose and we think the
most advantageous plan of applying it to the
sod, and harrow it in u year or so before
ploushng up the land. After all that may
be said upon the subject the great object is
to get the lime on and well mixed with the
soil, and the nearer W keep it to the surface
so much the better. as in that case its action
upon the soil will be the more general
| 1mciiCan Farmer.