The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-05-12
From the Southern cultiva.or.

iio AnhiIULI URAL Uses, &c.
Editors Southern C,Aiiuator.-Since the
recent reduction in the price of Line, and
also OF freight on il, many inquiries have
heen made Of me in regard to the best method
OF using this fertilizer. Will YOU allow me
to reply through the columns Of the CultiUa-
for?
The bestmethod application is undoubt-
edly broadcast, on new ground or stubble
land, at the rate of about fifty bushels TO the
acre. II the ground be laid off by the pillow
in squares Of twenty feet, and a half busheI
Of lime be placed on each square, this will
give fifty bushels TO the acre.
This method of application will probably
be too expensive for most farmers not living
in limestone country. A cheaper and still
very valuable application is in the form Of
compost. Putrescent manures should not
form part Of this compost. These manures.
with litter Of stables, &c., should be put
directly upon corn land. which crop is not so
much benefited by lime as others. The
compost should be made upon the place where
II is to be used. This will save double
hauling. The materials might be scrapinrs
OF fence corners, pond mud, sedge grass,
corn stalks, or straw of any kind, leaves, &c.
The lime and these materials may be placed
IN alternate layers-the layers being, saw,
one inch OF lime and one foot Of other mate
rials. When decomposition has so far adj
yanced, that the materials can be handled ca
silly, the heap should be cut down perpendi-
cularly and formed second time, to cause a
more perfect mixture. Fifteen bushels Of
lime applied in this way will produce great
effect upon an acre Of land. One Of nv
neighbors last year applied lime at the above
rate to several acres OF the poorest land upon
hls farm-a clay slate knoll, probably our
wurst soil-the result was forty bushels Of
very superior wheat to the acre. This gen
tleman paid me six cents per bushel for waste
lime-hauled IL eight miles, and applied it
IN compost at the rate of fifteen bushels to
the acre-he used no putrescent manure.
The profit Of such an outlay is evident. even
if the lime had cost him five times the
amount. The land so manured will bring a
heavy crop Of clover; and from this starting
point, the process Of recuperating worn land
becomes no longer difficult or expensive.
Lime should not be used on land destitute Of
vegetable matter. have seen it applied TO
denuded red clay land, entirely worn out.
vi course no effect was produced. and the
expsrmenter determined against the use of
lime as manure.
Lime should not be applied TO the wet
land. The soil must be perfectly dry ma
turally, or made so by drainage.
Lime does not benefit all dry soils equally. |
II may be Of great service to one field, aud
of but little service to the adjoining field. I
Its adaptation TO the soil must be determined 1
by experiments. Since the liberal reduction
in freights on the Western & Atlantic and
the Georgia Rail Roads. these experiments
can be made without great expense by plan.
tiers living within 10 or Is miles Of these
roads.
Lime does not increase all our crops
equally. II benefits cotton, wheat and peas
most, rye and barley less, and corn and oats
least. When mixed with ashes, the effect On /
corn and oats is much greater than when
used alone. In fact mixture Of lime and i
ashes seems greatly TO augment the fertiliz.
ing power Of each.
Where compost is not made, and il Is
designed to apply the lime directly TO cotton
or corn, the best plan i TO run furrow as
deep and wide as possible-iill il with corn
stalks, straw, leaves, &c. sprinkle lime on il
~ atAt ldNt VI ~ BusHNts w tic acre. aHu tnen
cover il TO remain until planting time. This
is best done in the autumn.
4 still cheaper application Of lime is by
iifst coating the seed with tar (which Is casi.
y done) aud then rolling il in lime--an ad.
iitiOn of ashes will improve The result. Mai.
one Of the largest and best far.
mcrs Of New York. and perhaps 0fthe United
States, recommends this mode oi using lime.
cannot refrain from quoting a paragraph
from the speech Of this gentleman az Penn.
ian--one of the most practical and sugges.
tive addresses that Il has been my good for
tune 10 read:
:" will give al the particulars TO prepare
The seed for sowing, as there is no seed that
! farmer can afford to SOW or plant without
frst taring and then applying the very thing
Dr. things his soil lacks. | would as soon i
Ihink Of farming without tar, lime and plas. [
Ter, as ] would Of keeping house without
lrnica. camphor and sticking salyc. L
" will tell you how you can put coat OF
ar over all kinds Of seed as evenly as a pain.
er can pnt coat Of paint over board with
lis brush an iron kettle Is The best to mix
he tar and water. Have sufficient boiling I
water. aud then pour in sufficient water 20 1
'tir whatever grain you put in, that the wa. q
er and tar NAV come in contact with every i
PARTICLE. II will then be coated evenly, and
$ ready 10 take out. Shovel il into basket 4
--lor economy the basket may be put over q
( ht harrei "a catch tha t,afar A. .n... =. /.