Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1867-12-13

the soil, there depends much upon the char
aoter of the soilitself, the quantity originally
applied, the kind Of cropping the land has
been subjected to. &c. According to the
best authority twenty years is the longest
period before lime ceases to lose its good
influence upon the soil
One of the pecullarities of lime is its ten
dency TO sink into the land, until after a
time il entirely disappears below the sur
face soil.
This may be accounted for by the ex-
treIne minuteness into which the particles
of quick lime are divided. We know if we
take a quantity OF E1aked lime, to which
water is added, portion will be dissolved
but quite q large proportion Is pTecipltated.
so a somewhat similar action takes place
when applied 10 the soil. + part l. taken
up or dissolved in the surface soil, while
quito a large amount by the contiuuou,
action OF the rains, - precipitated OF
washed down utt.'Gss into the subsoil below
This is particularly the case in light and
open soils, the natural pores OF the land
afforaipg the lime an opportunity OF de-
scending. With some other inanurea this
same result often takes place, and conse-
quentlv the great benefit 10 be derived from
deep ploughirg and aubsoiling; OF, in
other words. by bringing back to the sur
face sell those fa1tiliziDn principles which
have sunk beneath the reach Of ordinary
shallow ploU9hing. This reminds ne Of
the views / have heard expressed by some
that no land could be injured by excessive
rains If well drained, and that the good ef-
feet Of manure, was not lost if the land was
we'll ditched. IN my opinion. if not en-
tirely lost, they are SO filtered through the
natural pores Of the soil that their good IN
ttuence on the growing crop Is very Sc
rionsiy Injured.
|,
any advantage in using burnt lime ia
preference to the carbonate OF uHb,lrnt
Inns
In answer to this inquiry ] will repeat
what L have before stated that by burning
| the lime i3 reduced TO IL finer powder than
| i'll the carbonate or moral condition, ana is
| thereby more readily ditIused through TIC
soil, rendering its effects more immediate
by neutraIiZing those acids that exist in the
soil, and fastening the decomposition Of
vegetable matter.
| Professor Emmons, i'll his report on the
Agriculture Of the Eastern Counties, says
'Much disa9rtemeu exists among planters
Of experience about tho method Of applying
mari, and the quantity to be used rs
says "tha amount generally applied -
from $50 to geo bushels per acre, though
this depends on many circumstances, such
rs the percentage Of lime III the mari
character Of soil, &c.
Our best mail III tiis county contains, ]
should think, mt least from 70 to s. per
cent OF the carbonate Of lime. IF this is
the case, then about IS bushels would
probably be the proper am0unt to apply to
our lighter lands, which is ordinarily our
best lands for the ground pea On our
heavier and sitter lands moro might be
used with benefit.
applied it this year ut the rate OF 80
bushels, along with double that quantity
Of we'll decomposed stable manure and
some other vegetable matter, on Il piece OF
land very much worn, with decided i'm
provement to ny yam potato crop.
[ have frequently heard my father say,
III speaking of his experiments with mari,
that i'll some instances the application OF
it caused the crop 10 "French or burn.
He generally remedied this injury by
ploughing deeper, thcIcby mixing the mari
with larger quantity Of soil, and applying
vegetable OF animal manure-by this means
the futility Of the soil was restored. En-
mons says this burning is caused by sub
stance in the mari unfriendly to vegetation,
thisis the sulphate Of iron, copperaS. Hetells
Us this injurious effect may be cOunteract-
ed in three ways by the addition of quick
lime, which decomposes this salt; by allow
ing the mari to stand in heaps in the open
air, when the cOpperas is freed from 1t by
solution in rain water and by the method
before mentioned of deeper ploughing, &c.
This same eminent authority informs lis
that of all fertilizers wood ashes are the
best, and possess more general application
than any other; being adapted to any crop.
They are the best because they contain ali
the clements the plants need ; and hence
the nearer a mari is III composition to wood
ashes the better it is.
Hence the efficacy OF mari is due to its
potash. soda, lime, iron, magnesla, phos-
phoric acid, sulphuric acid, and chlorine,
and not any one Of It's elements exclusive Of
the others.
In conclusion, gentlemen, q question
closely connected with this subject natural
ly presents ITSELF viz Whether it would
pe more profitable and economical to use
| foreign manurCS, such as the various gu
amos offered IN the market, or such fertlli-
zers as we can produce ourselves, particll-
| larry where we are ;1bundantly supplied
with mari and swamp mud or ether vegota
bic matter. This question [ put myself
sometime ago to one Of the most expert
enccd aud successful planters IN this coun
! ~. He answered unhesitatineiy, that it was
his opinion that where these srbstauces
were present abundAntly on the premises,
as is tie case in many localities i'll this sec
tion, it would be more economical. protita-
bic and better still, and the effect upon The
| land InOrG lasting to make or own tcrt1l
izers.
This opinion was the moro gratifying to
me, rs it conceded SO clearly with my own
views on the subject And / think ii our
farmers, where they are SO situated, will
adopt this plan, their lands may become
more permanently benefited than 10y the
application of the various manipulated gu
amos and phosphates, which have IL ten
dency only to stimulate the growing crop,
and when successfully applied, gradually
to impoverish the soil.
Ia confirmation Of this opinion it would
be well perhaps to cite the authority OF II
distinguished agricuiturist. He says hua-
bandry in none of its branches can be con
Quoted successfully without the use of fer
tilizers and that while it is better to pur
chase manures than to proceed in the cul
tivation of crops without them, yet when
the expenditure has to be mado IN cash, it
is better to make composts Of the excre-
ment of animals under cover, all kinds OF