Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-04-10
Action of Lime on Soil.

The distinguished chemist, Boussingault,
has Just read before the French Academy OF
Science a paper on the employment OF lime
in agriculture. 1t has not yet been published,
but NJ Barral gives the following as the sub
stance of it, which we translate from the
Journal d. A.grsculture Pratique.-Er.
50 Lime introduced in arabic soil very
quickly sets at liberty a certain quantity OF
azote in the state of ammonia the azote ele-
ments were before united in insoluble combi-
nations. not assimilable to plants-the action
! Of the lime sets them free, and permits part
of the capital buried in the soil to be utilized
for the next crop. 1t was the whole effect
of lime, of which the experiments OF Bouss-
ingault afforded evidence. small doses of it at
once ought to be counselled, because the
quantity of ammonia produced does not in
crease in proportion to the quantity of lime
used But as heavy Innings produce incon
testible effects iii certain cases it must con-
seauentlv be admitted that lime excrts
action of some other kind upon the elements
of the mould. Boussingault thinks that GER
tain mineral matters. such as potash and 81
liac. NAV be liberated in the soil by the lime !:
that other substances, injurious to plants, are
DESTROYED or modified bv the same agent. and
to these effects is added moreover physical
action. changing the constitution of the land.
The action of lime is thus excessively complex,
and its good effects can only be explained by
studying attentively the special circumstan.
ces under which they are produced. The
grand fact proven by the present researches
of this agricultural sarant is, that there ex-
list in mould, well as in the form of organ
c matters, host of substances completely
inert for vegetation, until the moment when
some proper agent renders them assimilabe
by plants. The continuance of experiments
upon the method devised by Boussingault can
alone clear up these excessively complex facts
and point out to our agriculturists the most
effective process. The discovery of methods
which conduct to truth is often the greatest
service that can be rendered to science and
art
FOREIGN BIRDS IN New YoRK-A New
York letter saws -. The importation of for
eign birds, az means of preventing the hor-
rible worm nuisance, has become a question
of great Importance and interest here To
some extent. the importation of English spar
rows has been a success, especially in a neigh
boring city of New Jersey. Six years ago
there were none of these useful and pretty
little creatures in the country, but now they
fly in large fiocks through the streets of that
city, and have spread inland as far as New
ark and Elizabeth We find them OCCASION
ally in Brooklyn and in the upper part of
New York. In New Jersey special laws
have been made to protect them against
sportsmen. Their utility is every where ac-
knowledged- Last summer they materially
decreased the worm nuisance in BROOKLYN,
and delighted the city with the prospects of
having shade trees that grow leaves instead
of caterpillars a correspondent of the Ere
ning Post suggests that other birds besides
sparrows might be imported and naturalized
IL e
the skylark, the linnet, the goldfnch and the
nightingale. The same correspondent sug-
gests that architects should encourage these
useful creatures to become permanent set
tiers among us by providing refugees and nest
ing places for them in the ornamentaton of
buildings. This is done in every European
city. In Berlin and Paris the public build
ings and parks afford refuge to thousands of
these little creatures, and the consequence Is
that those cities are never troubled with cat
erpilars in the trees. MOOre's Rural.