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

i the application Of these substances and
! their effect upon vegetation, is not solely
i derived from my own experience, but
mainly from reading and the experience Of
others.
i Lime is the most valuable and most ex
i tensively used of all mineral substances
known in agriculture. It has always been
considered as lying at the basis of all good
farming.
As we find it in nature lime is always
combined with some other chemical sub
stance. The form generally used in prac
| teal agriculture is that of the carbonate
| When the carbonate of lime is subjected tt
a high degree of temperature as ordinarily
attained in our lime-kilns, the carbonie
acid which it contains is driven off and WE
have left what is called burnt lime Or quick
lime When water is added to this quick
lime 1t assumes q milder, and a new chem
zeal form, which chemists term the hy dratl
of lime.
In this latter form, by long exposure tC
the open air, it gradually and slowly ar
serbs carbouir acid from The mosphere,
and has q tendency 90 assume It's original
condition before it was burnt, that OF the
carbonate. This latter form, however, Is
not so commonly used rs fertilizer.
| Lime is met with on the earth's surface
! in numerous forms, in some of which it can
be applied to the land both probably and
economically III the natural state. One
Of these forms, and the one in most com
mon use, is that Of mari
In this form it is found abundantly II
Europe and this country, and is more eX-
tenslvely and universally used, perhaps as
an improver OF the soil, than any other
form OF lime.
The application of lime as q fertilizer,
is most important matter, We must con-
slider its effects upon the soil, both chemi-
cal and physical-it being Indispensable to
the fertility Of the soil. The state of COM
bination III which it exists, quantity to be
supplied, whether more beneficial in large
doses at long intervals, or smaller ones
more frequently, form in which applied,
CT the comparative economy OF lime and
mari, at what time the application should
be made-~the compost form, the effect Of
an over dose, the length of time IN which
it acts, comparative benefit OF burnt and
unburnt lime &C., &c, are all topics which
claim our closest attention, in order that
they may be applied judiciously, SO that
the greatest arlOunt of profit may be de-
rived therefrom. DR.. Thaer, the great
German Agriculturist, has remarked, that
the most perfect agriculture is evidently
that which produces, by the application of
abOr, the largest and most permanent profit
in comparison with the means employed.
The physical effect OF lime upon soils is
to alter their texture, but this effect varies
somewhat according to the form we nse );
for instance, clay maris will improve sandy
lands by rendering them sitter and thereby
better, enabling them to retain moisture,
while shell marls, which contain more or
less sand and gravel, will open and loosen
eli al To To
and both forms have q tendency TO sweeten
and promote healthy vegetation in low, wet,
and sour soils. In some instances it IS di.-
fcult 10 decide whether the effect produced
By lime OF mari is owing to its chemical
or physical action. Sometimes its applica-
ton to one character Of soil is attended
with marked benefit, whilst in others it is
highly injurious. In most cases, no doubt
It's action is partly chemical and partly ply
steal.
The effect that we generally observe
from the application Of lime is, that it al
ters the nature and character Of the
grasses, eradicating those that are useless,
and promoting the growth Of those that
are nutritious and beneficial to stock.
It increases the quantity and quality OF
all kinds Of grain, and its action is mani
tested for many years, and is more ener-
getic in its effects if combined With other
manures and lastly, it exhausts the soil if
no animal or vegetable matter IS returned.
It is said to be the result of universal
experience that lime is Indispensable to
the fertility of the soil. It is necessary TO
the successful growth of all crops. Its eX-
istence III some form, and in a greater or
less proportion should be present IN all
soils.
Sandy soils are comparatively barren IN
the absence OF lime, 50 the character of
clay, in which no lime is present, is radi-
calIy changed by the application OF this
substance. The quantity to be applied is
varied by SO many circumstances that It is
almost impossible to lay down any rule Oh
the subject.
In the first place, it seems to me, that
before we can go to work intel!igently, it
is highly important to know in what pro-
portion lime already exists in the soil we
wish to experiment on, and then the
amount put on should vary according to
the depth of the soil and Il larger quaint
ty may be applied to clay lands than to
those of a sandy character.
On wet and marshy soils, Or where the
land is covered abunduntly with vegetable
matter, still larger applications may be ben
officially applied. If he farmer should find
he has overdosed his land the remedy is
in deeper plonghing and applying yegeta-
bic o. animal manures.
Some difference of opinion, ltind, exists
among practical men, as to whether lime
should be applied in large quantities at
long intervals, or in smaller ones more fire.
quently repeated.
In regard to this point, it is we'll known
that every year a certain amount OF lime is
removed from the soil by the crops. or
from ether causes. This state Of things
goes on from year to year, till the original
amount applied is exhausted therefore it
would seem best to keep up the natural
waste by using smaller quantities more fire.
queutly applied.
The comparative economy in the use of
lime and mari depends very much upon the
percentage Of lime contained in the mari
the advantage the quick lime possesses is,
that it is in more minute state of divis-
ion, and consequently can be more readily
incorporated into the soil.
Therefore, in the application of mari to
our land, we can use it in much larger
quantities than lime. According to Prof.
Johuston, allowing that the mari contains
twenty per cent. Of lime, the amount pro-
nor To nSt. W0ul1 be ahOnf five of mari to