The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1867-09-27

This practice, which is so common in
British agriculture, is but little known
lhourcountryO outside ofNew Jerseys and
pennsylvania. In recent visit to the
gram growing districts of these States,
we found lime as highly esteemed as
manure, and regular part oftheir ro-
tatlon, as we have noticed elsewhere.
Where lime can be had at ten cents a
bushel and under, as it can in all the
limestone regions of Pennsylvania, the
practice is almost universal. 1t is used
good deal on farms, far distant from
the lime-kilns, where it costs at the de-
pot or canal twenty cents a bushel and
upwards. The con viction of its utility
in these States may be said to be uni
versal, and if it is not used, it is either
owing to the high price of the article,
or to the fact that agriculture receives
little attention. -...-
1t is applied by some to the sod inn
mediately after moving and this sod is
turned under either in the fall or spring
Tor corn. 1t is claimed that the lime
stimulates the growth of grass, and af-
fects favorably every crop in the rota-
ton. 1t would be impossible, without
lining, to keep up the grain farms to
the present degree of pr0ductiveness.
1t is also claimed for the summer appli-
cation and the spring plowing, that it
distributes the lime more equally, and
keeps it near the surface. The lime
which is carried down by the fall of
winter rains, is brought to the surface
again when the sod is inverted. BY
this method also, the lime has more
| time to act upon the inert material in
the soil, and to prepare plant food for
| the subsequent crop. Other farmers are
quite as certain that the best time to
apply lime is upon the inverted sod in
the spring, while the ground is prepar-
ing for corn. They want to keep the
lime as near the surface as possible, and
have no fears of its late action upon the
crop. The quantity applied to the acre
depending somewhat upon the charac
ter of the soil, the price of the lime, and
the theoretical views of the planter
The better the soil, that is the more
clay and vegetable matter it contains,
the more lime it will bear. Some think
a hundred bushels quite too much, and
that so much has tendency to turn the
stalks yellow, and to diminish the
yield. Smaller quantities, say from 80
to 80 bushels, are more commonly APP
piled. The lime is usually brought
from the lime kiln or depot in its caus-
tic state, and is dropped upon the land
in heaps where it is to be used. 1t is
there slaked by theapplication of water
and is about doubled in quantity by
this process. 1t is then spread as even
ly as possible over the land. This
makes a cheap dressing for the land even
at twenty cents a bushel. The effect is
very clearly marked where it is used. 1t
Keeps up the fertility of the soil, and
makes remunerative crops even with
out manure. Of course, with manure
the crops are larger and pay better
| The question very naturally arises, If
lining land will pay in other districts
where it is not now used? Without
answering this question at once in the
affirmative, we think the eresults in these
States are such as to encourage every
farmer who can get lime at a reasona-
ble price to make the experiment. I'VE
have abundance of lime rock in regions
where it is not burned at all. The con-
viction is quite common that it will not
pay to use limestone soils, but in Penn
sylvania the effects of theapplicationa are
quite as marked upon these soils as up
on any other. Then it is supposed that
it is a difficult and expensive pro-
cess to burn lime. Very much of this
article is made upon the farms where
it is used without even kiln for burn
| ing, as we shall show in an illustrated
article next month. The lime can be
made by the most unskilled labor, and
with toughest and cheapest kinds of
| fuel. Wherever there is lime rock and
cheap fuel, we have no doubt the lime
can be furnished at less than twenty
cents a bushel. In the vicinity ofcities
and large towns oyster rshellsaccumulate
inquantities, and can puttO better use
than road making and grading. They
are easily reduced with brush or peat,
and afford cheap lime and generally of
better quality than the rock yields
We desire, to havethe experiment made
in other States on scale large enough
to settle the question:. We believe
many of our farmers will doubtless find
| it to their interest to use lime.-Anaeri-.
can AgricmttTia.
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egg-laying qualities. But the most is