Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-09-01

thus, as we have seen that lime promotes this
decomposition, it promotes also, the formation
OF these most valuable manrics from at,pos-
phcric ccmonts
| In the fourth place, it is we'll known that
lime will counteract the injurious acids, both
organic and inorganic, which collect in damp
soils where much vegetable matter is lccom
posing. and which render the sour and unfa.
vorable to successful cultivation. II is Of tho
nature of an aikali, like lime, to neutralizc
these acids and make these sour lands sweet
and mellow. Lime also dccomposcs aud
conntcracts the injurious sulphatcs of iron,
OF magncsia, and of nlumlna, all of which
sometimes abound to the serious injury of ev-
cry variety of field crops, and often dsappoint
the hopes of the industrious laborcr.
In the fifth place, that lime affects the
ncclanlcal constitution of the soil would be
naturally Inferred from what we have seen of
It's power to decompose the earthly matters
which contain the valuable mineral elements
of the soil.
Lime, by puycrixing the solid particles,
rcndcrs the land more loose and frabc at
the same time that it libcratcs tho valuable
stores OF nutritious matter locked up in them
l}y its chemical action it makes stiff and
heavy c"ys more light and porous, while it's
the texture Of looscr soils
| Lime is thus the busy agent of the farmer,
collecting, pulverizing, claboratng, digcsting
whatever it can fluid in air, earth or water,
and diligently cxncting tribute alike from the
animal, vegetable and mineral Kingdoms, for
The use and support Of the growing plant it
is not only itself a food, but it also acts as a
digcster, an absorber, ncutralizer and me,
| n nj cal !, L.
pcctcd from single fertilizer This surely
is great DEAL but it is not all.
| Amorg the effects Of lime Prof. Johston
enumerates several particulars in which it
modiics even the character of the vcgetation
For instance, it alters the natural production
of the soil by its tendency to extirpatc GER
tain coarse grasses which infcst some locali
ties, and prevent the growth of richer and
more nutiitivc fluids.
"lt kills" he says, "hcalth, moss, and sour
! and h"..J ~! L,i,l., up .u'awUc5 and
tender l,orbagc, ,mixed with white and red clio
yer, more grccdily eaten and more nourisling,
to the cattle. Indeed all fodder, whether
natural or artificial, is said to be soundcr and
more nourshing, when grown upon land to
which lime has been abunaanty applied. -
1t is said also that it "mproves the qunlity
of almost every cultivated crops" all kinds of
grains, peas, turnips, potatocs, &C., are found
to be more suitable for food when grown on
we'll lined soils. 1t is claimed that it also
''hastcns the maturity of the crop" causing
the small grains to mature from ten to four
teen days earlier on lined soils than Oh chose
unlimeG. The quantity of lime necessary to
these results when applied to cultivated lands,
depends upon SO many conditions of soil, eli.
mate and cultivation that no general rule eau
be given.
We learn from experiments carefully con.
Quoted in England, that "thc quantity of
pure lime contained in tho crops produced
upon one acre during four years rotation
amounted, on an average, to 243 lbs" This
gives us about sixty pounds per acre, actually
removed from the soil every year in compost
ton with the vegetable matter, and which
was necessary to its growth and healthy dc
vclopment We thus sec how much Of this
element may be needed for tho actual nourish.
mcnt Of the plants, and how rapidly soils, not
aburdantly supplied by nature, must become
exhausted of this essential ingredient, if it be
not arlifcially applied.
Under such circumstances lands, which
otherwise might bc highly productive, may
become sterile and useless
But this statement only includes the lime
necessary for single one of the five uses
specified above, and that one ordinarily de-
manding less quantity than either Of the
others. If to this be added the amount suf.
ficicnt for all the other purposes, we may ap.
preclatc moro fully the quantities sometimes
prpGtably employed in countries whore agri.
culture is carried to tho highest perfection
According to Bossingault "soil which is with.
out considerable proportion of the calcare,
Gus element, mover possesses high degree of
fertility"
A simple calculation will show that where
no lime is present in tho land, it will require
about 400 bushels per acre to give tho small
proportion of only one per cent of lime for
depth Of II inches below tho surface.
Few soils are thus wholly devoid of lime,
and much smaller quantities will suffice for
oil the purposes of agriculture. Bossingault
informs US, that, in England, clay lands ro.
ceivo the large amount of from 240 to 800
bushels Of lime per acre, and lighter lands
from $50 to 200 bushels. This must be but
once for a term of many years In France
tho amount applied is greatly less, about 60
or 70 bushels per acrc, at intervals Of seven
or eight years. Johnston tells us that in
Great Britain dose is on an avcrege from 7
to 10 bushels, per acre, year. In Flanders,
whore agriculture has achieved its greatest
triumphs, tho quantity used is not so large,
only 10 or II bushels every threo years.
1 In this country tho experience is similar to