The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-12-17
Agricultural department.
cUvpujryn e. sLBRrr ,pAPMAN.
L ms-i,s Application to Land.

that lime could uut ne regarded as b
manure, aud t"' he paper III which h,
advanced hat opiniuu he was awarded
prize by oue oi our national societies
Seeing that it's chief action 10 the sol
consisted in the decomposition Of inerI
vegetable matter, the writer referred to
hal obviously leaped to the conclusion
that this was its only use. Where vege.
table remains abound land the roots
all plants occupy much larger space III
the soil than many persons thiuk,) th,
bcueht OF the application Of lime is &C.
knowledge ou all hands, SILL it is mis-
take to suppose that its good is confined
10 soils containing notable quantities o
organic matter. The writer iu the cours,
OF hi. farming practice applied lime t.
= ieli vi a poor description that held LEES
than 2 per eeut. Ut organic matter, au,
the succeeding crops OF grass aud corr
surprised every body that knew the land
Asa,u, as showing the danger Of general
ling in such matters, be gave dressing
OF lime to field of nes 8 reclaimed Ian,
ti,t held upwards OF 20 per cent of vege.
tauie remains, without any apparent in
rroeemcht vi the crops. Tic stil cou
t .iueI no lime naturally. aud tho cas-,
Iuzzl I'd many an Observing farmer.
TheIe is no lrAc ice 10 the range o.
agriculture where the beneficial effect
are more clearly established than tn,
application oil limo and that TO soils
every variety OF composition. 1t is in.
deed tue that since tho introduction o.
nri Ii ;al mauures periodical dressings Of
lime, are less frequent than before. Th'
may he owing to two considerations. FIRST.
the iaimer in the liberal application oi
these expenditure Incompatible with an,
further outlay IN the purchase Of enrich
inen;s to the land but the main reasoL
OF the diminished use Of lime is probably
owing IT, the tact that the phosphate o.
lime. render the former dressings Of lin.
le.s NECESSARY than before.
If the practice of the farmers around
i; ford Oh entirely ignoring the use Of
Line is tenable, ihen 1t may be assumed
tat the land coutaius an adequat.
auIouut for the requirements Of the farn.
crops. We have receutly seen two analy.
%, q! district rolls by Dr. Noelcker tn,
Que -nows Is per cent. of carbonate o.
lime aud the other IL. The latter j,
equivalent 10 dressing Ut six tons o,
c.lcned limestone to ali acre, a quantity
which is esteemed heavy application III
the distli:fs where lime is systematicall,
employed, ard where its use is so much
valued. We're all the local soils as rich
iu liTe as the above, the prevailing prac.
nee might be detended, 50 far at least ut
reg ards plowed land, bu. this is not the
Case. Best les. it mus. be remembered
that carbonate of lime in its iDdurated
form is Of very little avail as an alimen.
tary substance. on account of its insolu.
Lility. S0abiity and nutrition bear
close relation to vegetable growth, and
unless it can bc proved that plauts nibble
away at the hard mineral food, as mites
do ut cheese, the carbonate Of lime cannot
be compared with the hydrate in its effect
on tue IauJ The constituents and tex.
ture Of a soil are taken into account 10
estimating the quantity that may be mos,
advantageous tor land, aud 10 the soils
referred to Sbove, the large proportion Of
intractable clay, aud also iron, must not
be overlooked. Clay is kind of Her.
cules among the earths, and relatively
small percentage Of pure clay or alumnia
imparts its special character TO q soil
namely, 6rmness and Elasticity, aud il
requires powerful dose of csustic lm,
to reduce it's obstinate character.
Those who have attended to the pro.
gress of the scientific investigation o.
soils may recollect Johustono analyses o
some Elgin,hire soils. They appeared il
the Journal Of the Highland Society a,
the time when the analysis Of soils wa.
bgin"ing t. engage the attention Of en-.
ghtenel culis.tors. aud when high ex.
rccla,lous were entertained vi the result.
-,xFe;'ari' us that have unhappily not
been realized. Now. although these soil,
DID uut contain over one per cent. o.
LINZ, there were plausible grounds foi
believing that their loosepess and barren.
ness were due to too large proportion
At lime This accredited chemist did moi
think SO ; but as they contained SO to 0O
Ter cent. OF silcious matter, and showed
less than two per cent OF alumnia, thu
small amount Of lime would be equal il
action. i'll the form in which it was sppl
&c, 10 ID or 20 per cent. in many soils
.he opinion Of many agriculturiste.
III secms to accord with theory, that tn.
Quantity OF lime should be regulated BY
t..e pro- ortion OF constituents, pres.
eus IN eoi', that directly minister to ID,
Wants OF vegetation. The other ingredi.
euis OF the soil must be regarded as ofa
m-roiuirnl value.
Tn writ d, os not claim exemption
from error in saying that the application,
y. The hydrate OF lime to many OF the dis.
,rlct soils would DC goot. The Oxford
oiayr, though sbouud'ug in llme 10 the
btate OF fragments OF chalk, are, accord.
ing to high authority, uniformly i'm.
proved by the use OF caustic lime. There
can be no doubt that the fields which
have been long down in pasture, of which
th're i very large area in the country
woud be benefited by the application OF
lime 10 hue powdery state or as a com.
post. 1t is u property OF lime to go
down 10 he soil and u top dressing would
imP o.e old iaert pastures much. Iu
t.s analysis Of rome soils from the Colts.
void Hills, that appeared in the Geologi-
oil Journal number Of years ago. DR..
We cksr, the sualyoist expressed his sur
pris, that they did not contain more lime.
Being the products of the decomp osed
ttratA on which lime predominates, the
presence Of lime in large quantity would
Ls naturally Inferred. That emiuen,
chsnis gave it as his opiuion that large
pro- o ton Of the calcareous matter is be.
lug toastautly dissolved and carried down
into the sub.strata by the infiltratiou OF
rain water charged with carbonic acid.