Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-10-14
j: Farm ann 4OustbolD'
The Use c!L.me as q Fertilizer.

The season is approaching for the prep
aration of the soil for next years seed
This. and the selection of the kinds hes
adapted. are of sufficient Importance to &C.
cupy the mind of the farmer, andto 4 great
er extent than is occasionally given, when
it is considered that inferior or unadapted
seed viii produce as rule, an inferior
crop. Thus TO sow wheat on soil which
contains no lime or marl-either naturally
or artticially-is sure 10 bring poor re
place in ireland after the famine. 1t is a
fact well known by the more intelligent
farmers in that country that the extensive
central plain which occupies the surface
land at the foot OF the mountains contains
no lime or mari, and that dressings with
these materials were at stated times ap-
plieG when the culture of wheat was iuteu-
ded. The product from an average year
was twenty barrels per acre Qrish). or
about sixty bushels TO the English acre.
After the famine, the poverty aud want OF
heart TO do their best by the land compell-
cd those who remained on their farms. un-
subdued by the famine and pestilence. 10
omit the usual application OF lime to the
soil. and the consequence was, that instead
Of twenty barrels per Irish acre, the Yield
was from Eve 10 seven barrels, bein. a re-
duction OF from two-thrcis to three-fourths
Another instance occurred in the case OF
three farmers from Suffolk who took tract
OF land of about six hundred acres near
Sligo. enclosed with a wall as park. In a
letter from one of them after they had been
there few years, he stated that they were
about 10 abandon their horlings as the land
would not grow wheat for the want of lime,
of which there was none TO be obtained in
the neighborhood, while the soil contained
not particle OF that material, and there
was none within reasonable reach of their
farms. In such cases as this the applica-
ton Of lime is reqired 10 be renewed fire.
quently, because either line or mari will
sink III almost any soil, especially light, so
that the process OF renewing the applica-
ton OF those materials is very expensive.
There is, however, a draw back to this
favorable account of the effects OF the ap-
plication of lime to the soil. namely; that
Is possible to.oyerlime; that II produces
larger crops for a certain number OF wears
after which the return falls away until it
becomes less Khan before the lime was ap-
piled 20 that il appears TO have exhausted
instead Of enriched the soil. In accounting
for This adverse effect OF what is admitted
on all lands TO be a benefit. the chemists
state that lime acts on all the organic
parts 0. the soil. by which il Is rendered
more serviceable 10 the growth of plants.
On the other hand, the proportion of Or
gAnic matters in the soil gradually dlmin-
i>hes under the prolonged action of the
lime. and thus the soil becomes less rich In
those substances of organic origin on which
is fertility 10 a certain extent depends
The same effect is produced on the miner
al matter in the soil, when there is alb
stracted from it a more abundant supply in
proportion with lis immediate effect per Sc
Unless, therefore, an adequate proportion
OF those matters are supplied in other ma
nures, the soil will necessarily become ex-
hausted to such an extent as to counter.
act or neatraliZe the action of the lime
The way, therefore, to prevent this effect
is to manure largely with farm-yard ma.
nure and thus return or repay to the sol
whatever may have been extracted toe
speedily or too coriously from it. T-Mar
Lane Express.