Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-02-03

Lime as Fertilizer.
IL is really strange how slowly we improve
in the practice Of agriculture how we hang
on to the old ways how little we know, and
how little we care to know what is being
done out OF our own neighborhood. The ag-
riculture Of the old worn out " countries of
Europe is in advance even of the best
average practice Of any state in America
yet our farmers don't seem TO care TO learn
how it is that they get from land that has
been two thousand years under the plow,
double the crops Of wheat that we get off of
land that fifty years ago was virgin
wilderness.
But to say nothing Of European agricul-
ture, which may be supposed generally to
be practiced under such different conditions
from ours as to render the methods in use
there inapplcable with us,-to say nothing
Of that,-how little the farmers of our state
know of the best methods employed in neigh
boring states There is Maine, with as good
grassland as any in New England, just be-
ginning to think of making her own butter
and cheese. Here is Vermont, not hum
bred miles from that section of New York
where clover is considered the foundation Of
success in farming; yet not fifty farmers in
Vermont know anything, practically, about
| it, or seem to care to avail themselves Of its
benefits And there is Pennsylvania in
which lime is considered almost a sine qua
non of successful husbandry setting her ex-
ample in vain before states as rich in lime
stone as she is. At least one-fourth Of the
| farmers in Vermont are within reach of an
abundant and cheap supply OF lime yet it
is an exception to hear that a farmer in this
state is availing himself, in any systematic
manner, of that valuable source of fertility.
1t is not saying too much 10 assert, that il
the cloyering of New York were combined
with the lining Of Pennsylvania in this state,
to as large an extent as it might be done
with profit, our grain and grass crops could
be augmented twenty per cent, at least.
Lining Is a common practice in England,
and throughout Europe where lime can be
had but in this country it is practically
limited to Pennsylvania, New jersey aud
Maryland. In those states, wherever lime
can be had at ten cents bushel, or under
its use as a manure, as a regular part Of the
rotation, is universal and it is good deal
used even upon farms so distant from the
lime kilns as TO raise its cost to twenty cents
and upwards at the railroads or on the
canals. But on many farms, where there are
lodges of limestone, the farmers burn it
themselves in rude kilns of their own con-
struction.
1t is applied by some to the sod imme.
diately after moving, and this sod is turned
under, either in the fall or spring, for corn.
The lime stimulates the growth of grass,
and affects favorably every crop in the rota-
ton. 1t would be impossible without lime
ing, to keep up the productiveness of the
grain farms.
Others apply the lime upon the inverted
sod in the spring, while preparing the land
for the corn. They want to keep it as near
the surface as possible, and have no fear Of
any i'll effect of the fresh lime upon the crop.
The quantity applied to the acre is from
thirty to one hundred bushels The stronger
the soil that is, the more clay and vegetable
matter it contains, the more lime it will
bear Some think one hundred bushels too
much, even on the strongest land, as they be-
lieve it has am effect to turn the stalks vel
low, and diminish the yield. From thirty
to fifty bushels are more commonly applied
The lime is bought in its fresh-bumed OF
caustic state, and is Stacked with water until
it falls to powder, after being dropped in
piles upon the land. 1t is then spread as
evenly as possible. This makes a cheaT
dressing, even at twenty cents bushel
The effect is very clearly marked wherever
it is used. 1t keeps up the fertility of the
soil and makes paying crops, even without
manure But of course this is not the best
way TO use it, Combined with Covering
using also a little plaster upon the young
clover, We believe, however, that in many
cases other manure might be entirely dis
pensed with, and the productiveness of tn,
!. soil continually increased. A proper rota
ton would be an essential part Of thi
I, system.
+ Now in Vermont We have an abundanc,
I of limestone. Why cannot our farmers, (,
e whom it is accessible, inform themselve
$ fully upon its use, and then make use of it
; There are plenty Of chances for profitable
! enterprise in farming, and this is one o
e them. Many may think that lime will d,
t no good upon limestone soils but this is no
e found TO be the case, either in England O
, Pennsylvania. In both of those countrie
; its effect is found TO be quite as great oil
y such soils as upon any others. And where
e farmer has a ledge of lime rock, he cal
e easily prepare it for use even without
P kiln, If he only has supply Of cheap fuel
The toughest logs, old stumps, etc, can b
e made into pile, the limestone mixed witt
I 1t, and after burning, the heap of lime vii
c be found in a condition for use. A littl
s. experimenting may be necessary, to ascel
r tain just how to proportion the fuel an,
l. stonei but this is not beyond the ingenuit
Is Of any Yankee farmer.
As matter of encouragement we ma
re say, that where lime has been tested as fel
tilizer within our knowledge, in this stat
20 and Canada, the result has fully equalled tn
y accounts of it we get from Pennsylvania
Lime is quarried quite extensively on lax
10 Memphremagog, and has been used wit
great success both for grass and grain, an
IS this upon farm which is entirely underlai
At with limestone The first experiment wa
it upon a piece Of boundout moving. Owe
y, one hundred bushels per acre of waste lin
'e from the kilns was spread upon the furrov
IS after blowing, and oats sown and harrowe
ne In, without any other fertilizer. The Gro