[ i 7 6 ] 



is plenty of vegetable or animal fubftances for it 

 to act upon, lime may be ufed to confiderable 

 advantage; and alfo on land overrun with weeds, 

 as it kills and converts them into good manure. 

 But on exhaufted, or very poor land, the expence 

 of liming will never be repaid. 



The learned and ingenious Dr. Alston ob- 

 ferves of lime, that if long expoled to the air, it 

 foon lofes its medicinal virtue, its virtue as a ma- 

 nure, and as a cement in building; but that if 

 flaked with water, it retains thefe virtues a long 

 time. The practice of the Devonfhire farmers 

 correfponds with this doctrine. 



After their lime is laid in fmall heaps on the 

 land, they cover it with earth till the coat is 

 thick enough to fecure it from air and rain; and 

 in order to prevent thofe from entering, they beat 

 the outfide of the heaps fmooth with their fhovels. 

 The moifture of the earth gently flakes this lime, 

 and the heaps remain in this ftate until the land is 

 ready for its fpreading. 



Another method of mixing up their lime is 

 ufed by the beft farmers, which adds greatly to 

 the fertility of the land drcfTed with it. This 

 method is to form heaps of earth and lime as 



above 



