AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AND GEOLGGY. 



Composition of Gas Limes. 



149 



too great quantity to the roots of the young corn, and hence the complaints of some that 

 the gas-lime has killed their wheat, while others have found, when applied as a top-dressing 

 in a similar way, that it greatly improved their crops of corn. Unless its composition be 

 satisfactorily ascertained, therefore, — unless, for example, it be found that water dissolves 

 very little of it, — there will always be a degree of risk in applying it directly to the land 

 while any corn crop is growing. There may not be the same danger in putting it between 

 the turnip or potato drills, and afterwards ridging up the land in the way that quick-lime is 

 applied in many districts. To fallow land, however, to land which it is intended to reclaim, 

 and especially to mossy land, the Scotch varieties at least may be applied directly with 

 safety and with great benefit. In the neighborhood of Paisley it is in constant demand for 

 the improved moss land, and sells at about Is. 6d. a cart-load. 



But those varieties which contain the largest quantity of the soluble hyposulphite of lime 

 also form at last the largest quantity of gypsum. Thus the Edinburgh lime analyzed would 

 never come to contain more than seventeen per cent., but the London lime might eventually 

 contain as much as thirty per cent, of gypsum. This suggests the propriety, therefore, of 

 laying it on and harrowing it slightly in some months before any crop is sown, — in the spring, 

 for instance, before the turnip sowing, — or of making it into composts, perhaps the best and 

 safest method of all. 



This lime ought in no case, if possible, to be wasted ; and from what has been above 

 stated, it appears that it may always be safely used — 



Directly upon mossy land, upon naked fallows, and in spring when preparing for the 

 turnips. 



In composts, in which, by the action of the air, the whole of the soluble salts of lime will 

 have a tendency to be converted into gypsum, and consequently the benefits which result 

 from a large application of gypsum will be obtained by laying such composts upon the land. 

 As it appears usually to contain only a small proportion of caustic lime, it may be with 

 safety mixed at once with the manure, though not in too large quantity. It may also prove 

 a valuable admixture with guano, on which its action will ultimately be to fix rather than to 

 expel the ammonia. 



Strewed sparingly over the young braid, it is said to prevent the attacks of the turnip-fly, 

 and harrowed in in considerable quantity, when the ground is naked, slugs and wire-worm 

 disappear before it. The action upon this last pest of the farmer will probably be greatest 

 when the soluble hyposulphite is largest in quantity. If as dry as the specimens of which 

 I have given the analysis above, the gas-lime is worth to the farmer, at least, one-half as 

 much as an equal weight of quick-lime. 



If applied in too large quantity in this way, however, it is sometimes injurious to the 

 young corn crop, which has not time to recover from its effects till much of the season of 

 early growth is past. But grass land, though at first browned by the application, soon 

 recovers, and repays the cost of application by a greener and earlier bite in spring. 



