436 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



of seed, we get a carpet of choice white clover, not 

 only keeping our cattle in good condition, but in 

 many cases otherwise favourable, with shelter, &c., 

 making them fit for the shambles, and besides 

 keeping such extra numbers, the very droppings of 

 which soon manure and quicken the jjasture. Hav- 

 in<r, I hope, satisfactorily disposed of the lirning of 

 lands intended for perpetual pasturage, or, at all 

 events, in such a way as to make myself understood, 

 I proceed briefly to call your attention to the liming 

 of lands under or intended for cultivation. To all 

 such I recommend, and recommend strongly, the 

 application of lime in the hottest possible state, and 

 in quantities of from seven to ten tons per imjierial 

 acre. If the land has never been broken up, or has 

 lain in green for any length of time, then let the ap- 

 plication be made two or more years before break- 

 ing up, and considering the somewhat mountainous 

 country where our lot is cast, the rains of winter 

 and tempestuous winds of spring, with which we 

 never fail to be visited, I would recommend the 

 summer season as the best for having lime properly 

 burned and applied. Rest assured there is too 

 little attention paid by all of us in having lime in a 

 jiroper state. At this season — I mean summer — 

 there is scarcely any risk in having one side of the 

 lime-kiln burnt to a cinder, the other cold and 

 hard as the quarry from which it was excavated. 

 Neither are the horses, carts, and harness, from 

 frequent rains during the transit from the kiln to 

 the field, so liable to be burnt; in short, less wear 

 and tear every way. Of course, some may object 

 to this season as being the very one when pasture 

 may be said to be in the greatest luxuriance ; this 

 is not diflScult to surmount. Either cut a hay crop 

 and lime immediately afterwards, or if the field be 

 unsuitable for hay, then withdraw all your cattle 

 from your other fields, and eat over as close as y,os- 

 sible, and long before the after-math from the hay, 

 or the springing after the eatage is ready, to afford 

 a full bite to the short-horn, the hot lime will have 

 found its way to the roots of the grass, and be out 

 of the way for injury to the tongues and teeth of 

 the animals depasturing thereon. Some may sup- 

 ])ose from the drought of the season, generally in 

 summer, that a long time will elapse ere the lime 

 falls or flours. No fears need be entertained on 

 this^ score ; the dews falling at this season are amply 

 sufiicient for the purpose: and be it remembered, 

 there is no need for every piece of the lime to be 

 completely fallen; twenty-four hours after spread- 

 ing finishes the slaking. Lime applied in the ex- 

 treme hot state, so far as my observation extends, 

 does iiot kill and destroy old moss or fog, as it is 

 sometimes termed, so quickly nor so effectually as 

 when in a colder and soured state ; still it finds its 

 way quicker to the roots of the grass, and there, 

 like an ever active agent, tenders or sears the sward^ 

 so that when the day and implement of destruction 

 (the plough) arrives, the field lifts more like any 

 tender new lea break, than the tough stubborn un- 

 manageable soil we are accustomed to see where 

 hme has not been applied ; and besides, from the 

 land harrowmg more freely and thoroughly, the 

 green crop is not only more abundant, but beina 

 equal m depth in the soil, springs at once, and 

 shows a more uniform sample; in a word, altoge- 



ther freer from greens and after-shots. Another 

 advantage is gained, I think, by applying lime to 

 old lea at least two years before breaking up, and 

 that is, the saving of labour, when fallowmg for 

 turnips. The lime having lain two years, has the 

 surface soil, as before stated, to a considerable de- 

 gree tendered; then on ploughing the stubble an 

 inch or two deeper than the lea furrow, the lime 

 will be about central in the middle of the furrow, 

 at work pulverizing the soil, and rendering it, as 

 soon as the season for fallowing arrives, almost as 

 soft and brittle as an ash pit, and saving replough- 

 ing, harrowing, grubbing, &c., a sum almost equal 

 in value to half the cost price of the lime. 



I must, however, bid adieu to lime, much as I 

 value it, only, as it was my first love, I cannot do 

 so without a parting benediction. Lime, then, I 

 say, wherever practicable on your lea break, and in 

 the summer season; yet such is my regard for it 

 that I say, and say advisedly, rather than allow 

 your farms to remain unlimed, lime by any means, 

 any how, and at any season, betwixt Christmas and 

 Lady Day, and Lady Day and Christmas. 



I come now to speak of manure, on which there 

 never has been any difference of opinion as to its 

 being rightly and properly named or classified, ancl 

 that is, old-fashioned farm-yard muck, and this, I 

 take the liberty of saying, appears to me to be still 

 the best of all mixtures. When I say so, let none 

 suppose I underrate, or am ignorant of the value 

 of the sanitary offals of our large towns and cities; 

 these, I know experimentally, from their large ad- 

 mixture of night soil, &c., are, as fertilizers, all but 

 invaluable; but then it is only in favoured situa- 

 tions — situations not subject to an expensive sea 

 or land carriage — that they are available, and, 

 therefore it is that I leave this valuable accessary 

 to the farmer, out of my catalogue, as they are 

 totally incomatable to a large number of the culti- 

 vators, situate within the mountain fastnesses of 

 Cumberland and Westmoreland. To all then I say, 

 especially, and to the farmers of Great Britain 

 generally, that the farmer, be he who he may, who 

 can produce the largest quantity of farm-yard 

 manure in connection with the best quality, will 

 very soon be found standing forth as the leading 

 and most successful (other things being equal) 

 agriculturist of his day and district. Now, there 

 are various ways for doing this, that is, for swell- 

 ing the manure heap, and also for increasing its 

 value, and, I believe, there is none better, whilst, 

 at the same time, I fear, none more overlooked and 

 neglected by us all, than the properly securing the 

 urine of our stalls and byers; this, in place of being 

 conducted to some convenient receptacle, any one 

 passing along our highways may have observed, 

 in nine cases out often, finds its way to the horse 

 pond or goose dub, rather than the manure manu- 

 factory. Now, in this, it is self-evident there is 

 great waste, when buildings are not spouted round, 

 for carrying off rain water ; and landlords should 

 be reminded this is expected from them, and being 

 accomplished, then the occupying tenant must see 

 that there are proper cesspools, or reservoirs, 

 formed in some convenient place, into which he 

 must deposit road-scrapings, chaff, dried peat 

 moss, &c., at all convenient seasons, and then, into 



