THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



387 



gas is expelled, which m combination with the 

 earthy base formed the neutral salt known by the 

 name of the carbonate of lime. In the newly 

 burned state, it forms a strong caustic, and has a 

 very powerful corrosive quality, and the alkaline 

 character of turning vegetable blues into green. 

 After being exposed to the air for a determinate 

 time, it imbibes carbonic acid from the atmosphere, 

 and becomes mild like pounded limestone. 



Lime is a homogenous body, and will exercise a 

 chemical action on all substances in contact — for 

 all bodies of simple constituents have an aptitude 

 to enter into combinations and to eflFect decomposi- 

 tions, and the results will depend on the strength 

 of the respective actions. The clammy and in- 

 durated clays, which are the most abundant, must 

 be laid in a large oblong heap of about 6 feet deep 

 in the centre, and sloping at the ends, which will 

 permit the carts to pass over it, and lay the loads 

 of lime upon the surface. The lime must be in 

 the hottest possible state, and the clay may be in 

 any form, dug from the beds of deep deposit, or 

 from the surface ground of soil in mixture, and 

 consequently with a portion of animal and vegetable 

 matters. The heap of clay must be turned over 

 and mixed regularly with the shells of lime, in the 

 proportion of 2 to 3, and the sides sloping all 

 round in order to allow room for the swelhng of 

 the mass. When moisture touches lime in a newly 

 calcined state, a hissing noise takes place, a swelling 

 follows, vapour arises, much heat is evolved, and 

 light is emitted in a dark situation. In most cases 

 the water that is contained in the clay will dissolve 

 the hme, if sufficient care be used in mixing the 

 heap, that the lime does not lie in dry masses, but 

 is touched by the clay in every shell of its form. 

 The heat that is evoh'ed penetrates the harsh mass 

 of the clay, and the acid and the water in the clay 

 are expelled by its action, and are dissipated along 

 with the water of the lime which escapes in the 

 form of vapour. The aluminous base of clay being 

 thus freed of the acid and the water which rendered 

 it harsh and rigid, immediately assumes a mild 

 gelatinous form, and being united with the lime 

 which is now mild by the absorption of carbonic 

 acid gas, the combination becomes a saponaceous 

 mass of an unctuous nature, which is loosely con- 

 nected and easy of decomposition. The harsh 

 properties of both the constituent bodies have been 

 expelled by mutual action, and milder qualities 

 have succeeded. 



After the dissolution of the lime-shells has been 

 completely effected, and no more heaving of the 

 mass takes place from the swelling of the lime 

 in bulk, a time may be allowed to remain in quiet, 

 for the purpose of settling the combinations after 

 the union has been effected by the violent intesti- 

 nal motions that have been provoked by the action 

 of the bodies singly and on each other. After re- 

 maining in a quiesent state for an indefinite time, the 

 heap must be again turned over, and the materials 

 very intimately mixed by breaking the lumps, and 

 placing in the centre of the mass the materials that 

 have been exposed on the outside, and consequently 

 will be less decomposed. This movement of the 

 heap will provoke new afhnities, and pro luce fresh 

 combinations, and effect additional results. It 



must be done with much care in reducing the ele- 

 ments to fine particles in order to bring the bodies 

 into contact in the nearest possible ultimate form, 

 and at insensible distances. Unless these con- 

 ditions be effected, no useful combinations will take 

 place. 



It will depend on the state of reduction which 

 the mass of materials exhibits, if it be necessary to 

 turn over the heap the third time ; if it be finely 

 pulverized, the necessity will not exist, after it is 

 seen to assume the form of a saponaceous unctuous- 

 ness, for the beginning of this condition shows 

 that the affinities are exhausted, and that the re- 

 sults of their action are settling into the newly- 

 produced state of existence. But if the materials 

 appear still to be crude and harsh, and if the lime 

 still exists in the dry granulated form as it falls 

 from the dissolved shell, the heap may be turned 

 over with advantage. The lime is still hot, and will 

 emit caloric, which will enter, and dilate the bodies, 

 separate the particles, diminish the attraction for 

 each other, and proportionately augment the attrac- 

 tion of the particles of adjacent bodies, and conse- 

 quently produces combmations, and facilitates 

 recipx'ocal unions. This principle shows the neces- 

 sity and advantage of the frequent stirring of mixed 

 bodies. 



Mixtures of lime with earthy bodies will require 

 two or three turnings according to the original 

 state of the materials — if they be coarse and lumpy, 

 or fine, and easy of pulverization. After every 

 motion ceases by reason of the non-generation of 

 heat, the materials will become a saponaceous 

 unctuous mass, and will afford a mucilaginous ma- 

 nure, which is very easily decomposable, and ap- 

 plicable to any purpose of fertilization. The period 

 of time of one year at least will be required to 

 produce a mass of mild and easily soluble mate- 

 rials from the agency of caustics on the crude and 

 harsh earthy forms that contain both volatile and 

 fixed principles of very inveterate hostility. When 

 the mixing of the different bodies is made, in sum- 

 mer, the compost will be ready for application in 

 the autumn of the next year, after the hay crop is 

 got; or on pastures somewhat later, when the cattle 

 are housed. An equally good season occurs in the 

 early spring, before the grasses begin to rise ; but 

 the period of autumn may be preferable, in the 

 compost keeping the roots of the plants warm 

 during winter, and affording an earthy bed for the 

 spreading of the creeping shoots of the fibres. In 

 laying the compost over grass-lands of old or young 

 duration, carts with broad wheels must be used, 

 with tire of at least 5 inches in width. The com- 

 post must be spread from the carts by two persons 

 provided with broad shovels, one on each side, to 

 the right and left, over a space of ground in three 

 yards to each person. When the earthy mass is 

 laid on the ground in heaps and afterwards spread, 

 the bottoms are difficult to be cleaned out, and a 

 tuft of herbage grows from the extra quantity of 

 manure that is left on the spot. By spreading the 

 compost from the cart, a superior evenness is ob- 

 tained, and the work is finished at once. 



After the compost has lain on the surface of the 

 ground in order to expose the cloddy particles to 

 the action of the atmosphere, the bush-harrow will 



