On Lime. 3 
will go further in making mortar, or as a manure for 
land than English lime. Were our farmers in this 
country to discover lime of so mild a quality that this- 
tles and grass would grow up through the sides of the 
heaps of it; but at the same time it would require three 
loads of this lime to produce the same effects upon 
their land, as two loads of the lime now in use, I think 
they would surely prefer the latter to the former. 
Our farmers know very well that wherever they lay 
their lime heaps, every particle of grass or other ve- 
getables will be destroyed; and that the spots on which 
it lay will not bear any crop fora year or two after, un- 
less they are careful toremove it so clean, that no more 
shall remain on these spots, than the same proportion 
which they spread over the rest of the field. They 
likewise know that if they should leave their lime heaps 
exposed to the influence of the atmosphere, to succes- 
sive frosts and thaws, rains and snows, &c. it would in 
time become as mild as the calcarious lime described 
by Mr. Tennant. But then it would be useless for 
mortar, and for land it would be like some medicines 
of which the chief recommendation is that if they do no 
good, they will at least do no harm; and for that rea- 
son they commonly cover the heaps over with sods, or 
straw, &c. till the land is prepared for putting it on. 
Our farmers likewise know that poor land will not bear 
so much lime as rich land, and that if they should by 
mistake over-lime their land, the succeeding crops will 
rather be hurt than benefited by it; and in such cases 
there is no remedy but either to give the field a dress- 
ing with dung, or let it lay a'year or two till the heat of 
the lime is partly given out, and then it will have its 
