6 On Lime. 
the hand, in the furrow along with every sett of the 
potatoes when planted, and I have observed when the 
potatoes were gathered in the fall, that, in every instance 
where a potatoe plant had failed to vegetate, the rag was 
turned. up intire, very little damaged by being buried 
under ground; whereas on the other hand, not the 
smallest vestage of the rags were to be seen in any part 
of the ground where the plants had succeeded and 
grown to perfection. Only I observed in Some instances 
where the rag had been uncommonly large, a white 
mouldiness upon the soil about the roots of such plants, 
which seemed to me an indication that more nutritious 
matter had been formed than could be absorbed by the 
roots. Besides I observed the palms or tops of such 
plants were always large, and of luxurious growth, while 
the potatoes at the root were small and not fully ripe. 
But there are other animal and vegetable substances 
which require more powerful solvents to prepare them 
for the food of plants ; such substances must be decom- 
posed either by means of the putrid fermentation, or 
by the application of hot lime, &c. But while the pu- 
by a great crop of wheat. On this clover was sowed. It 
lay for many years without other manure except plaister, in 
green grass after the clover. The effects of the rags con- 
tinued longer than those of any manure I ever experienced ; 
and I think the part of the field on which the rags were 
strewed, is the best spot in it to this day. It has been all 
limed, dunged and plaistered alike from time to time; and 
the soil of the whole field is similar in all parts. | 
R. PETERS. 
March 27th, 1810. 
