On Liming Land. 275 
rope. I have been surprised, by what I have myself 
seen, and more by the accounts I have read in Euro- 
pean books, at the great, and to us incredible, quanti- 
ties of lime allowed by Europeans to an acre. Ours is 
the statute acre of 160 perches. The common com- 
puted acres of Europe differ in contents; so that it 
is difficult always to understand what is meant by 
writers, even in England, by the term aere. But 
the lime of Europe, applied in the quantity of 160 
bushels to a statute acre of 160 perches, at one dress- 
ing, must either be of inferior strength and quality to 
ours; or there must be a vast difference in the ef- 
fects of climate. As to soils of most countries, they 
are much alike. There is not, on our globe, better nor 
worse land, with all the intermediate gradations, than 
can be found here. It is composed of all the varieties 
of materials, generally found in soils of other countries ; 
though no accurate analysis, of quantities and propor- 
tions of these materials, has been made. It would be 
highly useful, that geological explorations and inquiries 
should be more generally prosecuted throughout our 
building stone_) in inexhaustible plenty, could, by this means, 
be supplied ; and delivered in the city for domestic purposes, 
or exportation. 
SS 
Since this communication I am informed, that a plan for 
burning lime on the tide waters of the Schuylkill, is com- 
menced. It has my sincere wishes for its success. 
R. P. 
30th August, 1810. 
