212 FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 



ever, given to lands at once, it will prove injurious, for a 

 while at least ; and perhaps the same holds equally true, in 

 regard to the other salts. 



We have seen a late newspaper publication, which very 

 highly recommended common salt, as a manure for turnips. 

 Mr. Dcane, however, says he once made trials of it upon 

 this crop, upon onions, and on carrots; and that the latter 

 crop only was benefited by the application. 



Perhaps he either applied too much to the two former 

 crops, or the soil might not have required any addition of 

 this ingredient; as we have seen a little of it used very 

 successfully, as a manure for onions. 



Whether common -salt may be profitably applied, as a 

 manure, must depend on its price, its effects on the growth 

 of different plants, and in different soils, and situations ; as 

 it is supposed not to be so powerful in its effects on lands 

 near the ocean, nor, perhaps, on some soils, as it is on 

 others. 



But little attention has been paid, in this Country, to the 

 operation of lime, as a manure; though, in some instances, 

 we have heard of its being very successfully applied. 



Under EARTHS, something has been said in regard to 

 lime, as a primitive earth, and as being one of those which 

 are essentially necessary, as a component part, in forming a 

 durably fertile soil. 



Lime is of singular use, in destroying the adhesive qual- 

 ity of stiff clays ; and it is on soils of this description, and 

 on cold loams, that it has been considered, in Greatbritain, 

 as most efficacious. On such soils, the British Farmers 

 usually apply about two hundred and forty bushels to the 

 acre, which is considered a full manuring ; the effects of 

 which are usually manifest for eight, ten, and twelve of the 

 succeeding crops. 



If lime be applied to the lighter and drier lands of that 

 Country, not much more than half of that allowance is 

 given at once. 



An opinion was held by Mr. Living8ton t that lime is 

 most suitable to lands in a cool moist climate, such as that 

 of Greatbritain; and Mr. Brownel considers it as an impro- 

 per manure for lands containing much vegetable earth; but 

 perhaps experience may show, that both of these opinions 

 are in a great measure erroneous. 



Lime will reduce peat and turf to a mere vegetable 

 . earth ; but we believe it never proceeds so far in the work 

 of decomposition, as to destroy vegetable matter, or lessen 

 its quantity where it abounds. 



It would be desirable that accurate trials of lime were 

 made, in order to ascertain its value in our soils, and 

 whether it should be held in as high estimation here, as 



