THE FAR1EI18' CABINET, 



Devoted to Agriculture, Horticulture, audRural aud Domestic Economy. 



Vol.IV.-No. 8.] 



DlarcH IG, 184:0. 



[Wliole No. 03. 



lilME. 



[The following remarks on the use of lime, 

 are extracted from the Annual Report of the 

 Geologist of the State of ^laryland, for 1S39, 

 furnished us by a valued and attentive cor- 

 respondent.] 



A very striking experiment that speaks 

 volumes of encouragement to those who still 

 hesitate in the use of lime, is furnished by 



^e Hon. OuTERBRiDGE Horsey, a part of 

 whose farm, situated at the foot of the south 

 mountain, on the edge of what is termed " The 

 Maryland Tract," consists of a very thin 

 silicious soil. It is this, of two pieces of 

 ground, both of the same geological charac- 

 ter and nearly in equal arable cond ition, one 

 was limed with fifty bushels to the acre, the 

 other was well manured, without lime, and 

 both planted in corn. The limed portion, 

 previous to the operation, was remarkably 

 poor, yielding at most two barrels to the acre. 

 It promised in the month of August, to the 

 eyes of some experienced farmers, to yield to 

 the acre eight barrels of corn, which to all 

 appearances was one third better than on the 



• manured portion. But besides the prejudice 

 that exists against the use of lime, as regards 

 the incapacity of certain soils to receive any 

 benefit from it, it is most generally objected 

 to as too expensive ; whereas in truth it is, 

 taking all circumstances together, the cheap- 

 est as well as the most effectual means of 

 improving all kinds of soil, which' assertion 

 will, I trust, be manifest by these two consi- 

 derations, namely, that it is the surest and 

 most permanent. If judiciously etnployed, 

 the directions being simple, as will presently 

 appear, the expenditure of capital in the first 

 year cannot fail to be at least repaid by the 

 additional product of the next, and nine times 

 Cab.— Vol. IV.— No. 8. 233 



out often will supply the means of extending 

 its further use in future years. Judgment 

 and reflection undoubtedly must accompany 

 this as well as every other scheme of im- 

 provement that could possibly be devised lor 

 any purposes. 



Having taken especial pains to inquire 

 minutely into the subject, referring not only 

 to the results obtained by experience, but to 

 the cause that may have produced these re- 

 sults, I hazard the following suggestions to 

 the farmers of Frederick county, and the re- 

 commendation applies to all other portions of 

 the State. Get lime, at almost any expense, 

 and apply it according to the nature of the 

 soil as is herewith directed. If the soil is 

 naturally a good one, and under good cultiva- 

 tion, it is advisable toapplj'^at once the whole 

 quantity of lime which it may be judged ne-r 

 cessary permanently to improve it, and this 

 quantity on such soils need not exceed one 

 hundred and fifty bushels. Should it be im- 

 practicable or inconvenient to procure in the 

 same year the whole quantity, from fifteen 

 to seventy-five bushels may be first applied, 

 and the remainder two years afterwards, after 

 the first cutting of the clover. These direc- 

 tions apply to wheat land, on which it ap- 

 pears preferable to turn in the vegetable mat- 

 ter first, then apply the lime, to be harrowed 

 in subsequently. On corn lands the method 

 that has been crowned with the best success, 

 is that pursued by one of the most thrifty 

 farmers of Carroll county, Mr. Jacob Schriver, 

 which is to mix the lime in the soil with sta- 

 ble manure. In this way, he informs me, 

 that he has obtained very heavy crops upon 

 poor land with only from forty to fifty bushels 

 of lime. In general, for unimproved lands, 

 it is always better to turn the lime in with 



