ON THE APPLICATION OF LIME. 163 



Art. XXXVIL— on LIME : ITS APPLICATION TO NEWLY 

 BROKEN UP LAND. 



By the Editor of the "Agricultural Gazette." 



1. Newly broken up land, tlioug-li it be not maniu-ed with 

 lime, contains sufficient store of nutriment for some years' 

 crops. 



2. It is better for newly broken up land to remain unlimed 

 for two or tliree years, except H/uIer special chrumstunces ; 

 for it is already sufficiently fertile, and the expense for some 

 years is unnecessary ; and the application would probably 

 cause an excessive fertility, if one may use that expression, 

 such as would injure g-rain cro})s by an excessive growth of 

 straw. Now the special circumstances to which we allude, 

 occur in cases (1) where light land on a ferrug-inous subsoil has 

 remained long- under stagnant water ; the soil is then found 

 to contain compounds of iron injurious to vegetation, which 

 are decomposed by an application of caustic lime, and the 

 elements of which, imder the influence of that application, 

 are induced to re-arrange themselves in forms no longer 

 injurious. And (2) in cases where, as an effect of stagnant 

 water, peat has been formed, which, when drained, leaves a 

 soil destitute of the mineral elements necessary to fertility ; 

 lime and clay are then necessary applications. 



The farmer, independently of all theory on this subject, 

 will be jierfectly safe in remembering- that where lime has 

 not hitherto been applied, and where the l-and contains an 

 excess of vegetable matter, or has long been injured by 

 stag'uant water, or is destitute naturally of calcareous matter, 

 lime, whatever the mode in which it acts, is sure to have a 

 fertilizing influence. Apply lime, therefore, a year or two 

 after breaking up your grass lands, and then maintain the 

 fertility thus produced by growing- each year on half the 

 land croj)s for consumption on the land, by selling- only g-min 

 and butcher-meat off your farm, and by bringing- on to it 

 oil-cake and other food for cattle, sheep, and pigs : ^'oii will 

 thus enrich your manure, and increase its quantity. 



Agricultural Gazette. 



M 2 



