guard against its recurrence. Without this 

 knowledge of the mode — the philosophy of its 

 action ; we shall ho ever liable to mistakes ; and 

 besides, says the agriculturist of the new school, 

 there is neither satisfaction nor honor, even in 

 success, which, as far as the farmer is concerned, 

 he has not much more agency in securing, in- 

 tellectually speaking, than the man he hires, or 

 the horse he drives. 



Hence it is, that the newly-awakened spirit 

 of inquiiy is busy to find out the true science of 

 all things that come within the compass of 

 the farmer's calling. The true theoiy of the 

 rise and recession of the sap — the birth and 

 strange metamorphoses of insects — the physio- 

 logy or laws of animal and vegetable life — and 

 of the nature and action of manures — and first 

 of all. perhaps, of Lime. 



Is it not apparent that when that point comes 

 to be clearly settled, it may be used with greater 

 judgment and confidence, and with so much 

 the less chance of abortion ? For example, if its 

 mode of action is only to convert vegetable 

 substances present in the land from one condi- 

 tion, useless as food for plants, into another 

 which may form for them their most nutritious 

 food, does it not follow that it would be a profit- 

 less waste of lime to bestow it where there was 

 obviously no such vegetable substance to be 

 acted upon ? But, without further preliminarj^, 

 we proceed now to give an essay, at hand, on 

 the use of Lime. 



What we have here written is not only as an 

 introduction to this essay, but once for all to ad- 

 vertise the reader, that w^hen other dissertations 

 on the same subject, presenting otlier views, find 

 a place in the Farmers' Library, it will be under 

 promptings, and with motives such as have been 

 here explained. 



The more than 100 pages, appropriated 

 monthly, by the publishers of this journal, will 

 afford us ample space " and verge enough " to 

 spread before the intelligent reader the various 

 theories contended for, where investigation has 

 not removed all doubt, and we deem it but fair 

 to afford him a view of the several facts and 

 opinions upon which he may exercise his own 

 judgment, and form his own conclusion. 



In the September number, we shall give an- 

 other dissertation, presenting additional, or other 

 views. 



ON THE ACTION AN"D USES OF LIME IN AGRI- 

 CULTURE, AND THE MOST EFFICIENT AND 

 ECONOMICAL MODES OF APPLYING IT TO 



THE SOIL. By James Anderson, Esq. of Gorth- 

 leek, Invemess-Bhire. [Premium, 10 Sovereigns.] 



The action of lime in agriculture depends 

 much on die state in which it is applied to soils, 

 whether pure as an oxide of calcium, or com- 

 bined with an acid, and then, chemically speak- 

 ing, a salt of lime, and likewise on the condition 

 (21-2I 



and composition of the soil in various respects 

 at the time of its application. 



The lime of agriculture is principally derived 

 from large deposits of native carbonate, (lime 

 stone,) and, in this form, it is found in frequent 

 and very considerable quantity among the va- 

 rious geological formations. The sulphate of 

 lime (plaster of Paris) is also found in very con- 

 siderable quantity in Germany, including Aus- 

 tria, France, Switzerland, Spain, the American 

 States, the Peninsula of Nova Scotia, and New 

 Brunswick, in our o-wn couutiy, and elsewhere, 

 abundantly. However, the sulphate is not in 

 Britain yet applied directly to the soil so exten- 

 sively as in America and other countries; it ex- 

 ists in vegetable ashes, and is sometimes so ap- 

 plied in this country, particularly to the legu- 

 minous crops, as the clovers, with very benefi- 

 cial eifects. In Holland, the utmost confidence 

 is placed, and with apparent good reason, in the 

 restorative and lertilizing powers of the ashes 

 of bituminous peat. 



Phosphate of lime, another salt or acid com- 

 pound of tliis substance, is applied in bone ma- 

 nure, being the principal mineral integrant in 

 tlieir composition ; and it is also supplied to the 

 soil by the application and decomposition of the 

 vegetable fibres and animal substances which 

 find their way into the fructifying mass of the 

 farm-yard manure heap. It occurs in nature in 

 veins and beds in connection -wiih tin and iron 

 ores, and is found in masses in Britain in Devon- 

 shire and Cornwall — and in at least one locality 

 in Spain, besides in Saxony and Bohemia, and 

 elsewhere. This substance would be well 

 worth a fair trial in various soils, and we have 

 eveiy reason to think, from experiments on a 

 small scale, it might prove a valuable manure. 



The principal supply of lime, however, for 

 agricultural purposes is derived from the appU- 

 cation of strong heat to the native carbonate, 

 which expels the carbonic acid, and in this state 

 it is carried to the surface over which it is to be 

 applied, where it is slaked with water, with 

 which it readily combines, being at the same 

 time reduced to a fine powder, the most conve- 

 nient form for its application to the soil. 



W^hen pure, before uniting with water, car- 

 bonic or other acid, it is known under the fa- 

 miliar appellation of quick-lime. Applied in 

 this state to soils containing organic substances, 

 it enters into union with these substances and 

 foiTiis compounds which are partially soluble in 

 water. All organic substances contain abund- 

 antly carbonaceous matter and oxygen, and, by 

 attracting these, the quick-lime is gradually con- 

 verted into a carbonate. But in practice the 

 quick-lime is generally slaked with water before 

 it is applied to the .soil, in order to reduce it to a 

 po^vder ; and it is thus more equally divided in 

 the process of scattering it over the surface. 

 When slaked, or in union with water, it is 

 chemically styled a hydrate, and operates in the 

 same way as quick-lime in reducing or com- 

 bining with organic substances. It retains no 

 longer the same action ; but, on the contrdry, 

 operates powerfully in preventing the too rapid 

 decomposition of organic substances already in 

 a state of solution or approaching to it. 



Having stated generally, in a few words, the 

 action of quick-lime and hydrate, and carbonate 

 or mild lime, we shall reserve the details of the 

 most efficient and economical modes of applica- 

 tion to be .specified and explained as they may 

 naturally suggest themselves in our progres.s. 



1. We have to consider the most suitable 



