of lime. Wheat, the cultivation of which is ex- 

 tending among us, requires for a crop of 05 bush- 

 els, straw and all, about 9 lbs. or a half peck. — 

 Cotton and corn do not require more. Seed 

 cotton snfBcient to make a bale of 400 lbs. — that 

 is, 1400 lbs. in the seed — will consume about 3 

 lbs. ; and most of that in the seed which is inva- 

 riably restored to the land. If we ti-eble this 

 amount for the stalks and leaves — which, bow- 

 ever, usually rot on the ground — the exhaustion 

 of lime by our heaviest cotton crops will not ex- 

 ceed half a peck when every thing is taken oiF. 

 Thirty-five bu.«hels of corn will consume only 

 about Ij lbs. of lime ; if wc add six times this 

 amount tor the cob, .shuck, blades and stalk, it 

 will not require more than cotton or wheat. I 

 am not aware that our cotton-stalks, or our corn- 

 cobs, shucks, stalks or blades, have ever been 

 analyzed ; but I have, I think, fully allowed for 

 the lime they may contain. And, at these rates 

 of exhaustion, 30 bushels of lime, which is about 

 the quantity contained in 100 bushels of marl 

 that has 60 per cent, of the carbonate, will sup- 

 ply the wants of our usual crops, when much 

 larger than we now average, for 240 years, if the 

 land was cultivated so long without rest or re- 

 storing anything to it. Tiie consumption of the 

 crop, then, is next to nothing. The loss arising 

 from other cau.ses is undoubtedly greater. — 

 Quicklime dissolves in 750 parts of water. A 

 fall of 44 inches of rain, which is less than the 

 annual average quantity that falls here, would 

 afford water sufficient to dissolve 170 bushels 

 per acre. Quick lime, when spread on land, 

 however, becomes a carbonate, and nearly inso- 

 luble, too soon to lose to this extent. Still, a 

 considerable amount might be lost in this \vay, 

 by a heavy rain immediatel}' after liming. — 

 Lime, after being burnt, falls into a powder. — 

 Its minute particles are forced by showers, aid- 

 ed by deep plowing, into the subsoil ; and much 

 may be thus carried off. When these things are 

 con.sidered, it is obvious that all the lime in land 

 may in time be exhausted, as it has been from 

 our "drifted" soils. But the chances of its du- 

 ration are greatly increased by being applied in 

 the form of marl. Being a carbonate, it is solu- 

 ble by the carbonic acid in rain-water only in 

 smallquantities, and ages must elapse before it 

 could dis.solve and carry off any great amount: 

 and not having been reduced to a fine powder, 

 its particles are too large to be readily driven 

 down into the subsoil, below the reach of the 

 plow. Without, then, assigning any preci.se 

 limit for the duration of marl, I think it may be 

 safelv concluded that the effects of a sufficient 

 application, under proper culture, will last for a 

 longer period than we can conceive ourselves to 

 have any direct interest in the land to which we 

 mav api)ly it. 



With regard to what is a sufficient applica- 

 tion, there is a great diversity of opinion, and 

 con.sequently of practice. Viewing it chiefly as 

 a direct manure, in many parts of Europe, lime 

 is applied at the rate of 8 to 10 bushels per acre 

 annually— in others, at 10 to 12 bushels everj' 

 third year; and again, in other parts, at 40 to 50 

 bushels every twelve years. But as its indirect 

 effects are as" important, and far more numerous 

 than its direct, and it is therefore an invaluable 

 elementary constituent of soils, the true rule for 

 its application undoubtedly is to funiish the soil 

 at once, if possible, with as much as its constitu- 

 tion will bear, and to repeat the do.se as fre- 

 quently as the improvement of that con.stitution 

 will permit, since the more lime, everything 

 12G2) 



else being in due proportion, the larger the 

 crops. Acting on this principle, many farmers 

 in Europe put on 3 to 400 bushels of lime at 

 once, and sometimes 1,000. Such liming is 

 probably excessive there, and in our climate 

 would be utterly destructive. Marl, however, 

 containing from 50 to 70 per cent, of carbonate 

 of lime, may be safely used in. four times the 

 quantity we can use quicklime. The usual dose 

 of marl of that quality in Virginia varies from 2 

 to 300 bushels. But more can be applied even 

 in Virginia than here. The hotter the climate, 

 the more caution is necessaiy, in the first do.se 

 at lea.st ; though this is greatly dependent on 

 the condition of the land to be marled. In the 

 hot and dry climate of Egypt, the fruitful Delta 

 of the Nile contains 25 per cent, of carbonate of 

 lime, which is equivalent, in one foot depth of 

 soil, to some 20,000 bushels per acre of marl con- 

 taining 50 per cent. ; but that soil is much deep 

 er, and its vegetable mould inexhausiible. 

 Depth of soil, and the amount of vegetable mat- 

 ter in it, mu.st chiefly regulate the quantity of 

 marl. M. Puvis has given an interesting table 

 in reference to this. He thinks that we may 

 give to a soil three inches deep, 40 bushels of 

 marl, containing 60 per cent, of carbonate of 

 lime, or 50 bushels containing 50 per cent. ; and 

 to a soil six inches deep, 80 bushels at 60 per 

 cent, or 100 at 50 per cent. He does not refer 

 to the vegetable matter, or other circumstances 

 of the .soil. I presume that the depths of the soils 

 you cultivate range between the extremes 

 stated, or at least that yon seldom plow, and 

 would not, therefore, mix the marl deeper than 

 six inches. 1 think the amounts he specifies are 

 very safe. As .some of ray lands are similar to 

 yours, and our climates the same, I will give 

 you my experience on this point. I began to 

 marl by putting 200 bushels per acre, that ave- 

 raged about CO per cent. carh. of lime On old 

 mulatto land, with a soil about six inches deep, 

 and containing about 4 per cent, of vegetable 

 matter, I have not yet, after four years, per- 

 ceived any injury from it. On lighter land, con- 

 taining less vegetable matter, and a soil lour to 

 five inches deep, I discovered marl burns the 

 second year. Previously to this discovery, how- 

 ever, I had taken the alarm, and reduced the 

 quantity to 150 bushels, on land similar to the 

 last mentioned. On all the thin spots I per- 

 ceived the " marl burn " from this amount. I 

 then farther reduced the marl to 100 bushels per 

 acre, from which 1 have as yet perceived no in- 

 jury. Being now about to finish the marling 

 of all my open land, it is mj- intention to go 

 over it again, and to add 50 bushels per acre 

 at a time, until I have given to all 200 bush- 

 els. I shall by no means, however, venture 

 to do this until, by resting and manuring, I 

 have also furnished to it additional vegetable 

 matter. 



I think I may safely recommend you to apply 

 100 bu.shels per acre, of the richest marl you 

 have, to any land that now gives you rem\Hier- 

 ating crops, and 200 bushels or more to your best 

 lands. If they are low and sour they will bear 

 still more. I am now putting 250 to 300 bushels 

 on some swamps I have drained, which have 

 several feet of vegetable mould. I should not 

 be afraid to put 1000 bushels per acre on such 

 land — though here I think quick lime would be 

 the best application, as it would hasten decom- 

 position. 



It is always mo.st convenient to apply marl to 

 I resting lands, and it is also a great advantage to 



