THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



133 



and where occasions had offered to prove ihal 

 its application, even to the extent of more than 

 500 bushels per acre", had been attended with the 

 most beneficial results ; but there the limestone — 

 a pure black oiarble—contained, by analysis, 98 

 per cent, of carbonate, with not a trace ol mag- 

 nesia. If the readers of the Cabinet, having the 

 3d volume, would turn to these pages, I tlunk they 

 would be much interested with a perusal ot their 

 contents. 



At page 275 of the 4 h volume of the Cabinet 

 is a letter on this subject from Mr. Mahlon Kirk- 

 bride, of IVlorrisvilie, Bucks Co., which shows 

 conclusively — at least to me, who saw and exa- 

 mined the land upon which the lime had been used 

 in the way that he states, and found it compara- 

 tively barren, the year alter the time when he 

 wrote — that the injury had been caused by the 

 lime, which, it is admitted, contained magnesia in 

 its composition. He says, " my father had a field 

 of 25 acres of as good wheat soil as could be 

 found — a deep loam. Its produce lor years stood 

 almost unrivalled ; he, wishing to make it still 

 better, applied to a part 50 bushels of lime to the 

 acre, to the balance (excepting half an acre) 

 about 65 or 70 bushels to the acre ; the result was 

 as follows : in 1837, wheat crop not much more 

 than the seed ; 1838, corn, about 10 bushels per 

 acre on the heaviest limed parts, on the other 40 

 bushels ; 1839, oats good where there was tlie 

 least lime, on the other part 15 to 20 bushels per 

 acre. The half-acre above alluded to received 

 50 bushels, and the result was, of wheat not 

 a handful ; of corn, some stalks three feet high 

 and two bushels of nubbins; ol' oats a growlh 

 of straw 16 inches high, which refiised to show 

 any symptoms of ripening, and was cut to get it 

 out ol the way." It must be added, the spot on 

 which the lime had been deposited when taken 

 from the canal-boat, and from whence it had all 

 been removed with the most scrupulous care, had 

 not, three years after, produced a single trace of 

 herbage, not even a weed — would Mr. Kirk- 

 brlde be pleased to inform us of the present state 

 of that portion of his land 1 At page 55 of the 

 5th volume of the Cabinet, notice is taken of Mr. 

 Kirkbride's communication by a writer who has 

 had great experience in the use of lime, and it is 

 to be regretted that he did not give us the analysis 

 of that which he applied so unsparingly and 

 profitably. 



Now I am sure I have no private interests 

 to serve, and no prejudices to support, but I would 

 just ask Mr. Kinser, at the risk of havingapplied 

 to me the old adage, " a fool can ask more ques- 

 tions in an hour than a wise man could answer in 

 a month," Isf, How is it that when the lime 

 from Messrs. Potts and Dager's quarry, contain- 

 ing 96 per cent, of carbonate, and not a particle 

 of magnesia, is exposed in a heap, and has be- 

 come perfectly slaked, that white-clover and the 

 finest grasses will be found to penetrate through 

 the lime at the margin of the heap from the dep'lh 

 of perhaps an inch or two, and spread over its sur- 

 face ; and on the removal of the heap, that the 

 herbage will grow on the bald spot and become a 

 rich turf in a short time? 2d, How is it, that the 

 lime burnt from the stone quarried from the south 

 Bide of the valley at Downingstown shows exactly 

 the same results; while that produced from the 

 stone quarried from the norm side of the same 



valley, perhaps not a quarter of a mile distant, 

 IS totally ddi'erenl in its effects, destroying all 

 vegetation, and leaving a galled spot lor years 

 where it had been deposited lor slaking 1 lor this 

 IJact, and a true anal} sis of these two" varieties of 

 limestone, I would appeal to Dr. Sharpless and 

 his brother, who reside on the spot, as also to Mr. 

 Lindley in the immediate neighorhoud, asking of 

 the latter gentleman if he has not known oats, 

 sown on a limed soil, to penetrate through a lump 

 of lime several inches in ihicknes-, and grow to 

 the height of about five Icet with the greatest 

 luxuriance, that lime having been procured from 

 the south side ot' the valley. The difi'erence be- 

 tween the two stones being peculiar likewise, that 

 from the north side being heaviest, but producing 

 the lightest lime — the stone from the south eida 

 being lighter, but producing the largest quantity 

 of pure lime ; showing that more loreign matter 

 had been thrown olf and dissipated during the 

 process of calcination Irom the stone obtained 

 from the north side of the valley, and proving 

 conclusively, the greater purity of that from the 

 south side. And 3d, I would ask, was it ever 

 known, that herbage would spring up on the mar- 

 gin of a slaked heap of lime containing 40 per 

 cent, of magnesia, even penetrating through it 

 Irom the depth of an inch or two, and spreading 

 over it, and lor the earth to show no sign ol iis 

 pernicious efiects in the shape ol a galled spot, 

 alter its removal? 



The subject is of vast importance, and is the 

 cause of my troubling you with this communica- 

 tion, my object being to'' keep the ball in motion," 

 and 10 elicit the truth. And to this end, I would 

 take the liberty to ask your subscribers, Mr. K. 

 T. Potts, Mr. Ddger, and their neighbor, Mr. 

 Henderson, who has, I understand, erected a kilii 

 lor the purpose of calcining the cuttings of his 

 pure white marble, whether they have it not in 

 their power to throw some light upon the matter, 

 not doubting that the white marble of Mr. H. 

 contains at least as great a proportion of car- 

 bonate of lime as the beautilully mottled va- 

 riety of Potts and Dager, namely, 96 per cent. 



That magnesian lime has proved of very 

 great service when applied to the soil, no one 

 can deny, lor the evidence is before our eyes ; 

 but I hope that the subject may be investigated 

 to its better understanding, without lear lor the 

 result. And 1 know of no one who has it in his 

 power to do us more service than your correspond- 

 ent— will he, therefore, take the above remarks 

 into his consideration, and lavor-us with his con- 

 clusions? I am, I must conless, by no means in- 

 cimed to blink the question, lest it should " arrest 

 the march of improvement, and throw cold water 

 on the spirit for liming" which is abroad in the 

 land, but I do wish that your correspondent would 

 inlbrm us of the cause of the very great difference 

 which is seen in the effects between lime contain- 

 ing 96 per cent, of carbonate and no magnesia, 

 and that containing about 50 per cent, of carbo- 

 nate and 40 per cent, of magnesia. It 'may be 

 that magnesia operates in a different manner from 

 lime— nay, it might perhaps be found to be more 

 valuable than it lor the purposes of agriculture — 

 and to this I have not the slightest objection ; that 

 IS of no consequence, and need not frighten any 

 one whose sole object is to become acquainted 

 wilh the true mode of its operation. 



