290 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



sissippi, the cane on land where it had been kill- 

 ed in '28 had not yet attained any thing like lull 

 size, even though it had been exempt from subse- 

 quent overflow ; and the difference in the size of 

 the cane was an unerring index by which to judge 

 of such lands as the overflow of '28 had left 

 uninjured. 



The first feeling on contemplating the history of 

 this singular though common plant is surprise that 

 none of our planters have taken the pains of se- 

 curing the seed and laying down pastures in cane. 

 We tak^ great pains to secure clover and other 

 grasses of precarious growth among us, and have 

 neglected this indigenous, hardy and perennial 

 plant which we will venture to assert will sus- 

 tain more stock to a given amount of ground than 

 any grass we can cultivate. It is equally valua- 

 ble at all seasons of the year. In spring and 

 eummer the young mu/ion cane, as they are called, 

 which spring up as tender as asparagus and as 

 quick, furnish a sweet and nutritious Ibod which 

 eheep, cattle, hogs and horses seek and devour 

 with eagerness. And in winter, when nearly every 

 thing else has disappeared, the cane continuing 

 green furnishes a plentiful if not a very rich sup- 

 ply. Cane that is grazed from will not grow up 

 to the usual height, but the plants as they sprout 

 will cease growing where they are bitten off", and 

 bunching out, form what is called switch cane, 

 being the best for pasturing, as the higher growth 

 is beyond reach. Most of our medium lands 

 would grow cane, which, to follow the dictates 

 of nature, should be sowed in the fall after the 

 land is broken up perfectly loose. 



Those acquainted with any section of the 

 country where the cane is seeding, will doubtless 

 confer a favor on the public by making it known, 

 so as to enable those wishing seed to procure it. 



THE FARM AND FARMING OF THE REV. J. H. 

 TURNER. — NO. V. 



Remarks on lime as manure, (a.) 



I For the Farmers' Register. 



In one of ray late communications I incidentally 

 adverted to lime, and its use as an improver of the 

 soil, and promised to resume the subject at some 

 future time. This promise I now propose to re- 

 deem. And this I do rather with the view of 

 seeking instruction than of imparting it. In fact, 

 I enter on this subject with very great diffidence. 

 What I have thus far written has been the result, 

 for the most part, of my own experience and ob- 

 servation. Thus supported, I felt myself war- 

 ranted in speaking in terms of confidence. But 

 when lime becomes the subject of inquiry, I can- 

 didly confess my want of information, and give 

 notice beforehand that I must rely more than I 

 wish upon that too fruitful source of argument 

 called theory. 



It is true that I have made some use of lime, 

 and on more than one occasion ; and it is equally 

 true, that I was most sadly mortified and disap- 

 pointed in the expected results. Two of my near 

 neighbors, A. Robinson jr, and F. Staples, esqs., 

 as I before intimated, both used lime with no bet- 

 ter success. But in all these cases, the quantity 

 used was too small, and the experiments made 



loo few, to warrant any thing like a general con-' 

 elusion. I am not therefore prepared, with my 

 iew and imperfect experiments, to resist the im- 

 mense mass of evidence which may be adduced 

 on the other side of this question. 



A few years ago I enjoyed the pleasure of pass- 

 ing through the luxuriant part of Pennsylvania 

 embracing the rich counties of York and Lan- 

 caster. Almost every field I saw indicated the 

 highest degree of improvement. The clover, the 

 wheat, the corn exhibited a dark luxuriant hue, 

 which plainly fold the great leriility of the soil. 

 I inquired into the cause of the beautiful scene 

 which was every where spread before me, and 

 in all instances received the same answer — the 

 mighty agent was lime, which had converted that 

 whole country into a lovely garden spot. 



In addition to this, the editor tells us of the 

 great and salutary changes which have taken 

 place in Prince George, in Charles Cily, in James 

 City, and in several other counties in eastern 

 Virginia, all resulting from the same cause. Then 

 we have the testimony of Dr. Braxton of King 

 William, and of the Messrs. Wickham of Hano- 

 ver, and of many other judicious farmers in other 

 portions of our state, all tending to substantiate 

 the same general result. With this overwhelm- 

 ing mass of evidence before me, I cannot with- 

 hold my assent, that lime is in some form or other 

 a most excellent improver. 



It is also worthy of remark, that wherever lime 

 exists in a natural state, a Ibundaiion is at once 

 laid for improvement to almost unlimited extent. 

 It is this that has made the country around Lex- 

 ington, in Kentucky, the lovely spot that it is. 

 The hand of skill and industry is the only thing 

 needed to convert the whole valley of Virginia 

 into one lovely garden spot. Indeed, where the 

 foundation is a lime-stone, skill may be in a great 

 measure dispensed with ; the chief things necea- 

 sarv are industry and patient perseverance. (6.) 



But there are many other sections of country 

 in which this important ingredient does not exist 

 in a natural state. Here too is an almost endless 

 variety of soils, differing from one another in near- 

 ly every essential quality. Some are silicious, 

 others argillacious, and others again mixtures 

 of both in various degrees. Some have a clay 

 foundation, others a hard pan foundation, and 

 others again are so unfortunate as to have no 

 foundation at all. Now, it cannot be conceived 

 that the same material which is profitable to one 

 must necessarily be profitable to all. We can- 

 not admit the Thomsonian principle, that the 

 medicine which causes one disease, will also cure 

 its opposite. Hence results the absolute ne- 

 cessity of that skill which grows out of a long 

 course ot close observation and careful experi- 

 ment. And hence we may account for the fact, 

 that in the use of lime, so many mistakes have 

 been made, and so many disappointments have 

 ensued, (c) 



Nor ought it to be forgotten, that this article, 

 which is so useful in some circumstances, is posi- 

 tively injurious in others. It either cures or kills 

 the patient. We can never administer it on the 

 principle, that if it does no good, it will do no 

 harm. Lime is in its very nature so caustic and 

 active, that it will always act either for good or 

 for evil. It is therefore an exceedingly dange- 

 rous article in the haqde of the injudicious and 



