1836J 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



'665 



These views which are just, allow ample scope 

 to the agency of calcareous manures, and lead es- 

 sentially to the use of them, upon general princi- 

 ples — upon ancient authority — and upon the prin- 

 ciples assumed by you in your essay under re- 

 view; and more especially, in reference to those 

 properties, whereby they exert a chemical action 

 bf neutralizing acids; and, of combining putrescent 

 manures with the soil; which otherwise under 

 chemical laws, would be resisted. 



Your definition of "calcareous earth," I must, take 

 exception to— it is too limited — and leads you occa- 

 sionally into apparent solecisms, which are not cor- 

 rected by the reader, until he turns to, or, reflects 

 on your peculiar definition. You define "calca- 

 reous earth" to be a combination of lime with car- 

 bonic acid. You ascribe the sterility of soils to 

 their being destitute of this earth. You recom- 

 mend calcareous earth, as essential to restore and 

 preserve them in a state of fertility: and you ad- 

 mit, that many of the most fertile and valuable 

 soils are destitute of calcareous earth. But 

 you explain that these contain lime, though 

 with a vegetable acid. Had you used the term 

 "calcareous manures" with a latitude of defini- 

 tion, embracing all manures with a calcareous 

 base, in all their various combinations, chemical 

 and mechanical, it would have been more systema- 

 tic — perhaps more scientific and familiar language. 

 And you might then, too, allowing each their re- 

 spective grades of utility, have made your prefer- 

 ences of the various combinations of calcareous 

 bodies; and with your reasons of discrimination, 

 growing out of your clear and excellent theory 

 and without any of those apparent contradictions 

 in terms, which now in a few intances occur. Ex- 

 perience has taught, that all the calcareous bo- 

 dies, in all their varied modifications, possess pro- 

 perties subservient to the purposes of vegetation 

 — though the carbonate, for its easy decomposi- 

 tion, may perhaps justly occupy the highest or- 

 der. 



In truth, my exception upon a point of nom- 

 enclature is not worth maintaining, and I have 

 made it, solely, because I believe that innovation 

 of terms, or, of the meanings of terms generally, 

 tend to perplex and retard the progress of scien- 

 tific improvement. 



You will please to accept my zeal for the art 

 and science of agriculture, as an apology for these 

 few remarks, and an acknowledgement of the ser- 

 vices which, by your unwearied diligence, you are 

 rendering to the agricultural interest of the coun- 

 try — and with it, to the author of these remarks. 



When I commenced this letter, I had no idea 

 of extending it beyond the subjects of the first 

 paragraph — but I have lugged in as foreign mat- 

 ters as the amendments of a modern forafcation 

 bill — and so you may dispose of it as you think 

 proper, 



JOSEPH E. MUSE. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Cambridge, E. S. Md., 

 January 29, 1836. $ 



The near approach of the mail-hour hurried the 

 latter portion of my last communication to you, 

 and rendered me, I am conscious, less explicit in 

 my exception to vour term and definition of "calca- 



Yol. HI— 84 



reous earth," than I might have been; and I beg 

 leave to add the following postscript, explanatory 

 of my views. 



You define calcareous earth, to mean "lime 

 with carbonic acid." This definition I designed to 

 suggest, is not consistent with the present state of 

 geological science, and technical nomenclature; 

 and therefore, is rather embarrassing to the rea- 

 der. 



Since the discoveries of Sir Humphrey Davy, 

 with which you are fully acquainted, and thetruth 

 of which discoveries are, 1 believe universally ac- 

 knowledged, earths are known to be "ra'etallic ox- 

 ides." To wit: "aluminous earth" is "alumina" or 

 the "oxide of aluminum;" "silicious," is "silica," 

 or the "oxide of silicum ;" "calcareous earth" 

 is "lime," or the oxide of calcium." These earths 

 combined with any of the acids, form salts with 

 earthy bases; or "earthy salts." Dr. Ure classes 

 "lime," (not carbonate of lime) among the primi- 

 tive earths. Dr. Webster, Professor in Harvard 

 University, in a work, compiled from Bronde, 

 Henry, Berzelius, Thompson and others, says: 

 "of the primary earths, only four are usual- 

 ly met with; to wit: silica, alumina, magnesia, and 

 lime, (not carbonate of lime,) hence it would 

 seem, that "lime" and not "lime with carbonic 

 acid" is "calcareous earth." 



The term then used by you, does not appear 

 technically correct. It is true, that defined as it is 

 by you, the meaning is conveyed, and perhaps as 

 well — yet, it is not so familiar, or systematic, as 

 the nomenclature of modern science, founded up- 

 on modern discoveries — which have been adopted 

 as unquestionable truths. 



The facility and frequency of the union of lime 

 with carbonic acid, will not sanction the innova- 

 tion, any more than they would justify the term 

 "aluminous earth," to imply the union of alumi- 

 na with sulphuric acid, with which it is so often 

 found united by the hand of nature. The adop- 

 tion of it, therefore leads to apparent contradic- 

 tions: which though removeable by reference to 

 your definition, is a little embarrassing. 



You will excuse, in your liberality, the harshness 

 of my cursory review of your inestimable essay; 

 which should have a prominent place in every 

 agriculturist's library. And again, except my 

 thanks for the presentation of it; and the assurance 

 of the high regard of 



JOSEPH E. MUSE. 



Our correspondent unnecessarily apologizes for his 

 strictures. They would be welcome, from any such 

 source, even though for more extensive and severe, 

 and unaccompanied by such complimentary and grat- 

 ifying expressions, as we are indebted for above. We 

 only desire that the doctrines of the Essay on Calca- 

 reous Manures may be considered as public property — 

 without reference to the author— to be strictly scruti- 

 nized, and admitted to be true and important, or con- 

 demned as false and worthless, according to a correct 

 ppreciation of their value. 



£he objections urged by Dr. Muse to the application 

 and limitation of the term "calcareous earth" to car- 

 of lime, are sound and weighty — and they were 

 considered, and fully appreciated, before that defini- 

 tion was adopted. The only excuse for this applica- 

 tion — and which still seems to us sufficient — is that 

 any other would be attended with far greater objec- 



