202 OF MANURE. 



8. It is an ascertained fact, that lime is of no advantage 

 in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, where the land has 

 been long accustomed to aration and city manure. Mr 

 Allan of Craigrook, near Edinburgh, has given lime the 

 fairest trial, by liming one ridge, the whole field over, at 

 the rate of 60 bolls per acre, and leaving the other unlimed, 

 and he has uniformly found, that the liming has had no 

 effect. The reason, probably, is this, that the land having 

 been so often manured with Edinburgh street-dung, which 

 frequently contains a proportion of shells, the use of stone 

 lime is thereby superseded. Indeed, some are of opinion, 

 that the land in the immediate vicinity of Edinburgh, had 

 been abundantly limed at some former period, which, in 

 addition to the calcareous matter mixed with the street- 

 dung, renders any additional liming unavailing. 



Mr Hume of East Barns finds, that lime does not an- 

 swer on his farm near Dunbar, which he attributes to the 

 great quantities of sea-ware, mixed with shells, which have 

 been laid on these lands from time immemorial, and their 

 having been formerly under constant crops of corn, and 

 never in grass till lately, and even now only one year at a 

 time. It is well known, he adds, that lime acts best on 

 land that has been much in grass. Any local circumstan- 

 ces of that sort, however, cannot diminish the credit of a 

 manure, of such essential importance to the improvement 

 of the country.* 

 



4. Mark. In the improved districts of Scotland, lime 



* It is an interesting object of enquiry, whether lime is equally effica- 

 cious on the sea-shore, as in the inland districts ? It is well known that 

 gypsum is not. Sea-ware contains kelp, which, from the alkali it pos- 

 sesses, may act as a substitute for lime. 



