No. 2. 



Cow losing her Horn. 



53 



markable, that the soil which overlies the 

 limestone rock, has been found to bear the 

 heaviest dressings of lime. The farmers, 

 in our limestone valley, have frequently 

 applied as much as 100, and 110 bushels to 

 the acre, with apparent benefit, but latterly, 

 some of the most intelligent observers among 

 them have expressed the opinion, in which 

 I decidedly concur, that smaller quantities — 

 say 40 or 50 bushels to the acre — repeated 

 at proper intervals, are attended with better 

 results. I believe a moderate toj)-dressing 

 of lime, — equally distributed in a state of 

 fine powder — every three or four years, is 

 more beneficial than a heavy dose once in 

 eix or eight years; and this, I think, is true 

 in all kinds of soil. It appears, then, that 

 lime may be, and has been, used with advan- 

 tage, on limestone lands. 



" Virginia," next inquires whether, by 

 successive cropping, lime is e.xtracted from 

 the sin-face soil, " where the substratum is 

 limestone 1" 



To this I can only reply, that such seems 

 to be the fact, — or at least, that experience 

 has demonstrated the benefit of repealed ap- 

 plications of it, on limestone lands. The 

 true rationale of the process, I must leave 

 to the agricultural chemist. 



As to the inquiry, whether "sufficient lime 

 is kept in the surface soil — of limestone 

 lands — by the action of the weather and the 

 process of cultivation!" I am equally un- 

 able to give a satisfactory answer. The 

 same experience, just referred to, would 

 seem to indicate, that the surface soil does 

 not derive "sufficient lime," from the pro- 

 cesses mentioned, to keep it in the best con- 

 dition of which it is susceptible; yet it is 

 certain that limestone lands are generally 

 of a better quality, and less readily ex- 

 hausted, than most others. Hence I should 

 infer, that they do derive some benefit from 

 the rock beneath. 



The next inquiry is, "Would the applica- 

 tion of it — i. e., the limestone rock, — in a 

 powdered state, to the surface of such lands 

 be beneficial I" I am not enabled, by ex- 

 periment, to answer this question ; but I am 

 informed it has been tried, without much 

 benefit. In its native state, limestone is not 

 so soluble in water, as when reduced to a 

 calx, by fire — neitlier is it so well fitted to 

 act upon the dead vegetable matter. In 

 fact, I should judge powdered limestone to 

 be nearly inert, and of very little value to 

 vegetation, compared with quick lime in a 

 pulverized state. This, however, is mere 

 opinion. I have no doubt that shells, finely 

 powdered, might be applied to land with ad- 

 vantage, for they contain a portion of ani- 

 mal matter; but, probably, even they would 



be more beneficial in a calcined state. 

 Wiiile I am giving opinions, 1 may as well 

 remark, that I think it of importance to ap- 

 ply quicklime in a minutely divided, or pul- 

 verized state — such as it assumes when first 

 slacked. It can be not only more readily 

 and equally distributed in that state, but 

 must necessarily, I think, be more effective. 

 I believe a large portion of its benefits are 

 often lost, by careless farmers permitting it 

 to get too loet, by long exposure, before it is 

 spread. It then forms into little insoluble 

 masses, and cannot possibly have the same 

 eflfect as if minutely and evenly distributed. 

 All bodies, to act chemically, must be mi- 

 nutely divided, and they must be applied 

 where they are to act. 



Excuse these hasty remarks. My object 

 was merely to comply, as well as I could, 

 with the request of your correspondent. If 

 you think them worth the space they will 

 occupy in your valuable paper, they are at 

 your service. \V. D. 



West Chester, Pa., January 10th, 18-J5. 



CoAV losing her Horn. 



On New-year's day, 1845, one of my cows 

 in fighting another, with a fence between 

 them, caught the horn in the rail and com- 

 pletely separated it from the pith. I waa 

 absent at the time, but my man who acted 

 as assistant surgeon in the cases of the cow 

 and the shoats, and who tliouglit he had 

 learned something from a hook farmer, un- 

 dertook to practice on his own account. He 

 concluded, by reasoning on the nature of 

 things, that as the horn was made to cover 

 the pith, the pith ought to be covered, espe- 

 cially in winter. He accordingly shut up 

 the cow by herself, and looking around, 

 found the horn beside the fence lying on 

 the ground, and as cold as a stone. It was 

 replaced, and he went to m_y farm medicine 

 chest, and taking therefrom a roll of stick- 

 ing plaster, spread long strips of muslin 

 with it, and wound the strips around the 

 base of the horn. The result was, the next 

 day the horn became warm at the base, and 

 gradually extended upwards until the whole 

 assumed its natural temperature. The plas- 

 ter adhered more than a week, and upon ex- 

 amination at that time, the horn was found 

 to be united. It is now three months since 

 the accident, tlie horn is firmly fixed in its 

 natural position, and the cow is well, and run- 

 nin<r at large with the others. — Cultivator. 



A FINE cucumber sixteen inches long, from 

 the gardens of Roswell L. Colt, of Paterson, 

 N. J., was laid on the table at the New York 

 Farmers' Club, on tlie 15th ult. 



