66 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



SEPTEMBER 11, 1*33. 



The opinions of such an experienced and inttlli- 

 «ent cultivator as this show how hazardous would 

 be the indiscriminate application of lime to vari- 

 ous soils, valuable as the manure is admitted tube 

 where it may be properly applied. 



[[/'Sir Humphry Davy remarks, that " when a 

 soil deficient in calcareous matter contains m ich 

 soluUe vegetable manure, the application of quick 

 lime should always be avoided, as it either teids 

 to decompose the soluble matters by uniting to 

 them carbon ami oxygen, so as to become mild 

 lime ; or it combines with the soluble matters, aid 

 forms 4 compounds having less attraction for wa.er 

 than the pure vegetable substance." Then again 

 he adds, " Lime should never be applied with aii- 

 mal manures unless they are too rich, or for the 

 purpose of preventing uoxious effluvia. It is n- 

 jurious when mixed with any common dung, aid 

 tends to render the extractive matter absolutely n- 

 soluble," 



Such are the opinions of most competent judges 

 on the use of lime, of whose extraordinary valie 

 as a manure or stimulant to the soil there is do 

 question ; and such opinions render us cautious 

 in regard to its indiscriminate application, or in 

 coming to the conclusion that it is indispensable 

 in all cases to the successful culture of wheat. 



Let us now come to the facts in the case. Mr. 

 Pomroy has never applied any lime to his grounds 

 or seeds in any form. Mr. Arms none. Mr. Wads 

 worth none. Mr. Hillhouse none. The great 

 Springfield crop had none. Mr. Justin Ely speaks 

 of sprinkling his seed with lime, using about eight 

 quarts to a bushel, though his first crops were 

 sprinkled with gypsum, which is generally con 

 sidercd of no advantage to wheat. Col. Wilson 

 merely sprinkled his seed : this did not, however. 

 secure it from blight. Mr. Leavitt sprinkled his 

 seed, and applied about five bushels of air slacked 

 lime to an acre : this wheat, however, suffered 

 considerably from blight. Mr. Wells sprinkled 

 none upon his seed, but spread about two hogs- 

 heads upon his winter wheat in the spring. He 

 says, however, he is not sensible of any advantage 

 from it. 



Mr. Wells states another fact, which bears upon 

 this matter very strongly. He had been accus- 

 tomed to sow spring wheat for years ; but not well 

 satisfied with the kind which he had usually sowed, 

 he procured a bushel of wheat the last spring from 

 store, very highly extolled, and sowed it by the 

 side of some of his own spring wheat, known 

 generally as Leghorn wheat. Upon the land on 

 which his store wheat was sown he put on a very 

 considerable dressing of lime the last spring ; but 

 he assures me that the produce of this land was 

 not nearly so good as that which lay at the side of 

 it, on which he sowed his Leghorn wheat, and 

 upon which no lime had been placed. 



My own experience this year indicates a similar 

 result. On 11th April, I sowed a piece of spring 

 wheat on some of the best alluvial land on my 

 farm. The most westerly strip through the piece 

 containing about 45 rods, was first manured with 

 coarse barn manure, and then limed; 2 hogsheads 

 of lime having been slacked and spread as evenly 

 as possible with shovels from the cart. The seed 

 was washed in brine, and sprinkled with lime, and 

 sowed at the rate of two bushels to an acre. The 

 second strip next easterly to the above was manured 

 with baru manure, spread after ploughing, harrow- 

 ed and sowed with one bushel of the same wheat, 



then the seed, after being well coated with tallow, 

 well adapted to furnish nitrogen, sprinkled with 

 lime : quantity of land about S3 rods. The next 

 strip easterly, containing about one acre, was ma- 

 nured with barn manure spread, the seed washed 

 in brine, and then sprinkled with lime, and sowed 

 at the rate of two bushels to the acre. Now 

 the result was that the produce of the first two 

 pieces was not, judging from the appearance and 

 the number of shocks, even half equal to the land 

 on which no lime was spread. No apparent ad- 

 vantage was derived from the tallow applied ; but 

 the germination of the seed was considerably de- 

 layed by it. 1 know no difference in the aspect or 

 condition of these three pieces of land other than 

 what is stated, excepting that on the two former 

 pieces Indian corn was grown the last year, on the 

 latter potatoes. There is little doubt that potatoes 

 are more favorable to wheat than Indian corn ; but 

 whether the difference in the produce is ascriba- 

 ble to the potatoes preceding the crop, or the ap- 

 plication of lime, others from the above facts can 

 form an opinion for themselves. The ground was 

 very foul with eadluc, a most troublesome weed iu 

 our meadows. 



Wm. Wells, Esq. above referred to, is one of 

 our most experienced and intelligent farmers. The 

 land on which his winter wheat was raised, yield- 

 ing 25 bushels to the acre, has been tilled, con- 

 stantly with the exception of one year, for forty 

 years. The year before the last it was in Indian 

 corn ; the last year in oats. For wheat, it was 

 last fall manured with twenty-two loads drawn by- 

 one yoke of oxen of light strawy barn manure. 

 He applied one load of leeched ashes to a part of 

 the field. On this the growth of straw was more 

 luxuriant ; but he thinks there was no superiority 

 in the yield of grain. For corn it has been ma- 

 nured in the hill. Mr. Wells' opinion is entitled 

 to great consideration. He has every year, for 

 many years, cultivated wheat. He attributes its 

 failure in many cases to our open winters, which 

 have prevailed more since the country became 

 cleared than formerly. 



I submit the above observations and facts, Mr. 

 Editor, to your consideration. I have no ambition 

 to establish any theory; but am anxious to make 

 only such deductions as facts will warrant. High- 

 ly as lime is to be esteemed as a manure, and its 

 extraordinary value has been long since incontro- 

 verlilily established, yet it is apparent, that its ap- 

 plication is not to be indiscriminately recommend- 

 ed ; and that it is indispensable with us to the 

 raising of wheat, and its deficiency in our soil 

 the great cause of the failure of our wheat crops, 

 are positions which in my humble opinion need 

 confirmation. There is good reason to believe 

 that our soil is not ill adapted to the growth of 

 this valuable grain ; that with ordinary care and 

 labor it will succeed as often with us as in most 

 other countries ; and though the usual product 

 may not in the opinion of many justify the expense 

 and labor of cultivation, yet it is gratifying to 

 believe that even in this matter New England 

 has within itself the ample means of indepen- 

 dence. H. C. 

 Meadowbanks, Deerjidd, Aug. 26, 1833. 



FARMING. 



Windsor, (Conn.) Aug. 29th 1833. 

 T. G. Fessenden, Esq. — Dear Sir, In the North- 



ampton Courier of July 31st, 1833, which has ac 

 upon which melted tallow was first poured, and I cidentally fallen in my way, I have read with some 



interest an article on agriculture copied from the 

 N. E. Farmer, dated Westborough, 1S33, signed 

 Samuel Chamberlain, and stating an account of the 

 productions of a farm for one year, the sum total 

 of which, including dairy, beef and pork amounts 

 to *2394,47£. 



Giving publicity to the skilful and successful 

 management of farms, and extraordinary produc- 

 tions in agriculture, has a happy tendency in exci- 

 ting in others a spirit of laudable emulation, and 

 extending the boundaries of agricultural science 

 and rural economy. 



On subjects so interesting to the community, it 

 is believed many agricultural gentlemen, practical 

 farmers, have been too sparing of their talents and 

 of (heir ink, in laying before the public, results of 

 their improvements and successful experiments, 

 accompanied by their own reasonings and remarks. 

 Had Mr. Chamberlain gone more into detail in 

 the description of the farm and stock, quantity of 

 land and method of cultivation, manuring, &c. age 

 of the swine when slaughtered, and every other im- 

 portant particular, which contributed to so great a 

 product, his account would have been read with a 

 deeper interest, and been better calculated to afford 

 instruction and benefit to others. 



Considerations of this character, suggested to my 

 mind by the perusal of Mr. C.'s account will, I 

 hope, serve as an apology for communicating to 

 you a statement of facts relative to a small section 

 of the farm owned by Gen. Charles Jencks, at 

 Warehouse Point, East Windsor, a gentleman with 

 whom for many years I have been acquainted. 



Having business which led me to that place on 

 Monday last, and feeling an inclination to view the 

 premises in question, I called on Sir. J. who with 

 his usual politeness, gratified my curiosity in walk- 

 ing ov?r his grounds. — From him and from others 

 now employed in his service, all entitled to the 

 fullest credit, accompanied by my own view, so 

 far as relates to present appearances, I am prepar- 

 ed to present the following account. 



Woad produced last year on 5 acres of ground, 

 12 tons. 



Tobacco planted this year, 31 acres. 

 Teazles cropped this year, 8 acres. 

 Woad seed collected on somewhat less than half 

 an acre of ground, 100 bushels measured. — On 

 the same ground is now standing a heavy crop of 

 tobacco. The growth oftobacco on the whole 31 

 acres is unusually large, and is estimated by com- 

 petent judges of the article, to yield not less than 

 one ton to the acre when cured and ready for the 

 market. — His tobacco sheds on the premises are 

 of the following dimensions, viz: — 



One of 102 feet by 30 — 3 stories high. 

 ,, ,■ 70 ,, ,, 18 — 3 „ ., 



„ „ 62 „ „ 24—3 „ 

 „ „ 60 „ „ 40—4 „ 

 „ „ 38 „ „ 40—3 „ 

 and one other erected the present season in the 

 form of tn L, 567 feet long and 24 broad, 3 sto- 

 ries high. 



The wnole amounting to S99 feet in length with 

 their various widths and heights. — All these are 

 supposed to be but barely sufficient to contain for 

 curing thepresent crop, the cutting of which is this 

 day begun. One fact connected with the raising 

 and finishing the long shed, of the truth of which 

 I was assured by the master-workman, is deserving 

 of particular aotice — namely, that during the whole 

 time of performing that labor no ardent spirit was 

 furnished to any person employed in it. 



