246 



Lime — Cultivation of Cranberries on Upland Soil. Vol. XI. 



ways show its bad effects in their milkinof, 

 and appetite for food. When animals are 

 tied up constantly, but suffered to go to drink 

 at stated intervals, they after a time, become 

 accustomed to it, and do as well, as far as I 

 have observed, as if turned out, especially 

 when the pasturage was not regular, as it 

 sometimes is in dry hot seasons. But yet 

 this was only in reference to their condition 

 and quality of saleable milk, not for the 

 making of butter. 



I would recommend that the ordinary 

 crops of the farm, even such as clover or 

 grass, should not be depended upon for soil 

 ing. The ground should be especially aS' 

 signed for the purpose. It should be as near 

 the animals as possible to save labor, and put 

 in the best condition for producing a succes- 

 sion of luxuriant crops. A dry or wet sea- 

 son will then never disappoint the farmer, 

 for if the land is ploughed thoroughly and 

 deeply and highly manured, it will be so 

 loose as to permit the roots to strike deep 

 and obtain sufficient moisture, raised by ca- 

 pillary attraction from below, in case of a 

 drought; or so porous as to permit the ready 

 percolation of water in a wet season. All 

 the crops for soiling should come in in regu- 

 lar order, and not too much ground should 

 be sown or planted at a time, so that the 

 crops may be fed before they are too old and 

 strong. It is often said that these crops are 

 too watery, and that they scour the animals; 

 they do so oftentimes, because the feed is 

 changed suddenly, but after a time they be- 

 come accustomed to it. Feeding a little dry 

 meal, and giving the animals the privilege 

 of licking clay, will soon check the disorder. 

 Lime water is also very good for that pur- 

 pose. I believe that the following plan for 

 raising crops for soiling would be found to 

 answer the desired object. Let a proportion 

 of land be prepared by deep thorough tillage 

 and abundance of manure, and sown with 

 rye. Thrice the quantity of seed should be 

 used, and it should be sown about a fortnight 

 earlier than usual. This rule affords the first 

 cutting in the spring. A piece of clover 

 should next be prepared by top-dressing and 

 plaster; this would come after the rye. It 

 could be cut until corn was ready, or as soon 

 as the frost is out of the ground in the spring. 

 Oats and field peas should be sown on rich 

 well prepared ground. This crop will come 

 in after clover, anl, I think, would be a good 

 substitute for English tares. It was the most 

 abundant crop I have ever raised on my farm. 

 When the weather is sufficiently warm, corn 

 should be sown broadcast. This will give 

 an abundant supply of feed until late in the 

 fall. I prefer sowing corn broadcast to drills. 

 ■It is much less trouble, and the stalk is made 



more tender. I prefer, too, to cut the corn 

 when it is in full leaf, and not wait any 

 longer. I have conversed with our largest 

 dairymen, who have partially soiled with 

 corn for several years. They all unite in 

 the opinion that it is the best feed to give 

 an abundant yield of milk. — Farmer and 

 Mechanic. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Lime* 



In the January number of the Cabinet, is 

 an article on lime, from " Chambers' Infor- 

 mation, &c." in which it is stated that "lime 

 helps to fix the carbonic acid which is gene- 

 rated by the fermentation of putrescent 

 manures in the soil, or which floats in the 

 air on the surface of the earth, and it freely 

 imparts this gas in union with water for the 

 nourishment of plants." It is well known 

 that lime unites with carbonic acid and thus 

 soon returns to its primitive condition of 

 carbonate of lime or lime stone; but that it 

 freely imparts the carbonic acid for the nour- 

 ishment of plants, is an assertion which ad- 

 mits of a doubt. The lime stone will yield 

 up its carbonic acid when submitted to the 

 action of a stronger acid, or when heated to 

 a high temperature, as in lime burning. 



Lime stone is soluble in water, which is 

 impregnated with carbonic acid, but it re- 

 mains lime-stone and does not part with any 

 carbonic acid. The excess of acid in the 

 water is not an effect, but the cause of the 

 solution. 



When carbonic acid has united with lime, 

 water cannot dissolve it out. Farmers are 

 deeply interested, and attention being ea- 

 gerly turned to the subject of the operation 

 of lime as a manure, every explanation is 

 seized with avidity. It is better that expe- 

 rience in its use and effects should be our 

 guide, however imperfect, than any false 

 theory of its operation, which can only lead 

 to erroneous practice. Respectfully, 



Ellwood Harvey. 



Chadd's Ford, Pa., Feb. ]7, 1847. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Cultivation of Cranberries on Upland 

 Soil. 



The attention of the public having been 

 called to the culture of this delicious fruit, 

 and Mr. Gardner, of Massachusetts, having 

 produced three hundred and twenty bushels 

 to the acre, on upland soil ; I proceed to give 

 his mode of cultivation as follows: "I se- 

 lected a piece of cold wet land that will 

 keep moist through the year — remove the 



