28 



Sketcnesfrom the Budget of an Ex-Farmer. Vol. III. 



verts the solution into carbonate of lime in 

 connexion w ith every particle of earth it 

 comes in contact with, and this being mucli 

 less adhesive than clay, when it comes to bo 

 ploughed the particles easily separate, and 

 hence the property of lime in rendering the 

 soil less adhesive and more readily penetrat- 

 ed by the roots of plants in search of food. 



Particles of sand not being penetrable by 

 moisture, where that predominates, the alka- 

 line solution of the lime passes between them 

 and becomes a carbonate, forming an adhesive 

 cement between them, and hence it renders 

 a sandy soil somewhat more compact and re- 

 tentive of moisture. 



Where much vegetable matter abounds in 

 a soil, it will absorb and retain the solution of 

 lime as a sponge, which being converted in 

 its interstices into a carbonate, will tend to 

 impede its too speedy decomposition ; for ve- 

 gfetable matter, in our climate, decomposes 

 with too much rapidity for plants to take up 

 the nutriment it affords as rapidly as it is pro- 

 duced, and consequently a portion of it is lost 

 or dissipated ; but by the decomposition being 

 impeded or checked by the carbonate of lime 

 it proceeds more slowly and continues to give 

 out food for plants more gradually and for a 

 much longer period of time; and this corres 

 ponds with the observation of our most in 

 telligent farmers, that where lime is used the 

 manure or dung continues to produce its ef- 

 fect for a much longer time. 



The partially decomposed vegetable mat- 

 ter in the soil also operates as a reservoir for 

 moisture, and gives it out to the adjacent soil 

 when it becomes dry, so as to keep up a more 

 perfect equilibrium of moisture, which is sta- 

 ted to be the fact where lime is applied ; for 

 manure that is only partially decomposed 

 holds moisture in much larger quantities than 

 that which is thoroughly rotten. This may 

 be observed in every dung heap in the coun- 

 try, for the straw holds the moisture whilst 

 the decomposition is only partial, but when 

 it becomes thorough it lets it loose, and hence 

 we see the essence of dung heaps running to 

 waste during the summer season. 



These views are thrown together for the 

 purpose of arresting the attention of those 

 who are much more competent to discuss this 

 intricate subject than the writer, for we find 

 sometimes that even an erroneous theory by 

 leading to discussion promotes the discovery 

 of truth. It is therefore hoped that those who 

 are disposed to examine and discuss this im- 

 portant subject, will avail themselves of the 

 Farmers' Cabinet for that purpose. X. 



The way to enlarge our ability, is to double 

 our industry; because, by often repeated ef- 

 rorts we may accomplish in the end what, in 

 the beginning, we despaired of. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 SKETCHES FROM THE BUDGET OF AN EXFARMER. 



No. I. 



THE PROVIDENT FARMER. 



The provident farmer has a place for every 

 thing, and is anxious to keep every thing in its 

 place. If the ploughing of a field has been 

 completed, the plough is not left in the fence 

 corner until it is needed some where else, but 

 is brought home to the shelter of the bam, 

 the workshop, or the wagon house. The same 

 care is exercised in relation to every thing he 

 makes use of, in the varied operations of his 

 farm. In the spring he does not depend up- 

 on his cattle for information whicli of his 

 fences have been blown down or unridered 

 during the storms of the winter. He does 

 not wait for the gathering in of his crop to 

 learn whether there are any pig holes through 

 or under the fence which surrounds the mowing 

 ground or cornfield. He provides every thing 

 in its season, — he looks after every thing, — 

 and almost insensibly instils the same .sort of 

 habit in all that are about him. The granary 

 at the barn, the meal chest and meat tub at 

 the house are never quite empty, and his wife 

 has forgotten the day when she had not a ham 

 in the kitchen, or the means for cooking it at 

 the wood-pile. Such is a brief sketch of a 

 provident farmer, and a provident farmer's 

 comforts. Now take the reverse; — it is a 

 sketch drawn from the life, and though he 

 who sat for the portrait is dead, he has lefl 

 many a kindred spirit behind him. 



THE IMPROVIDENT FARMER. 



Many years back I resided in one of thd 

 neighboring counties, on land adjoining the 

 property of a. full-blooded improvident farmer. 

 He had a comfortable house, a noble barn, a 

 fertile farm ; — he was industrious, so also were 

 his household, — yet every day and all day long 

 something or other was out of order and go- 

 ing wrong. If any thing was broken, he had 

 the whcretvithall to mend it, but just at the 

 time of extremity it always seemed to be 

 mislaid. If a staple was needed, the work 

 shop having been in vain searched, a laborer 

 from the plough or the harvest field, was sent 

 for one to the blacksmith's shop, — and it not 

 unfrcquently happened that by the time of 

 his return, some one would recollect that there 

 was a half a dozen, stowed away over the 

 kitchen mantle. If either of his horses had 

 lost a shoe he was rarely taken to be sliod 

 until he luul become hiine. The pigs were 

 not ])onnod up until they had wasted more 

 corn than they were worth for their owner, 

 nor until some of them had been shot by his 

 neighbors. It would be vain for me to at- 

 trMnpt to toll how many times a day the old 

 farmer was called from his reirular labor, to 

 drive the pigs or the cattle from the grass, the 



