202 



Earths and Soils. 



III. 



five acres havincr no lime on, making in the 

 wliole 828 bushels of corn. It is the conviction 

 of many farmers, that the corn crops this sea- 

 Fon would iiave been much larger, had not the 

 droufjht taken place. 



Let us now contrast this last crop of corn 

 with the former one, and show the difference 

 as to the land which was limed, manured, &c., 

 and the land which was not, as the soil of this 

 field was alike in quality previous to the above 

 improvement. 



bus. 

 1835. Produce of 20 acres, 19 buBliels per acre,. . . .^80 

 133.''. Do. of 20 do. 37 do. do 743 



Or, produce of the whole 2.5 acres in IPS,") 475 



ii'Jtf. Do. of 20 acres, and Iti bushels per acre on 5 



acres not limed, 80 bushels, 8^3 



Siiowincr a difference between the former and 

 the last crop, from 20 acres, of three hundred 

 and forty- three bushels ; and a difference be- 

 tween the former crop from the whole field, 

 and the last crop, of three hundred and twenty- 

 eight bu.sliels. 



It will appear then, Mr. Editor, that I have 

 received this season 3(W bushels of corn more 

 from twenty acres of this field than the former 

 crop, which w'as received from the same 

 twenty acres. Or, taking in the five acres 

 which had no lime on, I received an overplus 

 this season of 328 bushels, there being that 

 number of bushels of corn from the field, more 

 than at the former crop. 



We will now make some estimate as to the 

 cost of the lime, and I think it costs nothing 

 to those who use it judiciously upon their land. 

 We will take into this estimate the overplus 

 corn from tlie twenty acres of land which was 

 limed, the overplus of which is 363 bushels. 



Dr. Land (twenty acres) 

 183)?. May I. To ani't paid for 800 bushels of 



lime, delivered $200 fO 



To spreading lime, &c 8 oo 



Interest on the money, 7 mo.. 



.7 (HI 

 5213 00 

 8272 2.5 



Nov. 



Supra, Cr. 



By 363 bushels of corn at75ctg.. .. 



By balance remaining on overplus corn, $i57 25 



Thus it will appear, that after paying for 

 the lime and for carting and spreading it, and 

 allowing the interest on the money paid, there 

 Ftill remains a balance from the overplus corn 

 the sum of ^7 2.'), which will amply pay 

 for all extra labor and expense that tlie raising 

 of this overplus of corn may be charged with 

 If such then is the case, which is to me as clear 

 as two and two make four, how is it that lime 

 *^ costs too much," which appears to be the 

 hobby horse upon which too many land hold- 

 ers in our neighborhood ride upon ; and for 

 which reason it is not used upon their lands. 

 There are a few individuals here who have 



lately given it a trial, and they have been fully 

 satisfied as to the powerful effects of this inval- 

 uable mineral upon their land ; and I hope that 

 the time is not far distant when many of our 

 landholders in this neighborhood will give it 

 a trial. We shall not then fear but what our 

 section of country will advance too in the 

 march of improvement. R. M. Black. 

 Pencader Hun., N. Castle Co., Del., Dec. 25, 18:;8. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Earths and Soils. 



No. IL 



In the investigation of agricultural subjects, 

 it is neces.sary that we should as correctly as 

 possible, distinguish earths and soils, and their 

 varieties. The earths important to agricul- 

 ture, and which form nearly the whole sur- 

 face of the globe, capable of producing vege- 

 tation, are only four, viz.: filicious, aluminous, 

 calcareous, and magnesian. 



As a full description of all the distinctive 

 characters of these earths could not be em- 

 braced within the compass of my contem- 

 plated communication, I shall merely mention 

 a few, by which may be understood the efl^ects 

 they necessarily produce in forming a com- 

 pound best calculated to promote vegetation. 



Silicious earth exists in the state of sand. 

 It is composed of very hard particles, which 

 cannot be made coherent by mixing with wa- 

 ter. The solidity of the particles of sand 

 renders them impenetrable to water, and 

 their loose arrangement make sand incapable 

 of retaining water. It is also quickly heated 

 by the sun, which adds to the rapidity with 

 which it looses moisture. 



Aluminous earth, when dry, adheres to the 

 tongue, absorbs water rapidly and abundantly, 

 and when wet, forms a tough paste smooth 

 and soapy to the touch. By burning, it be- 

 comes very hard; when drying, aluminous 

 earth shrinks greatly, it becomes a mass of 

 hard lumps, separated by cracks and fissure.", 

 which become so many little reservoirs of 

 stai.ding water when filled by rains, and re- 

 main so when the lumps, by slowly imbibing 

 the water, arc distended enough to fill tHb 

 space occupied before. 



Calcareous earth, or carbonate of lime, is 

 calcarious earth combined with carlxinic acid, 

 and may be converted into quick lime by heat. 

 Lime is soluble in acids; during the solution 

 the carbonic acid escapes with cfTervoscence. 

 In this manner the carbonate of lime, or cal- 

 carious earth, may not bo easily distinguished 

 from silicious and aluminous earths, but from 

 all other combinations of lime. Magnesia 

 earth, like lime, is usually found in combina- 

 tion with carbonic acid : but even in this, ita 

 natural state, it exists in such very small 

 quantities in soils, and is found so rarely, 



