114 



Magnesian Lime. 



Vol. VII. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Magnesian Lime. 



I agree with S. Lewis that we have had 

 " namby pamby essays and absurd opinions 

 enough on this subject," and he might have 

 added, on others. 



If the question is further discussed it will 

 be necessary to come to the point, or at least 

 to a right understanding of what the subject 

 in dispute is. 



In the first place, it is not necessary to 

 enter into a controversy about the private 

 business of correspondents; let them buy 

 lime, or sell it, as best suits the interests 

 and feelinos of themselves and others. The 

 public want to know the relative value of 

 magnesian lime and pure lime ; they know 

 that lime with all its impurities, will im- 

 prove the soil, but the question is now raised 

 upon the value of the impurities — whether 

 magnesia, for instance, as one of those sub- 

 stances, is better to be retained or rejected, 

 when lime is bought for the purpose of ma- 

 nuring land. As to lime, we all agree about 

 its qualities as a manure, no one even in- 

 sinuates that pure lime is injurious to the 

 growth of plants, but on the contrary, highly 

 beneficial, and in some cases absolutely ne- 

 cessary to their full developement. It fol- 

 lows then, as a matter of course, that mag- 

 nesia is the subject in dispute. 



Is magnesia injurious? is it useful? and 

 if useful, is it equal to lime, used separately 

 or combined ; or does it occupy a neutral po- 

 sition, when applied as a manure or food for 

 plants ] 



These are the plain and obvious questions 

 presented to us by the nature of the case, 

 and if we wish the discussion terminated in 

 a way that will be profitable to the agricul- 

 tural interests of the community, we must 

 enter into a candid and dispassionate inves- 

 tigation of all the circumstances, experi- 

 ments and facts, that bear upon the subject, 

 and then submit to the truth, whatever it 

 may be. 



For my own part, I confess myself igno- 

 rant of the effects of magnesia as a manure, 

 when applied separately to the soil ; — never 

 having seen it tried. My strong objections 

 to it, have grown out of using it in combi- 

 nation with lime, or in other words, using 

 magnesian lime, and comparing the effects 

 with those produced by pure lime. 



The first great and prominent feature of 

 difference between pure lime and magnesian 

 lime, is that the former may be used at the rate 

 of five and six hundred bushels to the acre 

 with great benefit; while the latter, if spread 

 on the land at the same rate, would render 

 it totally barren. 



We know that great crops of wheat can 



be raised without magnesia being applied as 

 a manure, as in England for instance, and 

 we know where it is applied, the crop is 

 very uncertain. 



South-eastern Pennsylvania is an exam- 

 ple of the latter — there, large quantities of 

 magnesia have been applied to the soil, and 

 for some reason, great crops of wheat cannot 

 be raised, as a general result. There is a 

 secret and efficient cause of failure some- 

 where in the wheat crop of that district, 

 that baffles the ingenuity and research of a 

 class of farmers, who for intelligence and 

 enterprise, are not behind those of England, 

 or any other country. 



I do not say that the application of mag- 

 nesian lime to the soil is the cause of this 

 failure, but there are some good reasons for 

 believing, that the large quantities of it 

 spread upon the land every year with the 

 lime, exercises an unhealthy influence, both 

 upon vegetable and animal life. 



From observation and experiments I have 

 long been satisfied, that much larger crops 

 of wheat can be raised under the same man- 

 agement in Maryland and Delaware, than 

 in Chester and Lancaster counties. 



I have never been able to account for this 

 difference, yet I am satisfied that it exists. 

 I am aware that the growth of wheat is in- 

 fluenced by peculiarities of soil, but it is not 

 believed that Maryland and Delaware have 

 any advantages over Pennsylvania in that 

 particular. 



One thing we know, that magnesian lime 

 is a recent affair amongst us; previous to 

 opening the Schuylkill navigation it was 

 rarely used as a manure, and the heaviest 

 crops of wheat I have known, were raised 

 before it was introduced. 



In the years 1813-14, a considerable in- 

 terest was excited on the subject of agricul- 

 ture in Delaware. The war with England 

 had changed the position of trade, flour ad- 

 vanced to ten and twelve dollars per barrel, 

 and other produce in proportion. This ex- 

 citement brought out some heavy crops of 

 grain. One field near Wilmington, pro- 

 duced 50 bushels of wheat to the acre, at 

 least I was so informed by a person worthy 

 of every decree of confidence. I raised 40 

 bushels to the acre, on a small field that had 

 been ploughed deep, highly manured with 

 compost, and previously dressed with pure 

 lime. I recollect one other case, where the 

 yield was 40 bushels to the acre; and seve- 

 ral instances between 30 and 40 bushels. 



Since the establishment of the Agricultu- 

 ral Society of Newcastle county, there has 

 been considerable emulation among the 

 farmers in their grain crops and the rear- 

 ing of fine cattle; yet with all the advan- 



