No. 



Lime. — Practice versus Tlieory. 



255 



complete stand-still ; and therefore, no food 

 is yielded to the infant plants, with their de- 

 composing powers too weak to gain support 

 by decaying the old grass roots, they conse- 

 quently die of starvation ; the old grass roots 

 thus left, remaining in a state of compara- 

 tive preservation, until some more powerful 

 vegetable grows above them, or tillage or 

 manure effects their overthrow. The seed 

 sown on this exhausted soil might, and in- 

 deed it does grow at first, from its own re- 

 sources, and from the air and moisture col- 

 lected in the immediate neighbourhood; but 

 the plants soon afterwards present to the eye 

 a stand-still of all farther growth; maintain- 

 ing a mere existence by the falling of a 

 few timely showers perhaps, then perish. 



The above aids are required by plants of 

 delicate habits, and which need nice cultiva- 

 tion ; the almost only vegetables of the edi- 

 ble and grain kinds that have sufficient de- 

 composing powers to succeed, even on good 

 land, when broken up from old pasture, being 

 the hardy sorts of the potatoe, the tare or 

 vetch, and the common grey pea ; but it is 

 far best, not to plant or sow any crop on 

 fresh broken upland, until it has been pro- 

 perly prepared by the fallow-tillage, and 

 manured with lime, ashes, &c, because the 

 immediately depriving the land of the ener- 

 gies it may possess when broken up, retards 

 the progress of its after improvement, in a 

 more than two-fold degree. — Bland's Agri- 

 culture. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Lime.—Practice versus Theory. 



In a late number of the Cabinet, your cor- 

 respondent, Mr. Van Leer, says he has "re- 

 peatedly offered $100 to any of his neigh- 

 bours, that would show to competent judges, 

 where a second application of magnesian 

 lime, (no difference how long before, or in 

 how small quantities the first application 

 was made,) had done any good whatever." 

 I quite regret his not having extended the 

 offer to all of his acquaintance, as $100 

 would not be unacceptable to some of us 

 farmers, who are either obliged to sell our 

 wheat at 75 cents per bushel, or wait for an 

 advance in price. 



If Mr. Van Leer would take the trouble 

 to accompany me over my farm, I would not 

 only show, but I think, convince him, that 

 a second application of lime had very mate- 

 rially improved the quality and productive- 

 ness .of the soil. When I purchased this 

 farm, some eight or ten years since, I found 

 considerable difficulty in collecting animal 

 and vegetable manure, sufficient for a coat- 

 ing for five acres; I now find as little diffi- 



culty in manuring fifteen. The barn form- 

 erly held both hay and grain, and was some 

 seasons not full. Now, it will not hold more 

 than'one-half, perhaps not that. I have been 

 using lime for several years, nearly 1000 

 bushels per annum ; last year, the quantity 

 used, exceeded that amount. I have still 

 more conclusive evidence at hand : I have, 

 in every instance, reserved a portion of the 

 field unlimed, in order to ascertain whether 

 or not lime was of any benefit. As the 

 former owner was of Mr. Van Leer's opin- 

 ion, that lime did his land at least, no good; 

 and he no doubt, was honest in the conclu- 

 sion, for its maintenance did not harmonize 

 with his interest, I was the more particu- 

 lar in making my experiments, staking out 

 the part left unlimed, and frequently passing 

 through the successive crops, in order to as- 

 certain whether or not the lime had im- 

 proved them, with some person unacquainted 

 with the circums-tances; the division line, 

 however, between the limed and the un- 

 limed, would be uniformly discovered — and 

 not unfrequently, some 40 or 50 yards be- 

 fore we arrived at the spot; for, in many 

 instances, the crop was more than doubled ; 

 and that too, where this was the second coat 

 of lime. The quantity of wheat and oats 

 in two of my fields last year, was not one- 

 half as great on the unlimed as on the limed 

 portion, the disparity being so perceptible, 

 that the men in cutting across the fields, 

 observed the difference the first stroke given 

 with their cradles in it, without a previous 

 knowledge of the cause. 



Now sir, if this is not prima facia evi- 

 dence, and that too, that will convince Mr. 

 Van Leer himself, I would suggest the pro- 

 priety of his extending the offer of his spare 

 change, at least the trifling sum specified, 

 to any one who will show to competent 

 judges, any benefit derived from a second 

 application of lime. 



If lime was not universally known to 

 benefit the soil, it is not very likely there 

 would be now more than a thousand times 

 the quantity used in this vicinity, than there 

 was 15 or 20 years ago; for people are quite 

 as much opposed now, to extra labour that 

 does not benefit them, as they ever were. 



As I do not anticipate receiving a "golden 

 plough" for this essay, I will not give my 

 name in full, until the distance of the $100 

 offer is extended. 



Respectfully yours, &c, 



N. R. D. 



Albern, Feb. 21st, 1843. 



There are cases, in which a little com- 

 mon sense is of more worth than a great 

 deal of calculation. 



