286 



Lime — Tlie Golden Plough relinquished. 



Vol. V 



their already existing good qualities. I 

 would, therefore, hesitate to advocate the 

 introduction of any new characteristic which 

 should have a tendency to detract from the 

 old ones, and would leave to other breeds, 

 the possession of their peculiar properties; 

 remembering, what Zebu observes with truth, 

 that each is suited to a particular purpose. 

 A Montgomery Farmer. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Jjime—The Golden Plough relinquished. 



Messrs. Editors, — My Lancaster friend 

 seems to think my article, if designed only 

 for the " common reader," might do well 

 enough. Now as a large portion of the 

 readers of the Cabinet are common farmers 

 like myself, without much science, I must 

 " confess the soft impeachment," and ac- 

 knowledge that it is principally for the 

 benefit of the common farmer, I am writing. 

 Every class of readers ought to have arti- 

 cles to suit them, and I have no doubt Lan- 

 caster County Farmer's Chemical Analysis, 

 and quotations from James F. W. Johnston, 

 M. A., F. R. S., &c, &c., will satisfy the 

 most scientific. 



Perhaps I went too far in supposing mag 

 nesian lime was not used in England ; if so 

 I must lay part of the blame on the Cabinet 

 and Cultivator; the impression I received 

 from perusing their pages was, that magne- 

 sian lime was not much used, or approved 

 in that country. But this might be explained 

 if we were informed how much magnesia, 

 was required to constitute magnesian lime. 

 That it must be very different from ours, is 

 proved by the large quantity applied to the 

 acre. His own statement, that " 300 bush- 

 els is the average quantity," is like the gun 

 in Hudibras, 



Which, when aimed at duck or plover, 

 Recoiled, and knocked the owner over. 



For it will convince practical farmers, that 

 it must have been nearly pure carbonate. 



He also says, Sir H. Davy proved an acre 

 of clover to contain four bushels of lime and 

 plaster, or carbonate and sulphate of lime; 

 (magnesia is not mentioned,) and adds, 

 " phosphate of lime, or burnt or crushed 

 bones, is also a powerful fertilizing agent, 

 the base of which is of course lime." The 

 base of a statue may be stone, and its head 

 gold. I have always understood that bones, 

 when boiled until nothing but the base was 

 left, were of but little value. If this is not 

 the fact, Sir H. Davy's countrymen are very 

 foolish to come to this country for bones, 

 when they have any quantity of limestone 



at home. I am an advocate for plaster, 

 well as animal manures, bone-dust includ 

 and have never said a word against lime 

 small quantities, if the soil did not cont; 

 it naturally; but I repeat again, that none 

 his analyses from Sir H. Davy, or any otl 

 great man, proves that more lime is requii 

 than plaster. And if the professor had se 

 rated the carbonate from the sulphate, 

 would have shown that it required m 

 plaster. Yoking them together, may 

 ceive the scientific, but I should not like 

 try it with my " common readers." 



But now for the cream of the article — < 

 Lancaster friend tells the world, that " mi 

 soils are unfriendly to the action of mine 

 agency." In sooth, here is a dark spot 

 the lucid ray of science to expand in. I 

 not wonder Lancaster County Farmer 1 

 such great stress on chemical analys 

 what money, time and labour, might hi 

 been saved ! What sore backs and teai 

 eyes prevented, if we had known this soon 

 I have often heard that extremes meet, 

 I little thought, when Lancaster Cou: 

 Farmer and I parted in such opposite dir 

 tions, that we should not only meet, but t 

 I should actually be past by him. I suppo: 

 most soils contained such minerals as li 

 and plaster, and if they were deficient, t 

 a small quantity might be added ; that 

 quantity must be small, I thought was pro 1 

 by the fact, that some soils, such as 1 

 Townsend's, have enough lime naturally 

 last 100 years, and every "common farm 

 knows, that a few bushels of plaster will 

 completely supply what is deficient in i 

 soil, that subsequent applications will rm 

 no change whatever. But I never he; 

 before, that "many soils are unfriendly 

 the action of mineral agency." Ah! I 

 Lewis that was the " unkindest cut of al 

 you may well exclaim, " Save me from 

 friends." Why, this is not only " kick: 

 (lie sheep," but destroying the wool tra 

 Farewell plough ! I have no further cla 

 to you. This is worth more, coming fror 

 scientific man, than all I have ever said 

 the subject. We had better give the St 

 geologist eight dollars per day, and milea 

 to analyze our soils, and point out th 

 " unfriendly to mineral agency," than to 

 thus g-iving medicine in the dark, with 

 knowing whether we are killing or curi 

 Never let it be said again, "this controve 

 is convincing no one;" I even think 

 change has come o'er" our Lancaster Coui 

 Parmer's dream, since he wrote his first 

 tide; he there led us to infer, that 70 aci 

 by the use of magnesian lime, was made 

 produce more than 200 of the same k 

 without it. Never hinting that stable r. 



