No. 11. 



Variation of crops. — Summer Soiling. 



341 



riety in succeeding crops, appears to be 

 owing, in the first place, to some of the 

 species rooting deep ; others superficial ; 

 others diagonal, and so on; by which means 

 every part of the cultivated soil becomes in- 

 vestigated by their fibres. In the second 

 place, one plant may require a large propor- 

 tion of oxygen, another of hydrogen, a third 

 of carbon, and the like, to re-collect each of 

 which, for the healthy maintenance of each 

 respective plant, requires an interval of two, 

 three, lour, or more years, according, of 

 course, to circumstances. And supposing 

 the interval of any species of gram be 

 passed over for a time, the result to be an- 

 ticipated in the future crop of the same 

 species, is — provided the land be kept in a 

 high state of cultivation all the while — that 

 the vegetation of the plants will prove con- 

 spicuously fine and vigorous, and at harvest 

 exceed the former crop of the same species, 

 either in grain or straw, or both. Relative 

 to the truth of all the above particulars, it 

 is only necessary to attend to the analyzed 

 products of a few species of vegetables, and 

 we find a difference in the proportion of the 

 materials of which they are composed, which 

 passing through their peculiar organization, 

 causes that characteristic feature — their va- 

 riety. 



Experience has, a thousand times, con- 

 firmed the necessity of a variation in the 

 succeeding crops, to a certain extent; con- 

 sequently, the best judgment of an agricul- 

 turist is required to select those useful spe- 

 cies which will follow each other most 

 successfully ; to ascertain also, the neces- 

 sary interval of lime of each respectively, 

 before a repetition of the same course can 

 take place, to ensure on an average of years, 

 the greatest permanent produce at the least 

 expense. A person first entering on a farm, 

 may not be well acquainted with its consti- 

 tution: therefore, the benefit of a few years' 

 experience must be had, before the nature 

 and properties of soil and circumstances can 

 be fully known, and a permanent, profitable 

 produce gained. 



Similies are great eluciilators — the re- 

 course to them will therefore assist in ex- 

 plaining more clearly, some parts of the rea- 

 soning which has here been employed. Let 

 then, a piece of fresh-burnt lime have a little 

 water poured on it: a chemical process com- 

 mences, which exhibits itself by the lump of 

 lime breaking to pieces, the vanishing of 

 the water accompanied with the evolution 

 of heat and steam — and then all is quiet ; 

 but a little more water being thrown on, 

 the same process and result ensue, which 

 may be repeated till the whole mas is satu- 

 rated with water, and converted into the hy- 



drate of lime, when, the balance of affinities 

 being established, no further decomposition 

 and evolution of heat will take place, what- 

 ever quantity of water may be afterwards 

 applied. This hydrate of lime may be dis- 

 solved, and with the addition of sand, form 

 mortar, or be mechanically suspended in a 

 body of water ; but the same recurrence of 

 phenomena is impossible, until the hydrate 

 has been exposed to the fire of a furnace to 

 re-expel the water; when the same appear- 

 ances will be visible on a second application 

 of water. But let the hydrate of lime be 

 exposed to the influence of carbonic acid, 

 and the hydrate will in due time become 

 the carbonate of lime; for this acid, having 

 la stronger affinity for lime than water, ex- 

 jpels the water and combines with the lime; 

 and during this change, a different fermen- 

 ] tation goes on from the former, and contin- 

 ues until the lime is saturated with the acid, 

 when all is quiet again. Now let a third 

 substance be applied to this carbonate of 

 lime, as the muriatic acid, which has a 

 stronger affinity for lime than the carbonic 

 acid, and this acid will, in its turn, dislodge 

 the carbonic acid, by a strong and rapid ef- 

 fervescence, until the balance of affinities is 

 once more established, and the carbonate 

 changed to the muriate of lime, when no 

 further addition of the same acid will have 

 effect. Suppose, however, the sulphuric 

 acid be next employed, which, from its su- 

 perior power over the muriatic, will take 

 place of the same; the sulphate of lime will 

 then be formed. And then, having gone 

 through this series of changes, if the fur- 

 nace be again had recourse to, the lime may 

 be once more obtained pure, and all the be- 

 fore mentioned phenomena, like a course of 

 crops, can be practised and seen a second, a 

 third or fourth time, or as often as may be 

 desired. — BlaruVs Agriculture. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Summer Soiling. 



Messrs. Editors, — Your intelligent cor- 

 respondent, Mr. J3. Webb, of Wilmington, 

 Delaware, is preparing to put the summer 

 soiling of cattle to the test of experiment; 

 his intention being, to soil his dairy cows on 

 cut clover, grass, green oats, corn sown 

 broadcast, &c, during the whole of the sea- 

 son, and to note the result; and in the hands 

 of such an experienced cultivator of the soil, 

 we maybe assured that justice will be done, 

 and a true account rendered, whether for, 

 or against. With this view, he is removing 

 away a great portion of the internal fencing 

 of his farm, which being post-and-rail, on a 

 close and retentive subsoil, has entailed 



