INCORPORATION OF LIME WITH THE SOIL. 159 



you v/ill deiive much 'oencfit from the use of the White Sulphur Springs. In hopes this 

 may find you in improving health, 



I am, very respectfully, your obecl't serv'f, JOHN STRAYER. 



The preceding letter suggests to me that I ought not to omit this occasion to 

 recommend to every parent and farmer in the United States who has a son des- 

 tined to be a farmer, — I won't say to follow in his own footsteps — for Agricul- 

 ture, like other arts and manufactures, ought to be progressively improving, — 

 to place in his hands that greatest of all agricultural works, "Tuaek's Princi- 

 ples OF Agricitltuke." So highly do i think of it, that had I a son so situated, 

 to whom I could give only that volume or $100, I would not hesitate a moment 

 in giving him the former; — the whole of which is emhraced in your first volume. 

 I may overrate it, hut such is my impression of its extraordinary value to all 

 who have made up their minds to follow Agriculture as a business connected 

 Aviih various elegant studies, and depending for its highest success on principles 

 which demand for their investigation a high order of intellectual attainment and 

 power. In connection with Mr. Strayer's letter as respects the use of Lime, I 

 may refer your readers, without straying from the subject, to the whole section of 

 Von Thaer, Part I., consisting of hi'ty-six pages on " Manuring the Soil." It 

 cannot be too often or too carefully studied. There is always danger of impairing 

 the force of an Essay, and even of" subjecting the author to be misapprehended by 

 quoting detached portions of it, yet at the risk of that, as Von Thaer is one of my 

 companions, I must beg room to quote here what he says, not only on other points 

 of" pith and moment," but especially on 



THE IMPORTANCE OF A THOROUGH INCORPORATION OF THE LIME WITH THE SOIL. 

 " It is indispensable that the lime should be iutiniately and completely blended and incor- 

 porated with tlie soil, so that every particle of the former substance shall come in contact 

 with some particle of the latter and act upon it. Unless this circumstance is carefully at- 

 tended to, the araelioralin;? effects of the lime will be very trifling; the gi'eatest possible care 

 and circumspection should therefore be bestowed on tliis point. Even when lime has been 

 spread over a soil that has already been fallowed and harrowed, the laud must be harrowed 

 once more during dry weather, and then plowed with as shallow a farrow as possible, in or- 

 der to bury the lime. The best way is to make use of the extirpator, which effectually 

 combines the lime with the soil. The land must receive at least four separate operations of 

 tillage, including those appertaining to the sowings, with the plow and the harrow, or with 

 the extirpator ; and all must be performed during dry weather. It is, therefore, indispensa- 

 bly necessary that a dead fallow should be given to land which is ameliorated with lime. It 

 is cluefly from this circumstance that lime produces the effect attributed to it, namely, the 

 destniction of those weeds with which the soil is infested. But if we bestow an amelioratio]x 

 of this nature, without at the same time bestowing all those operations of tillage which 

 this amelioration requires, we have no right to expect the advantages which we might other- 

 wise derive. If too small a quantity of lime is employed, it is not productive of any effect; 

 while on the other hand, if it is applied too profusely, it is injurious, because it then becomes 

 transformed into heaps of mortar and gathers into lumps. When buried by one deep plow- 

 ing, it forms a calcareous crust beneath the layer of mould turned over by the action of the 

 plow, which cmst so nnicli impedes the progress of that instrument that the layer of vegetable 

 mould becomes sensibly decreased. This is frequently found to be the case in countries 

 where lime is veiy cheap, and where it is used too profusely. 



There are various ojiinions with regard to the quantity of lime which ought to be ajiplied to 

 different soils iu order to effect their amelioration. The smallest proportion which has ever 

 been used is si.\teeu bushels per acre; but I have seen and heard of this quantity being in- 

 creased to one hundred and fifty biLshels, especially on newly-tilled soils. English agricul- 

 turists, I believe, apjily oven more than that quantity. The quantity used ought to depend 

 upon the quality of the lime — that is to say, ujion its purity, or upon the quantity of sand or 

 clay that is mixed with it. If the calculation is made according to size or measure, that will 

 be influenced by its compactness at the time of being measured. Besides, the nature of the 

 soil ought also to infld'-nco the proportion, since an argillaceous soil which contains a great 

 quantity of undecomposiul vegetable matter, or which is of a marshy nature, although actual- 

 ly dry, can bear a considerable apjilication of lime, and will profit Ijy it ; whereas a sandy, 

 loamy soil would be injured by so large a quantity. Lime is not productive of any effect on 

 damp, wet laml. Lastly, we must carefully distinguish between the application of lime 

 which takes place once only, and that which is alternated regularly with stable manure. 

 The former is only used to elfect that pennanent and durable amendment of the soil which 

 may be expected from lime, if applied in the manner and under the conditions which 

 we have iirescrihed : the latter, on the coatraiy, is intcnilcd to maintain it in fertility. 



The quantity of limo used to attain the first of these two objects ought to be very consider- 

 able, while that which suffices lor the latter purpose must be small, and always proportion- 

 (351) 



