FARMERS' REGISTER— LANDS IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA. 



687 



benefit of calcareous manures. And though it is 

 hoped that new sources of these manures may be 

 discovered, yet until this is done, we should direct 

 our efforts according to the means enjoyed. It is 

 usually needless to talk much about irremediable 

 privations. Our wants in this respect are only 

 mentioned from a desire to excite inquiry regard- 

 ing their relief. Admitting the correctness of the 

 theory, that the failure of gypsum to act on some 

 soils, is produced by an acid in the earth, which, 

 by combining with the lime in the gypsum, de- 

 composes it, may we not look to ashes, as, in some 

 measure, a remedy against this evil.'' A few busi)- 

 els of ashes sown on an acre of such land, might 

 furnish employment for the acid, for a sufficient 

 length of time to allow the plaster to act upon 

 young clover, so as to secure its life and vigor. 

 Even if the ashes should fail to answer this pur- 

 pose, their own direct benefit upon the crop would 

 doubtless be fully equivalent to the trouble and ex- 

 pense of the operation. The scarcity of ashes 

 would form the only limit to the benefits derivable 

 from this source. Of this, however, we have no 

 right to complain, until we have made every ex- 

 ertion to procure and apply all of the article which 

 may be attainable. 



The theory af acidity in the earth, and its ef- 

 fects as developed, in the " Essay on Calcareous 

 Manures," is certainly new, and I believe gene- 

 rally admitted by such agriculturists, in this sec- 

 tion at least, as have any acquaintance with che- 

 mistry. Its discovery and admission will, howev- 

 er, be unavailing, unless it be duly admitted to the 

 rank of a practical guide. In countries abounding 

 with calcareous manures, the remedy against 

 acidity is always at hand. But where this advan- 

 tage IS denied, it may be proper to inquire, whe- 

 ther the enemy may not be combatted in some in- 

 direct manner. Our best soils are sometimes prone 

 to produce acid vegetation, when kept a long time 

 ungrazed and uncultivated. I infer from this, 

 that two things very dissimilar in themselves, may 

 produce the same results. Col. Taylor, in his 

 Arator, very distinctly remarked, the fertilizing 

 effects of both grazing and aration, when judi- 

 ciously conducted, and the impropriety of mixing 

 the two systems together. If the symptoms of 

 acidity follow abstinence from both systems, it 

 would appear to leave us the inference, that a strict 

 adherence to a standing pasture, and a well regu- 

 lated rotation of crops, stand among the safeguards 

 against the evil. That a piece of ground long 

 Jjept h\ pasture, becomes exempt from those kinds 

 of growth indicating acidity, is manifest to all who 

 have taken the trouble to observe. And I believe 

 it equally certain, that lands frequently stirred 

 with the plough and hoe, enjoy the same exemp- 

 tion. Whether this arises from the mere inter- 

 mixture of the particles of earth, or from the 

 exposure of the same, to the influence of the sun 

 and atmosphere, is not determined ; but I judge, 

 |;hat the sun h^s the chief agency in this matter. 



Much of this acidify appears to be produced by 

 the decomposition of foul weeds, which are per- 

 piitted to grow on the land. If this be correct, it 

 might be proper, not only to pay more attention 

 than we usually do, to tlie extirpation of these 

 nuisances, but to bestow on the land good manure, 

 to the greatest possible extent. And we do not 

 thus merely nullify the evil, but the acid, which 

 when alone, operates as a corroding canker on the 



crops, will, after combining with certain materials 

 in the manure, form salts, aflbrding to them the most 

 nutritive aliment. We seldom find sorrel grow- 

 ing on a properly manured tobacco lot. When 

 you apply calcareous manures on your lands, you 

 both neutralize the corrosive power of the acid, 

 and treasure up a store of salts for the nourish- 

 ment of plants : and you do this directly. We, 

 perhaps, do nearly the same thing, by the applica- 

 tion of manure — but in a manner less direct, and 

 with effects less permanent. In whatever state 

 you apply manures on soils rendered calcareous, 

 the lime is ready to form its combinations ; but on 

 acid soils, it may be necessary to be particular as 

 to the condition of the manure, as it is said that 

 bolh fermenting and overheated manure abound in 

 acid. You probably possess this further advan- 

 tage over us, that you have constantly in your 

 soil, after marling, a material fully charged with, 

 and possessing so strong an affinity for, carbonic 

 acid — one of the principal aliments of plants — 

 that however rapidly it may be abstracted by their 

 roots, a replenishment, from the atmosphere, will 

 speedily occur. In all cases, whether the soil be 

 calcareous or not, it is probable that acidity is 

 wisely provided by nature, and that the business of 

 man is, to prevent its evils and secure its benefits. 



Another mode of contending with acidity may 

 be sought in the application of what may be term- 

 ed telluric manures. These may be applied not 

 simply with the view of changing the consistency 

 of the soil, b)^ mere mechanical admixture, as 

 when sand is applied to clay, but with the hope of 

 affording to the soil an increased capacity of com- 

 bining with manures. As the number of ingre- 

 dients is increased, the chances must increase for 

 chemical combination. The advantages frequent- 

 ly derived from removing earth from one spot and 

 placing it on another — from spreading the clay and 

 other matters from cellars and jiits, on the surface 

 of land, must be familiar to all. In an extract 

 from the writings of Professor Eaton, in the fourth 

 number of the Farmers' Register, a variety of 

 rocks are mentioned, which when pulverized, give 

 fertility to the soil. Some of these are very abun- 

 dant in many parts of our middle country, and 

 most of them have some lime in their composi- 

 tion. This is almost a new subject in agricul- 

 ture, and offers rewards abundantly sufficient to 

 encourage experiment. 



If these views have any foundation in truth, the 

 tendency of our lands to produce acid may be 

 turned to advantage, if they are properly ma- 

 naged, notwithstanding the great detriment it 

 seems to cause, while they are neglected and 

 abused. The luxuriance of their crops, when 

 highly manured, is truly remarkable. No partpf 

 the world produces finer crops of wheat, for ex^ 

 ample, than the richest lots in our middle coun- 

 try. 



3. The great liability of our climate to drought, 

 is a matter which we cannot avoid; yet, we may 

 in some measure guard against its evils. One of 

 the best modes of doing this is, to direct our at^ 

 tention to a great variety of crops, some of which 

 may be less affected by drought than others, and 

 some, by taking the v/hole season for their growth, 

 avail themselves of such parts of it as are not dry. 

 The different kinds of root crops, lor the most part, 

 possess this property. Their value, as food for 

 stock, is little known in this district : for except, 



