TESTIMONY OP J. C. LOUDON. 91 







"Marsh lands of Holstein contains 0.2 per cent, of carbonate of lime. 



Salt marsh iu East Friesland .0.6 " " 



Rich pasture near Durham .1.31 " " 



But though the percentage of lime in these cases appears small, the ab- 

 solute quantity of lime present in the land is still large. Thus, suppose 

 the first of these soils, which contains the least, to be only six inches deep, 

 and each cubic foot to weigh only 80 Ibs. it would contain about 3500 Ibs. 

 of carbonate of lime to every acre." Though the author at first speaks of 

 "lime" as universally present in very fertile soils, it is clear, from the con- 

 text, that he meant carbonate of lime. In succeeding passages he claims 

 the presence of lime in all producing soils, upon the same grounds that I 

 did, viz. : the presence of lime in all ashes of plants. (Johnston' 's Lectures, 

 pp. 378-9.) 



It is interesting to compare this recent admission of Johnston,jof even 

 more than I claimed (or would admit), and the now general acceptation of 

 the true doctrine, with the following expressions of the late J. C. Loudon, 

 perhaps then. the highest agricultural authority in England, if not in all J 

 Europe. Both the passages were editorial, in his "Gardener's Magazine" 

 for 1836. The first is part of a short notice of the first edition of this 

 essay (of 1832), which had been "pirated," garbled, and disguised by the 

 editor of the "British Farmer's Magazine," and so published, as if a com- 

 munication to that periodical. In this notice Mr. Loudon copies the heads 

 of my five propositions, and says " These propositions contain the mar- 

 row of the Essay, which is closely reasoned, and in several particulars 

 original. Mr. Ruffin has the merit of first pointing out that there can be 

 no such thing as naturally fertile soil without the presence of calcareous 

 earth ; but where this earth is present, the soil, however exhausted it may 

 have been by culture, will, when left to itself, after a time regain its origi- 

 nal fertility ; that soils which contain no calcareous earth are never found 

 naturally fertile, .... and that all that art can do to them, exclusive of 

 adding calcareous earth, is to force crops by putrescent manures ; but that 

 when these manures are withheld, the soil will speedily revert to its origi- 

 nal sterility. Mr. Ruffin observes that no agricultural or chemical writer 

 ever denied these facts ; but, he asserts, and we think with truth, that by 

 not one of them have they ever been distinctly stated. We are not quite 

 certain as to Grisenthwaite, but we are so as to Kirwan, Dundonald, Davy, 

 Chaptal, and other agricultural chemists of the continent. ... It is due to 

 Mr. Ruffin to state it as our opinion, that he has performed a very important 

 service to the scientific agriculturist in this country, as well as in America." 



And again, in a subsequent long ^editorial article, noticing all the im- 

 portant and valuable discoveries or new improvements in agriculture during 

 the preceding year, Mr. Loudon says 



"In agricultural science, the only point that we can recollect worthy of 

 notice, that has occurred during the past year, is the advancement of the 

 principle by the American agricultural writer, Mr. Ruffin, that no soil / 

 whatever will continue fertile for any length of time that does not contain / 

 calcareous matter. This we believe was never distinctly stated as a prin- 

 ciple by Kirwan, Chaptal, Davy, or any other European chemist or agri- 

 culturist." 1849.] ' 



