ON FEEDING CATTLE. 45 



fibrous or hard vegetable substance, and forms a com- 

 post, partly soluble in water, which becomes a suitable 

 food for plants." Lime, then, does operate Uke ashes. 

 Just now he told us it did not, and it must not be 

 ranked with ashes. But if lime is such a powerful de- 

 composer of hard substances, why is it applied to wood 

 of all kinds, to preserve it ? Limed fences, &c. are not 

 soon decomposed by the lime. How long does it take 

 lime to decompose the pine boards in a barn ? one year, 

 or two ? 



When we are clearly taught this, we can make some 

 wise calculations as to the usefulness of lime in decom- 

 posing vegetable matter in the soil. In conclusion of 

 all this logical reasoning against our doubts about the 

 economy of using much lime, our teacher further says, 

 '' we would not advise the use of much lime, by those 

 who have not tried it on their farms." 



What is this but saying to farmers, — us farmers, — 

 when you have tried a thing, and find it useful, use it ; 

 but if you have not tried it, we would not advise the 

 use of it. This is the reasoning that most people 

 adopt, when they have no clear ideas on a subject. 



It is really amusing to see two columns of a paper 

 occupied in pointing out our errors, by a writer that 

 finally comes to the very conclusion with ourselves in 

 regard to the propriety of buying much lime for our 

 sandy soils, before we shall be better satisfied of its 

 efficacy. 



We think the conclusion of the writer much better 

 than his reasoning. 



ON FEEDING CATTLE. 



In the counties of Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, and 

 Worcester, we have much meadow land that produces 

 5 



