L. V. BELL'S ADDRESS. 589 



Now, we may pronounce on examination of half a peck of 

 earth from a man's farm, whether gypsum will do him good or 

 not, with as much certainty as any mathematical fact can be 

 demonstrated. 



Or again : take a common case, alas ! too common, as any 

 one feels, who travels over what were once the richest regions 

 for the cereal productions of our country, of an exhausted 

 wheat field. Five or six bushels of lime dust sets it again in 

 full action. The former rationale of this unquestioned result 

 was, that certain drugs were stimulants to the land, and gave 

 " nature a jog," in the same way that bark and wine and such 

 like cordials and restoratives gave vigor and animation to the 

 worn out and enfeebled human system. The idea that such 

 a minute quantity of material could act as a nutrient, after 

 the soil had been overloaded with' the richest dressing of ordi- 

 nary manures, seemed absurd. It might just as soon have 

 been supposed that a boarder was starving at the best furnish- 

 ed hotel, because he could not get pates de fois g-ras, or some 

 other of the ultimata of the culinary art. Turn to the simple, 

 intelligible explanation of modern science. The ashes of a 

 bushel of wheat is found to be about two pounds in weight. 

 Of this, one half is phosphoric acid, not free or pure until 

 separated by skill, but in a phosphate of lime and potash. 

 Five or six bushels of bone dust, which is composed mostly of 

 phosphates, just furnishes a fair supply after this ratio. Ap- 

 plied in practice, it could not be so equally diff'used as that 

 every rootlet of the growing vegetable should have its proper 

 supply, and a due allowance should be made for this circum- 

 stance. There were other well ascertained facts which seemed 

 to be explained on this idea of certain substances possessing 

 a stimulant power upon soils. A farmer in certain locations 

 found that the application of lime increased — even doubled his 

 crops. He naturally applied it so long as so happy a result 

 follovv^ed, with a liberal hand. After a time, his crops fell off, 

 and even the regular allowance of barnyard manure seemed 

 to fall short of its usual effect. He drew the inference that 

 lime had ruined his lands. So generally was such a train of 

 consequences noted in certain districts in the old country, that 

 it became a common proverb, " that lime enriches the fathers, 

 but impoverishes the sons." 



