AND RURAL ECO:^IOMIST. 193 



it is a great advantage to slack the calcined limestone for ma- 

 nure with sea-water or urine. When opplied to land in a pow- 

 dery state, lime tends to bring anv hard vegetable matter that 

 the soil contains into a more rapid state of decomposition 

 and solution, so as to render it a proper food for plants. 



5. Application. Summer is the proper season for liming 

 land. That experienced farmer, Mr. Rennie of Phantassie, 

 is of opinion, that the most profitable period for applying 

 lime is when the land is under summer fallow, in the months 

 of June and July, that it may be completely mixed with the 

 soil before the crop is sown. This is also the general prac- 

 tice in other districts. For a turnip crop, it should be laid 

 on early in the spring before the turnips are drilled, in order 

 that the lime may be thoroughly incorporated with the soil, 

 by the ploughings and harrowings it will receive ; the land 

 will thus have time to cool, and the lime will not dry up 

 the moisture necessary for bringing the turnips into leaf. 

 For ^,otatoes, lime is not to be recommended, as it is apt to 

 burn and blister their skins. When applied to old ley, it is 

 a good practice to spread it on the surface previously to the 

 land being broken up, by which it is fixed firmly on the 

 sward. One year has been found of use ; but when done 

 three years before, it had produced still greater advantages; 

 in the former case, the increase of oats being only at the rate 

 of six to one, and in the latter, that of ten to one of the seed 

 sown. The quantity applied nmL,i vary according to the 

 soil. From two hundred and forty to three hundred bushels 

 of unslacked lime may be applied on strong lands with ad- 

 vantage. Even six hundied bushels have been laid on at 

 once, on strong clays, with great success. On light soils, a 

 much smaller quantity will answer, say from one hundred 

 and fifty to two hundred bushels; but these small doses 

 ought to be more frequently repeated. When applied on 

 the surface of bogs or moors, the quantity used is very con- 

 siderable, and the more that is laid on, the greater the im- 

 provement. The real quantity, however, of calcareous mat- 

 ter used, depends upon the quality of the stone. It often 

 happens, that five chaldrons do not furnish more effective ma- 

 nure than three, because they do not contain three-fifths of 

 calcareous matter. 



6. Effects of Lime. Many farmers have subjected them- 

 selves to an expense at the rate of ten shillings per acre per 

 annum for the lime they used, and have been amply remu- 

 nerated. The benefit derived in the cultivation of green 



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