50 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ April, 



quring aud long retaining moisture, thus ren- 

 dering the soil cool and nutritive to the plants 

 that vegetate in it. The power that lime has 

 of absorbing moisture will be better under- 

 stood when we say that one hundred weight 

 will, in five or six days, when fresh, absorb 

 five pounds of water, and that it will retain in 

 the shape of powder, when slackened or 

 loosened, as is commonly said, nearly one- 

 fourth of its weight. " * » * * 



We extract the foregoing from the Journal 

 of a Naturalist, published in 1831. The pub- 

 lisher remarks in a foot-note: "The weight 

 of lime is very variable, dift'ering in different 

 places ; but taking our lime at the average of 

 eighty pounds to the bushel, some idea may 

 be conceived of the cooling nature of the 

 substance. Lime, to be used as a manure, 

 must be in a pulverized state ; and by draw- 

 ing on the land the quantity we do, we con- 

 vey to every acre so dressed an equivalent to 

 two hundred and tifty gallons of water, not to 

 be evaporated, but retained in the soil as a 

 refrigerent to the fibres of vegetation." 



The writer then goes on to say (it is an 

 English work that we are quoting from) 

 "our farmers, availing themselves of this 

 cheap article, use considerable quantities, 

 composted with earth for their diflerent crops, 

 at the rate of net less than one hundred 

 bushels to the acre. This is a favorite sub- 

 stance for their potato lands. The return in 

 general is not so large as when grown in 

 manure from the yard ; but the tubers are 

 said to be more mealy and better flavored." 



"The utility #f lime in various arts, agri- 

 culture, manufactories and medicine is very 

 extensive, and in many cases indispensable ; 

 and the abundance of it spread throughout 

 the world, seems designed as a particular 

 Providence for the various ends of creation. 

 Lime and sihcious matter compose a very 

 large portion of the dense substance of our 

 earth ; the shells of marine animals contain 

 it abundantly •, our bones have eighty parts 

 in one hundred of it ; the egg-shells of birds 

 above nine parts in ten— during incubation, 

 it is received by the embryo of the bird, in- 

 durating the cartilages and forming the 

 bones." 



"It may startle, perhaps, the belief of 

 some, who have never considered the subject, 

 to assert what is apparently a fact, that a 

 considerable portion of those prodigious clifis 

 of chalk and calcareous stone that in many 

 places control the advance of the ocean, pro- 

 trude in rocks through its waters, or incrust 

 such large portions of the globe, are of animal 

 origin — the exuvia, of marine substances or 

 the labors of minute zoophytes, which once 

 inhabited the 'great deep.' " 



These formations are all nearly pure lime i 

 and the organic remains of marine animals 

 especially, abound in chalk cUffs, in chalk 

 pits, and in chalk beds wherever they may be 

 found, as well as in many beds of solid lime- 

 stone. 



That lime rehardens after being made soft, 

 as in mortar, is owing to the power which it 

 has of acquiring carbonic acid gas— the fixed 

 air from the atmosphere — according to Dr. 

 Black. When the stone is burned this gas is 

 driven off by heat, though it slowly reabsorbs 

 it, aud thus it supplies the plants with carbon 

 when it is thoroughly incorporated with the 

 soil. Lime, when mixed with sharp sand and 

 made into mortar may, in time, become as 

 hard as the original rock was from whicli it 

 was first bm-nt, by its reabsorption of carbon 

 as an acid or gas. When limestone contains 

 88 parts of carbonate of lime, 8 parts of mag- 

 nesia, 1 part of silex and 3 parts of aluminous 

 or combustible substances, it may be con- 

 sidered good for mortar, or as a fertilizing 

 auxiliary. 



It seems to us if lime does nothing more 

 than absorb moisture and carbon, which are 

 again absorbed .by the roots aud leaves of 

 vegetation, through the lime as a medium, it 

 ought not to be ignored or expunged from the 

 list of fertilizers, as some of those claiming to 

 be advanced in agricultural science seem dis- 

 posed to do. It is too widely diffused through- 



out the globe to be regarded as useless for 

 fertilizing purposes, although it may not al- 

 ways, nor in all places, be entitled to the 

 merit that is claimed for it. Much will de- 

 pend upon the time, the place and the quantity 

 of its elementary principals that may be 

 needed by the soil. It seems very evident 

 that where it already exists in sufficient 

 abundance the addition of more may not only 

 do no good, but may do much harm, and this 

 is the reason perhaps that there is such a 

 diversity of opinion upon the subject of its 

 use. Nothing but a thorough knowledge of 

 the previous condition of the soil can de- 

 termine whether it should be applied or not. 



KITCHEN-GARDEN FOR APRIL. 



In the Middle States now is the time to 

 plant and sow if we would hope to reap. 

 Those of us who do not avail ourselves of the 

 present need not expect to profit in the future. 



The exact time, however, in which certain 

 seeds should be sown must depend not only 

 on location in respect to latitude, but also on 

 the nature of the soil ; if it be heavy a little 

 delay will rather promote than retard our 

 object. It is impracticable, in advance, to 

 always give undeviating directions — the com- 

 mon sense of each one must be brought into 



Asparagus sow, or plant roots, if not at- 

 tended to last mouth. This vegetable is now 

 coming into season. Whenever practical, a 

 bed of sufficient size should be made to permit 

 an ample supply without cutting every feeble 

 shoot which peeps above the surface ; ind-ed, 

 where space and means admit, two beds should 

 be maintained and cut alternate seasons. The 

 colossal appears to sustain its repuation. 

 Beans, bush or bunch, sow. Broccoli, purple 

 cape is the best to sow. Beets, early and long, 

 sow. Cabbage, drumhead and flat Dutch, 

 sow freely, that there be enough for the fly 

 and to plant ; also other sorts of a reliable 

 character, which will afford an uninterrupted 

 succession, so desirable in every country family. 

 Carrots, early horn and long orange, sow. 

 Cauliflower, late, sow. Celery, sow, if not 

 sown last month. Cress, sow. Cucumber, 

 early frame, sow in warm spot. Horseradish 

 plant, if not already done. Hot-beds attend 

 to. Leek, sow. Lettuce, sow in drills ; also 

 plant from beds of last autumn's sowing. 

 Marjorum, sweet, sow. Mustard for salad, 

 sow. Nasturtiums, sow. Onions, Buttons 

 for table use plant, and sow thickly for sets. 

 Parsley, sow. Parsnips, sugar, sow. Peas, 

 earlyandlate, for a succession, sow. Potatoes, 

 plant plenty of the early rose for the main 

 supply during summer and autumn. Radish, 

 long scarlet and white aad red turnip, sow, it 

 not already sown ; also the golden globe and 

 white summer for succession. Salsify, sow. 

 Sage, sow or plant. Spinach, the savory, sow 

 at short intervals. Thyme, sow or plant. To- 

 matoes, sow to succeed those sown in hot- 

 beds. Turnips, sow, if not sown last month— 

 they may succeed. In short, this is the season 

 for the main sowing and planting in the Mid- 

 dle States. A small expenditme of time will 

 yield large results. 



SUPPOSED SULPHUR SHOWER. 



A part of Eastern Pennsylvania seems to 

 be somewhat exercised— perhaps agitated— 

 about an assumed shower of sulphiu*, which 

 is said to have fallen in various places yester- 

 day (March 17) morning, including the 

 southern portion of Lancaster city. But was 

 it really sulphur that fell y Did anybody in 

 Lancaster city test it ? None of it fell in the 

 northern part of the city that we saw or heard 

 of. What a pity that those who did see it, 

 had not collected a pertion of it, and tested it 

 themselves or submitted it to some one whose 

 testimony would have been received by the 

 public. The paragraphs going the rounds of 

 the newspapers are very unsatisfactory, if they 

 mean anything at all, inasmuch as not one of 

 them states vmo tested the substance, or who 

 says it was sulphur. 



In the sprmg or summer of 1843 a large 

 quantity of a yellow substance fell over a 



large portion of Eastern Pennsylvania, and 

 long articles on the subject appeared in the 

 papers of Lancaster city, notably in the Lan- 

 caster Intelligencer, then published by Col. J. 

 W. Forney. One correspondent, in an article 

 of some length, gravely pronounced it sul- 

 phur, but a member of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences analyzed it, aad tore the 

 other's theory and deductions all to tatters. 

 We also, on that occasion, collected a quantity, 

 dried and tested it, for the surface of the 

 water in many of the rainstands in Marietta 

 were covered with it. It ignited and burned 

 with difficulty, but emitted' no sulphur fumes. 

 The fumes were very similar to those of burn- 

 ing vegetation, faintly approximating to the 

 fumes of "Langell's remedy for asthma and 

 catarrh," a box of which is now before us, 

 and which we frequently inhale as a relief to 

 nasal catarrh. We believe the member of 

 the Academy pronounced it pollenacious. 

 The shower of 1843 fell at night, and the 

 substance was noticed the following morning. 

 The theory was that a strong south wind had 

 passed over the floral fields or pine forests of 

 the South— perhaps Florida, Alabama and 

 South Carolina— and that the pollen, or f ecim- 

 dating dust of the flowers, over which the 

 wind passed, was carried up into an upper 

 current of air and carried northward until it 

 encountered a shower of rain, when it was 

 borne down earthward. Many similar plie- 

 nomena were referred to at that time as 

 having previously occurred. It was not de- 

 nied, that " flower of sulphur " might be also 

 thus carried by a current of air, for ashes and 

 sulphurious dust had been before observed 

 falling on vessels at sea supposed to have 

 come from far distant volcanic eruptions ; but 

 the special shower to which we allude, was 

 not sulphur by any means. What this last 

 substance was, may never be known, for it 

 appears that nobody with a " local habitation 

 and a name," has gone to the trouble to 

 properly investigate it. It may have been 

 pollen also — for a week ago we heard that 

 Florida is already blooming with flowers 

 it may have been sulphur. This may have 

 bejuthe case without the near approach of 

 the world's end, or the Judgment Day ; bui 

 whatever it was, we are compelled to hold our 

 opinion in suspension until the matter is 

 properly authenticated. 



We commiserate the poor Allentown woman 

 ana recall an instructive anecdote, as a remedy, 

 In the early history of New England a very< 

 dark day occurred— so dark indeed, that tl 

 chickens retired to roost at noon. The Gen- 

 eral Council or Legislature of one of the colo- 

 nies (we think Connecticut) was in session. 

 Vhe members became alarmed, for they be- 

 lieved the Judgment Day had come, and one 

 of them moved an adjournment. But a calm 

 and placid elderly gentleman arose and 

 opposed it. He said : "The Judgment Day 

 is coming or it is not coming. If it is not 

 coming, there is no necessity for alarm ; but 

 if it is coming, I wish to be found doing my 

 duty. I therefore move that lights be brought 

 in." 



Three Days Later. 



It seems almost unnecessary to say anything 

 more about the assumed sulphur shower of 

 Monday last, but at the same time, to show 

 tliat some live person has investigated it, and 

 that our surmises (not having seen the sub- 

 stance) were an approximation to the real 

 truth of the matter, we offer the following 

 from the Easton Daily Express of the 20th 

 inst., the writer of which is well known here, 

 and is an unquestionable authority in matters 

 relating to pollenacious phenomena : 



"A microscopic examination of a portion of 

 the yellow matter, which appeared in the 

 streets of Easton after the snowstorm of Mon- 

 day morning, proves it to consist of pollen 

 grains, united at first, but separated when 

 dry, or when again wetted. They correspond 

 in every respect with those of the long-leaved 

 or yellow pines of the Southern States (Ptiius 

 aiistralis Michx.), with which they have been 

 carefully compared. This pine, though very 

 abundant in the lowlands of North Carolina, 



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