On Lime, 



the hand, in the furrow along with every sett of the 

 potatoes when planted, and I have observed when the 

 potatoes were gathered in the fall, that, in every instance 

 where a potatoe plant had failed to vegetate, the rag was 

 turned up intire, very little damaged by being buried 

 under ground ; whereas on the other hand, not the 

 smallest vestage of the rags w^re to be seen in any part 

 of the ground where the plants had succeeded and 

 grown to perfection. Only I observed in some instances 

 where the rag had been uncommonly large, a white 

 mouldiness upon the soil about the roots of such plants, 

 which seemed to me an indication that more nutritious 

 matter had been formed than could be absorbed by the 

 roots. Besides I observed the palms or tops of such 

 plants were always large, and of luxurious growth, while 

 the potatoes at the root were small and not fully ripe. . 

 But there are other animal and vegetable substances 

 which require more powerful solvents to prepare them 

 for the food of plants ; such substances must be decom- 

 posed either by means of the putrid fermentation, or 

 bv the application of hot lime, 8n:c. But while the pu- 



by a great crop of wheat. On this clover was sowed. It 

 lay for many years without other manure except plaister, in 

 green grass after the clover. The effects of the rags con- 

 tinued longer than those of any manure I ever experienced ; 

 and I think the part of the field on which the rags were 

 strewed, is the best spot in it to this day. It has been all 

 limed, dunged and plaistered alike from time to time ; and 

 the soil of the whole field is similar in all parts. 



R. Peters. 

 :\Iarch 2rth, 1810. 



