On Liming Land, 275 



rope. I have been surprised, by what I have myself 

 seen, and more by the accounts I have read in Euro- 

 pean books, at the great, and to us incredible, quanti- 

 ties of lime allowed by Europeans to an acre. Ours is 

 the statute acre of 160 perches. The common com- 

 puted acres of Europe differ in contents ; so that it 

 is difficult always to understand what is meant by 

 writers, even in England, by the term acre. But 

 the lime of Europe, applied in the quantity of 160 

 bushels to a statute acre of 160 perches, at one dress- 

 ing, must either be of inferior strength and quality to 

 ours ; or there must be a vast difference in the ef- 

 fects of climate. As to soils of most countries, they 

 are much alike. There is not, on our globe, better nor 

 worse land, with all the intermediate gradations, than 

 can be found here. It is composed of all the varieties 

 of materials, generally found in soils of other countries ; 

 though no accurate analysis, of quantities and propor- 

 tions of these materials, has been made. It would be 

 highly useful, that geological explorations and inquiries 

 should be more generally prosecuted throughout our 



building stone) in inexhaustible plenty, could, by this means, 

 be supplied ; and delivered in the city for domestic purposes, 

 or exportation. 



Since this communication I am informed, that a plan for 

 burning lime on the tide waters of the Schuylkill, is com- 

 menced. It has my sincere wishes for its success. 



R, P. 

 ^Oth Aiigustj 1810. 



