LIME AS A MANUEE. 221 



which the natural soils absorbed ammonia equal, in No. 3. to 

 about 7,000 Ibs. of ammonia per acre, equivalent to the quantity 

 contained in 700 tons of barn-yard manure shows this to have 

 been the case. 



The lime liberated one-half the ammonia contained in the soil. 



" This result," says Prof. Way, " is so nearly the same in all 

 cases, that we are justified in believing it to be due to some special 

 cause, and probably it arises from the existence of some compound 

 silicates containing ammonia, of which lime under the circum- 

 stances can replace one-half forming, for instance, a double sili- 

 cate of alumina, with half lirns and half ammonia such com- 

 pounds are not unusual or new to the chemist." 



This loss of ammonia from a heavy dressing of lime is very 

 great. A soil five inches deep, weighs, in round numbers, 500 tons, 

 or 1,000,000 Ibs. The soil, No. 1, contained .0293 per cent of am- 

 monia, or in an acre, five inches deep, 293 Ibs. After liming, it 

 contained .0169 per cent, or in an acre, five inches deep, 169 Ibs. 

 The loss by liming is 124 Ibs. of ammonia per acre. This is equal 

 to the quantity contained in 1200 Ibs. of good Peruvian guano, or 

 12.} tons of barn -yard manure. 



In commenting on this great loss of ammonia from liming, 

 Prof. Way observes : 



" Is it not possible, that for the profitable agricultural use, the 

 ammonia of the soil is too tightly locked up in it ? Can we sup- 

 pose that the very powers of the soil to unite with and preserve 

 the elements of manure arc, however excellent a provision of 

 nature, yet in some degree opposed to the growth of the abnormal 

 crops which it is the business of the farmer to cultivate ? There 

 is no absolute reason why such should not bo the case. A provision 

 of nature must relate to natural circumstances ; for instance, com- 

 pounds of ammonia may be found in the soil, capable of giving out 

 to the agencies of water and air quite enough of ammonia for the 

 growth of ordinary plants and the preservation of their species ; 

 but this supply may be totally inadequate to the necessities of man. 

 -::- w -:: ]^" O w it is not impossible that the laws which preserve the 

 supply of vegetable nutrition in the soil, are too stringent for the 

 requirements of an unusual and excessive vegetation, such as the 

 cultivator must promote. 



" In the case of ammonia locked up in the soil, lime may be tho 

 remedy at the command of the farmer his means of rendering 

 immediately available stores of wealth, which, can otherwise only 

 slowly be brought into use. 



" In this view, lime would well deserve the somewhat vague 



