40 CHRONICLES OF A CLAY FARM. 



' seems to anticipate the conclusions of Science that 

 ' the mind outstrips the page, and one's assent to 

 ' each proposition seems paid in advance, almost be- 

 ' fore it falls due ? Is Science intuitive ? then why is 

 'it MODERN ? Why have centuries upon centuries 

 ' sixty centuries passed, and none till NOW ! Why 

 ' NOW ? Could Liebig answer that ? I'm afraid even 

 ' his ' Quantitative Analysis,' his grand discovery (for 

 ' so it almost seems), of the magic residing in those 

 'words, ' Numero, Pondere, et Mensurd' would be 

 ' baffled to resolve that problem. 



' This field for instance ! they never thought to see 

 ' it look like this : now, could they answer the question 

 ' What does it yet want ? Yes ! the instantaneous 

 'reply would be LIME. 'Why?' inquires Theory; 

 ' ' Because it would sweeten it ' would be the answer. 

 ' But WHY ? Theory again asks. Practice is silent. 

 'What? silent, after sixty centuries of ' Experience!' 

 ' Can nobody give us an answer the truth, and the 

 ' whole truth of the operation of Lime upon soils ?' 

 The Chemist attempts an explanation. 



' Its effect arises from its avidity for combination ; 

 ' it searches out free acids, as a ferret does a rat, and 

 'instantly closes with them. Sulphuric, phosphoric, 

 ' silicic, nitric, humic, and last not least, the ' Great 

 ' Dissolver,' CARBONIC acid : all these it makes known, 



