12* CONNECTION WITH PARTICULAB MANUKES, 83 



one defect. By attending to such points as these, the 

 former may often save himself much disappointment 

 a/ ise. He may put on load after load of or- 



di. iiure, and still not produce the desired im- 



provement; when at the same time a bushel or two of 

 some particular ingredient, at one-twentieth of the 

 cost, may have been all tliat the land wanted. 



a. In this way we can explain the wonderful efiect 

 often produced l)y a few bushels of lime, or of plaster. 

 These were just the substances which \ ' "lent in 

 those soils .where they proved so eli : being 



supplied, the soils at once became fertile. Where they 

 produce no change, as is the case in many situations, 

 It is l)ecause there is already a sufficient supply present; 

 because some other substances beside these are also 

 wanting; because the land is too wet, or is otherwise 

 faulty in its physical character; or because injurious 

 compounds are so largely present, as to be fatal to the 

 healthy growth of plants. 



It is not uncommon for land to be brought up at 

 pnce by adding a small quantity of plaster, and the 

 application repeated yearly afterwanl seems to be all 

 that is necessary. Tliis seeming facility of fertilizing 

 his soil, is apt to lead the farmer into a great mistake. 

 lit' linds that he can obtain heavy crops each year by 

 u^ w biLshels of phtster or lime, and is tempted 



to almost entirely iipon so easy ami so cheap 



a manurf , to the neglect of all others. After a time, 

 however, his crofxs begin to diminish again : he tries 

 increasing the plaster or the lime, but with no renewal 

 of the fonuer effect; he finally resorts to commoo 

 manure atrain, but with not even so much succcM as 

 he formerly had; the land is imporerished beyond 

 anything he has ever known. Thits in some parts of 

 lilngland it has passed into a proverb. 



