412 [Assembly 



Many plants exhaust lime so rapidly, as to require its renewal 

 frequently ; among these may be named the apple tree. Eighteen 

 per cent of the ash of leaves and bark of the apple tree is lime, 

 and therefore old orchards are frequently denuded of their lime, 

 and require its renewal. 



Pebbly soils, particles of which have been w^orn smooth, and in 

 the pebbles of which are pent up many of the requirements of 

 plants, are materially improved by the use of lime, which should 

 be applied in small and frequent doses; for all must have obser- 

 ved, that lime will pass down through the surface soil and locate 

 itself upon the surfaces of the sub-soil, where the closer texture 

 detains it — and this passing down occurs so rapidly, that, where 

 large doses of lime are used, all the effects that might have been 

 obtained by its continuous descent, as when applied in smaller 

 quantities and more frequently, are not availed of. 



Lime, when properly prepared, may be used in the preparation 

 of many composts. If used in its pure state, the nitrogenous por- 

 tions of composts are so rapidly decomposed, that they escape in 

 the form of ammonia; thus every farmer knows that lime should 

 never come in contact, in its pure state, with stable manure, for 

 even after being thoroughly slaked and left exposed to the atmos- 

 phere for a long time, so as to be changed to carbonate of lime, it 

 will still disengage ammonia. If, however, the compost contains 

 a very large amount of charcoal dust, decomposed muck, or other 

 material capable of taking up ammonia as disengaged, then lime 

 may be mixed with such compost in moderate quantities, for the 

 disintegration of woody fibre, &c.; but, as the same powers of dis- 

 integration may be availed of, when the lime is previously treated 

 with salt, as in the making of the salt and lime mixture we have 

 so often described, it should so be used, whenever applied to com- 

 posts; for the chloride of lime, thus formed^ being rendered solu- 

 ble, does not sink in the soil, but is absorbed by and combined 

 with the different material with which it may come in contact, 

 and a less quantity of lime in such form, is more elfective than 

 when sulfered to approach the soil in the form of-a carbonate; 

 for as such so large a quantity of water is required for its solution, 

 that it gets beyond the more active portion of the soil, by sinking 

 before being dissolved. 



