NEW ExNGLAND FATIMER. 



101 



Without the last, there is no fruit formed. Without 

 the salts, the gcine is locked up, — is insoluble. 



'•In acid soils, lime acts to eliminate carbonic acid, " 

 &c., &c. 



Now, Mr. Editor, it seems to me the only ques- 

 tion to be settled is this : Are our soils already 

 sufficiently supplied -with lime ? And in order to 

 elicit the facts, and bring the siibject before the 

 proper tribunal, — the public, — that this long perse- 

 cuted mineral may have a fair trial, we will suggest, 

 that much of our soil is delicient of calcareous ma- 

 nure ; that many of our comjiaratively barren fields 

 abound in undecomposed vegetable matter, which, 

 by the application of lime, would be converted into 

 vegetable food ; that, applied to our acid fields, 

 (abounding in iron ore,) and producing a worthless 

 vegetation, its neutralizing influence would render 

 such soils productive of the most valuable grains 

 and the sweetest herbage. 



Pembroke, Feb. 2G, 1819. C. 



Editorial Hemarks. 



Lime is often a valuable ingredient in the compost 

 heap, for the purpose of preparing the manure for 

 immediate use. In making compost, mix one part 

 of stable or any animal manure with about two 

 parts of mud or muck, that has been exposed to the 

 air or frost for one season, adding about one and a 

 half or two bushels of fresh slaked lime. In a 

 short time, fermentation will generally commence ; 

 and when quite active, it will be well to fork over 

 the heap, and thoroughly mix the diflerent ingre- 

 dients. In about a fortnight, if a good degree of 

 fermentation prevails, the manure will be fine and 

 mellow like a powder, and far more valuable, as 

 many experiments show, than the same manure 

 •without lime. 



In this way, the alkali of the lime, with the am- 

 moniacal gases liberated from the animal manure, 

 combines with the mud, renders it friable, and destroys 

 its acidity. As many have applied lime directly to 

 the land, and perhaps in the most improper manner, 

 without success, they have condemned it Avithout 

 fair trial. But farmers are growing more discreet 

 and will in future trj- this fertilizer with more discre- 

 tion. 



GRAIN AND GRASS FARMING. 



At the agricultural meeting, at the State House, 

 February 27th, the above subject was discussed. 

 Hon. Mr. Leonard, of Norton, presided ; and, in 

 announcing the subject, he made a few remarks on 

 its great importance to our state, as from the grass 

 and grain crops we have our bread, meat, butter, 

 cheese, &c. 



Mr. Cole, of the New England Farmer, opened 

 the discussion. He remarked, that the subject was 

 verj- extensive. He thought, that in most parts of 

 New 'England, it was best for the farmer to raise 

 nearly all the produce necessary for his family, as 

 there is generally a disadvantage in raising one crop, 

 and selling it with a view to buy another. If a 

 farmer raises hay wholly, it may, at times, be unsa- 

 lable, and he may sell good crops, and in buying he 

 may get deceived and buy poor produce. It may be 

 well to raise one crop principally for profit. By a 



rotation of crops, a larger amount of produce will be 

 obtained from the same maniu-e, as different crops 

 take different ingredients from the soil. He recom- 

 mended manuring highly for corn, and then follow- 

 ing with small grains without manure, and then 

 with grass. Compost manure was best ; it should be 

 covered rather deep in light lands, else the gases 

 would soon escape. On heavy lands, it should be 

 slightly covered. More experiments are necessary 

 in raising wheat in this state, both with diflerent 

 mineral manures, and different kinds of grain for 

 seed. Mr. Job Sumner, lloxbury, succeeds well 

 with Smyrna wheat. 



Mr. Eai-tlctt, of the Cultivator, said, that he had 

 adopted Mr. Phinney's mode of raising corn and 

 grass, which is, to turn over the sod in flat furrows, 

 and roll them down, harrow in the manure, plant 

 corn, cultivate on a level, and the next spring, with a 

 light plough or cultivator, make the soil fine without 

 disturbing the sod, and sow to grain and grass. In 

 this way he was very successful, more so, he thought, 

 than by turning up the inverted sod. He had tried 

 lucerne, orchard grass, and tall meadow oat gras<; ; 

 but they were inferior to hcrdsgrass, rcdtop, and 

 clover. 



Mr. Bigelow, of Walpole, said, that farmers there 

 generally failed in attempting to raise wheat. But 

 one neighbor succeeded by ploughing and apply- 

 ing manure in the fall ; but he could not say whether 

 the manure was ploughed or harrowed in. The soil 

 light. 



Mr. Hiram Boyles, of Princeton, said, that the 

 wheat crop failed in his vicinity, excepting the Black 

 Sea wheat. 



lion. Mr. Brooks, of Princeton, gave the result 

 of exvorimcnts in a rotation of crops for eleven years : 

 first, potatoes ; second, corn ; third, wheat ; then grass 

 eight years. In his estimate of jirofit, he reckoned 

 interest at six per cent, on land at fifty dollars per 

 acre. He added nothing for manure, as it was pro- 

 duced from hay estimated at six dollars per ton, 

 consumed on the faiin. 



Cost of an acre of potatoes, and interest 



of land, $32 72 



Produce, 225 bushels of potatoes, at 



25 cents, 45 00 



Profit, $12 26 



Cost of an acre of corn, and interest of 



land, $27 50 



Produce, 45 bushels at 85 cents, . . $38 25 



Fodder, 7 00 



Total, $45 25 



Profit 17 75 



Cost of an aerc of wheat, and interest 



of land, $21 60 



Produce, 20 bushels, at $1,33^ cents, $26 66 



Straw 5 00 



Total, ,. . $31 66 



Profit, $10 OG 



