36 
Agriculture of Nottinglmmshire. 
cent. ; and by Mr. Lucas' statement, therefore, of proportionately 
less value. 
An idea exists in the minds of many practical men, which we 
think an erroneous one ; that if two tons an acre of the said 
Derbyshire majrnesian lime be applied, as good a purpose will be 
answered as if four tons from Knottingley be used, but that it is 
dangerous, indeed highly prejudicial to the land to put on more 
than two tons at one dressing. 
There must surely be a great mistake in this, for if carbonate 
of lime be the valuable constituent, and carbonate of magnesia a 
baneful one, a very different conclusion must be come to. Let us 
see how the relative jiroportions of these in the two dressings 
stand as they are mostly applied. The four tons of Knottingley 
lime will contain of valuable matter at 93j per cent, each, 374 
parts, whilst the two tons of Derbyshire will contain at 62^ per 
cent, only 125 parts, or nearly two-thirds less ; whilst of baneful 
matter the Knottingley will have but 24 parts at 6 per cent, per 
ton, and the Derbyshire at 36j per cent. 73^, or two-thirds 
more: a reason sufficient to account for the injurious effects 
which are visible after a heavy dressing of the latter, and one 
which is worthy the attention of those who are interested. 
It has been replied by those who favour the use of the Derby- 
shire lime, that the advantage to be derived from any lime, as a 
manure, consists in its acting as a solvent rather than in its fructi- 
fying property ; and that if a smaller quantity of magnesian lime 
contain the requisite amount of such solvent quality, it is needless 
to go to greater expense in the purchase of lime of another kind. 
But this reply does not explain the fact of so small an increased 
quantity of the magnesian lime producing effects decidedly injurious, 
and such as cannot result from a solvent in whatever quantity 
applied; whereas by the principle held by Mr. Lucas, thev are 
fully accounted for : and it appears from statements made by him 
to be established that the true value of any lime consists in the 
comparatively large amount it contains of carbonate of lime in 
proportion to that of carbonate of magnesia, and that the more 
of the latter constituent is possessed by such lime, the less valu- 
able it will be to the farmer. 
Implements. 
Every farmer now has his own thrashing machine either fixed 
or portable, or he hires one by the day, and the bulk of the corn 
is so thrashed. Experience has taught him that he can not only 
thrash out his grain by machinery at less expense than by the 
flail, but that the condition of tlie grain is thereby better pre- 
served, whilst the saving leaves him a surplus fund to spend on 
other necessary work of his farm. Where there is a fixed ma- 
