1863.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
107 
of products always takes place. Where a Socie- 
ty has grounds and permanent stalls and build- 
ings, all the conveniences are provided that 
would be needed for the accommodation of 
market fairs. There would need to be some 
concert of action to get them started, and gen- 
erally the men most interested in the County 
Society are the right ones to project the market 
fails and make them successful. They might 
at first be held quarterly or monthly, and then 
more frequently as they became better known. 
Onee established they would take care of them- 
selves, as it would be for the personal interest 
of every farmer in the district to buy and sell 
in that market. This matter should be dis- 
cussed at our farmers' clubs, and annual agricul- 
tural meetings. Connecticut. 
About Liming land. 
The recent letters received at the office of 
the American Agriculturist have contained more 
notes and queries on the subject of liming land 
than on any other topic save that of growing 
tobacco, which from some cause seems to be 
just now "all the rage," throughout the coun- 
try. Without attempting to exhaust the subject 
of lime, we offer a few hints. The precise ac- 
tion or use of lime is not a settled question. 
Theoretical agricultural chemists have claimed 
that, since lime is found in the ashes of 
most crops, it is one of the essential con- 
stituents, and must therefore be found in the 
soil, or be applied, if not already there, in 
order to supply the elements of the plants. But 
this does not explain its action. A single illus- 
tration is conclusive on that question. The 
farm on which we were brought up, though a 
diluvial or loam soil on the surface, is literally 
filled with limestones, and rests on limestone 
rocks which often protrude through the sur- 
face. The well and spring water is so saturated 
with lime as to yield a thick coat of it upon the 
tea-kettle in a brief time. Yet burned lime, and 
plaster (sulphate of lime,) have always been fa- 
vorite fertilizers, because their application has 
proved to be profitable. Many thousands of 
bushels of lime have been burned from stones 
gathered upon the surface, and the burned lime 
lias been applied right among the unburued 
stones with excellent results. The water flow- 
ing from the soil is abundantly saturated with 
lime in a soluble condition, so that there can be 
no possible lack of this element for the use of 
the plants. On this point it may also be added, 
that in the analysis of many samples of water 
from wells and springs in all kinds and 
qualities of soils, and from various sections of 
the country, we have never yet found a speci- 
men of water that did not contain lime enough 
to meet the wants of any crop. 
With the above and other facts in view, we 
have come to attribute the chief utility of 
burned lime to its action as an alkaline reagent 
to neutralize the acidity or sourness of the soil, 
and to promote the decomposition of organic 
or vegetable matters, and fit them to become 
food for the growing plants.* To a limited de- 
* One of the facts of chemistry is, that a compound 
Dody will be more readily decomposed if there is present 
another compound or element having a strong affinity for 
one of the results of the decomposition. Thus: all 
vegetable mailers, in decomposing, produce a con- 
siderable amount of carbonic acid, and this has a strong 
affinity for lime. Hence the presence of lime in a soil 
hastens the destruction or dead grass roots and other 
organic materials, and sets the elements at liberty to act 
as direct or indirect nourishment lo the growing crops. 
gree, also, lime acts as a cemeut to harden and 
compact light sandy soils. 
The burning of limestone simply drives off 
its carbonic acid, and reduces it to to a fine or 
powdered condition, so that it is easily mingled 
with the soil. Simply grinding limestone would 
not remove its acid and render it caustic ; this 
is only accomplished by great heat. 
No rule can be given for judging as to 
whether any particular soil will be benefitted 
by lime. Experience has proved that it is often 
useful both on. clays, and on very sandy loams, 
where there is but a very limited supply of lime 
naturally in the soil; and that it is equally 
beneficial on soils half made up of limestone 
pebbles, shells, and organic petrifactions which 
are composed chiefly of lime. Actual trials are 
the only sure tests of its utility or non-utility 
upon any particular soil. With the above 
theory of its action as an alkaline reagent we 
may generally conclude : 
1. That on new soils, where there is more or 
less of undecomposed vegetable matter, and 
some sourness, an application of lime will 
hasten the preparation of the natural manure 
or vegetable material, and neutralize the acidity. 
2. On cold soils or those which are not natu- 
rally thoroughly drained, the water saturating 
the soil for the whole or the larger part of the 
year shuts out access of air. The vegetable mat- 
ters remain in an undecomposed or in a semi- 
decomposed condition. An application of caustic 
(fresh-slacked) lime will dissolve and hasten 
the decomposition of the organic materials, 
preparing their elements to enter and nourish 
the plants. 
3. This effect will be most marked upon 
recently drained swamps, and fresh and salt 
water marshes. Owing to the great amount of 
vegetable matters, it is often necessary to make 
a light application at first, or so much of the 
natural manure will be prepared as to induce 
too rank a growth of straw or stalks. For po- 
tatoes, or for corn which is a gross feeder, 
there is less danger of an over-dose, than when 
grass-seed or the grain crops are sown. 
4. On dry, sandy soils there is often too little 
moisture to decompose the organic materials, 
and an application of lime is frequently useful. 
As above stated, lime acts mechanically, ce- 
ments the soil, and causes it to retain moisture. 
5. On heavy clay soils, lime is often bene- 
ficial for the same reason as in (2) above, 
though a large application sometimes cements 
the clay, and is deleterious. 
Mode of Using Lime. — The best form of ap- 
plication is, to sow fresh slalced lime, in the 
finest condition possible, and immediately mix 
it thoroughly with the soil by harrowing and 
plowing. Some spread it upon the surface, and 
plow it in. The better way is to first plow the 
land, then sow the lime and immediately har- 
row it in well. When spread in heaps and left 
for days or weeks, it absorbs carbonic acid from 
the atmosphere, and is then far less active upon 
the vegetable material within the soil. When 
fresh slaked with water, it is an almost im- 
palpable powder, and can be much more 
thoroughly scattered and diffused through the 
soil. If it lay in heaps upon the field, or is air- 
slacked, it becomes carbonated, and though still 
friable or in a powdered condition, the particles 
are a thousand times less minute. Sown as a top- 
dressing, it acts upon a little of the surface, and 
some of it is washed into the soil, and we have 
seen good results from this practice, but the 
effect is far less than when sown fresh and im- 
mediately worked into the soil. 
Moistening seed and drying it off with lime, 
just before sowing or planting, often produces 
good results. We suppose the little lime thus 
introduced, sweetens a small portion of the soil, 
and prepares a little of the organic matter im- 
mediately around the seed, fitting it to nourish 
and give a vigorous start to the young 
plant. A larger application in the hill, or dif- 
fused through the whole soil, would of course 
prepare more of it for the extending roots. 
Lime may be applied at the time of putting 
in seed, or months before. In the latter ease it 
decomposes the organic matters, but these are 
mainly retained by the soil in store for the 
roots of the coming crop. Theory and obser- 
vation indicate, that the time of application 
is not material, though we are most likely to 
diffuse it more thoroughly and evenly through 
the soil, if it be applied when the seed-bed is be- 
ing prepared. The additional harrowing then 
given, aids in mixing it evenly through the soil, 
which we consider a great point to be aimed at. 
Moderate applications, at frequent intervals, 
seem to be preferable to heavy coatings at long 
intervals. A cold, heavy, sour soil may receive 
30, 50, or even 100 bushels per acre at one time; 
but on lighter soils 15 to 25 bushels are usually 
an abundant supply. To apply 50 or more 
bushels per acre on a light soil, may decompose 
and use up nearly all the organic matters in the 
first year, and render it sterile; while 15 bushels 
may prepare enough organic material to benefit 
the first crop ; and the roots and leaves of that 
crop will add more organic matter for a suc- 
ceeding crop. This may explain why lime has 
after a time been condemned where it was at 
first in great favor. We know one instance 
where the soil of a neighborhood was light and 
sandy. Lime was hauled 30 miles by teams, 
and very moderately applied— 10 to 20 bushels 
per acre. The opening of a railway reduced the 
cost to 8 cents per bushel, and one farmer ap- 
plied 500 bushels to five acres at once, expecting 
great results. The first crop was a good one, 
but the field was ruined until a heavy coat of 
manure was applied, to restore organic matter. 
Large applications of lime on a heavy soil, 
and not thoroughly diffused through it, as when 
it is spread on the surface and plowed under, 
often settles in a layer, and forms a compact 
bed through which the roots will not penetrate 
freely. We have seen many such instances, and 
nothing would grow well until a plow was run 
below to throw it upon the surface, and then 
the harrow used freely to break up and com- 
mingle the hard layer with the rest of the soil. 
Oyster-shell lime is by some thought to be 
preferable to stone lime, because the former 
contains more phosphoric acid; but it slakes 
much less finely, and is therefore less inti- 
mately mixed with the soil. On this account 
we should prefer the stone lime, and we believe 
the general experience is in this direction. Gas 
lime is similarly objectionable, and until after 
considerable exposure to the action of air in or 
upon the soil, it is poisonous to plants. (The 
use of gas lime is fully described on page 75 of 
Volume XX, for 1801.) 
The above general hints indicate answers to 
a multitude of questions addressed to us. Any 
other specific questions we shall be happy lo 
reply to, when practicable. Lime is perhaps 
the most important fertilizer we have, aside 
from barn-yard manure. It is useful on a large 
proportion of all the farms in the country, and 
may well be tried, where it has not been used. 
Its effects, the best modes of application, and 
the rationale of its operation, should be carefully 
observed and studied by cultivators generally. 
