18GL] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
11 
that it.may be used annually with similar re¬ 
sults, but they soon find out their mistake. It 
should always be remembered that it does not 
act like common barn-yard dung, as a manure 
l'or plants, but rather as a stimulant to the soil, 
enabling it to giv e out certain elements which it 
already contains for their nourishment. After 
it has decomposed the better part of the veget¬ 
able matter in the surface soil, it should not be 
again applied there,'until that soil has had a pe¬ 
riod of rest, and has stored up more vegetable 
matter. Five or six years is none too long an 
interval between each liming. [We would ad¬ 
vise, rather, to make more frequent applications 
of smaller quantities. What say those having 
had long experience in the use of lime ? Let us 
hear from them.— Ed.] In the meantime, clover 
or some other green crops should be grown, and 
several dressings of barn manure applied. The 
old proverb is true, 
“ The use of lime .without manure, 
Will always make the farmer poor.” 
While lime is- most useful on cold, clayey, or 
neaty lands inclining to -wetness, it may some-, 
times be used on light or sandy soils, especially 
if vegetable manures are applied in rotation. It 
will serve to give them compactness. But on 
pure sand exhausted by long tillage, it only 
makes matters -worse. As a top-dressing for 
grass lauds, it often acts beneficially. The 
quantity of lime needful per acre, will depend 
on the nature of the soil. Sandy lands need 
only about seventy five bushels to the acre, 
loams one hundred, and clay one hundred and 
fifty. [Here again we must differ with the writer. 
Would it not he better to apply one-fiftli to one- 
fourth the quantity recommended, once in a 
year or two, than to use so large a quantity at 
long intervals ? We conceive that lime acts 
mainly to decompose organic matter in the soil. 
When too much is applied at once, it literally 
uses up the vegetable matter in. a brief time, and 
makes the soil poorer for some years afterward. 
But apply a smaller quantity annually, and it 
decomposes enough matter for one crop, leaving 
the rest to ho similarly used for the following 
crops.— Ed.] 
Lime composted, becomes a manure as well as 
a stimulant. 1 * For this purpose, let it he first 
mixed with peat or clay, turf or other good soils, 
and after lying in heaps for a while, it may he 
spread on the land broadcast. The amount of 
lime in the compost must he proportioned to the 
condition of the soil to be-manured, a light soil 
having less, and a stiff- qnp more lime. It may 
he spread with a shovel from a cart or wagon, 
choosing a calm, clear day for the work. After 
it is. spread, let it be turned under a few inches 
deep by a plow—a gang-plow is convenient for 
this operation. For Spring crops, apply in 
Spring; for wheat, early in Autumn. Prof. 
Way, of England, recommends applying lime 
in solution, mixing it with a large quantity of 
water, forming what is known as the “milk” of 
lime, then adding still more water and distribu¬ 
ting it over a field by means of pipes, as Mr. 
Mechi does his other manures. He also advises 
to use only eight or ten bushels to the acre, and 
to apply it every two years. 
That lime might he expected to benefit land, 
follows from the fact that every crop of gram, 
hay, or roots, carries off a good deal from it, and 
it must be restored in some way or the land will 
lie impoverished. Wheat, barley, oats, or clover, 
can not he raised in perfection, where lime is 
much wanting.. Potatoes, turnips, and other 
root crops are benefited by it. 
And yet. true as it is, that lime often acts 
beneficially, in many cases it produces no ap¬ 
parent effect. Experiment alone can determine 
certainly where it will be useful. Ho one should 
try it expecting such marked results as often 
follow the use of nitrogenous manures. These 
last must always he our main dependence. X. 
Further Remarks.-— -As seen by our notes in 
brackets, we do not fully, agree with the writer, 
and we have printed the. article mainly to call 
out details of, experience from those who have 
practiced liming for many years, and noted its 
effects, The subject is one of no little import¬ 
ance. Lime is used vastly more than any other 
fertilizer—yard manure only excepted. Tens 
of thousands of cultivators have found it a cheap, 
profitable application. With some it has been 
useful at first, bqt worse than useless afterward, 
others have derived no benefit, others still have 
used it for a score of years and continue to do 
so with good results.— Ed. 
Liras Questions to be Answered. 
In notes to the preceding article we have in¬ 
dicated some questions connected with the sub¬ 
ject of liming land. This is a most important 
question to three-fourths of the cultivators of 
our country, if not to all. In a former paper we 
have set forth pretty fully the results of our 
experience, observations, and theories upon the 
subject. (See Yol. XYIII, page 72, March Mo.) 
But the best information cah be gathered by 
comparing the experience of, a large number of 
persons who have used lime for a length of time. 
It occurs to us that we can not do better than 
to devote a little space in a future number or 
two, to giving the result of,the general experi¬ 
ence. We therefore invite.'experienced practi¬ 
cal men to send us answers, to tire following 
questions : • 
1 — How long have you made use of lime ? 
2— What is the general character of your soil ? 
3 — What, is its condition as to wetness or 
dryness? 
4— What lime do you use ?. 
5— What does it cost per bushel delivered at 
your Melds/? 
6— Do you apply it aiy-slaked, or slake it 
with water ? 
7— How much dp 
8— How-often do ; 
field ? 1 
9— How do you apply it?,, 
10—For what crops dp .you use i£, ?,. 
11 Mote the results upP’ibc]b Jj^ntcrops, , m d 
any other practical in forinaimn you can 
give. 
If we can get ten, twenty, fifty, or even five 
hundred scts'of answers to the above questions, 
and condense the results into moderate space, 
it will afford much useful information, and aid 
to a correct understanding of an important sub¬ 
ject. Let no one withhold his experience, with 
the idea that others will say enough on the sub¬ 
ject. It is quite as important, also, to know un¬ 
profitable results as good ones. 
Profitable Esperimsats with Potatoes. 
The following well arranged statement of a 
successful experiment in raising potatoes, ’is con¬ 
tributed to the American Agrieidtwistby Mr. W. 
F. Heins, a gentleman engaged in business in 
this City, hut an enthusiastic lover' of Agricul¬ 
ture, and a thorough going book-farmer. He says: 
The ground, which is in working order to the 
depth' of'nearly tv.-o 'fid, was plowed and ridged 
.yqu.appl^tpthe acre? 
you .apply. >$. ip, the same 
last Fall, the rows running, North and South. 
Iu the middle of March, this year, it was again 
plowed, cross-plowed, and harrowed, and well- 
rotted stable manure, (I horse and £ cow,) was 
lightly plowed iu. On the 23d of April, the 
drills were made, the compound described be¬ 
low, thoroughly mixed, thrown iu the drills, 
somewhat mixed with the soil, and covered 
about one inch deep. The seed potatoes, cut in 
one and two eye pieces, were laid on this, and 
slightly covered with coarse manure and soil. 
Equal areas were planted without the compound: 
Expenses per acre: 
10 loads manure at $1 50..$24 00 
18 bush, seed at Too. 13 50 
Plowing, planting, hilling and harvesting. 8 50 
Weeding, (which was done most thoroughly,) dig- 
ing and housing...1. 10 50 
Total. .$50 50 
Compound: 
1 bag guano (Peruvian) 100 lbs. at 3c.$4 80 
2 tools. bone sawings .... 7 00 
2 bbls. unleached wood ashes . 1 00 
2 bbls. charcoal dust ... 75 
1 bbi. land plaster .. 2 00 
1 bbl. soil of decayed wood.0 00—15 55 
Total cost oer acre — 
RESULT 
1 PER 
ACRE.— 
-With Compound. 
Names. 
S: »• 
Value 
at 75c. 
Cost. 
Profit. 
Peach Blows ... 
. 18 
293 
$219 75 
$72 05 
$147 70 
Prince Albert— 
..18 
280 
210 CO 
72 05 
137 05 
R eel or purple Chili. 18 
235 
176 25 
72 05 
104 20 
Mercers .;. 
..18 
210 
157 50 
72 05 
85 45 
Without Compound. 
Names. 
Seed , 
bush. 
Value 
at 7Sc. 
Cost. 
Profit. 
Peach Blows .. . 
Prince Albert — 
...18 
180 
$135 00 
$50 50 
$78 50 
...18 
174 
ISO 59 
50 50 
74 00 
R ed or purple Chili.18 
152 
114 00 
50 50 
57 50 
Mercers .:. 
...13 
112 
84 50 
50 50 
28 00 
Average with Compound 254) 
4 bushels. 
Profit $118 82 'A 
do. without 
do. 
154) 
4 do. 
Profit 
59 50 
Difference . $59 32 tv 
Cost of compound . 15_ 5 6 
Surplus in favor of compound .$43 77 
All potatoes planted with the compound, were 
in excellent condition, but the Peach Blows, 
planted without, show black spots' inside, even 
| when the outside looks perfectly sound. The 
1 Prince Albfert and Mercers show hut little rot, 
! the Red or Purple Chili none. 
- - .—aaaKS.-O”- -►-*» -— 
I-Iow much are Carrots worth for Feeding? 
This is a question needing to be. answered. 
Carrots are raised more than formerly, but there 
is no well settled opinion as to their compara¬ 
tive value for feeding. Various theoretical 
statements have been published from time to 
time, by writers on farming, and those who are 
fond, of calculating the value, of this or that arti¬ 
cle of food. But, for ourselves, we are still in 
doubt as to the real value of a bushel of carrots 
compared with other kinds of food costing the 
same price. Here is a case in point. (WeTf 
course have our own opinion, but we wish to 
call out others.) 
During the past Summer, notwithstanding the 
drouth, we raised half an acre of very fine ear- 
rots on ground trenched 2 feet deep last 'Spring. 
We' tried to market them in the city, hut could 
not get an offer that would net ever 75 cents a 
barrel, or 30 cents a bushel, sowekept them and 
are now using them for horse and cow feed. 
Hay is |30 a tun ; oats 37 cents a bushel ; corn 
G4 cents a busliei, and. o'.jier things in propor¬ 
tion.- The query is, are wc making better 'use 
use of them, than to have sold them at a price 
equivalent to 80 cents a bushel over the expense 
of marketing? What say those who have had 
considerable experience and observation in foed- 
iqg carrots to stock. We don’t care for the 
theoretical views of those' who do not speak 
from experience—wc have a pretty clear idea of 
their chemical composition, of their “gelatiniz¬ 
ing” the contents of the stomach and all that. 
Few city people will yet buy them for cookim •, 
or 'for food Tor their horses, and the market is 
