THE CULTIVATOR. 
55 
tides of the earth are finely divided ; for gravels and sands hardly 
retain water at all, while clays not opened by pulverization or other 
means, either do not absorb water, or when, by long action it is ab¬ 
sorbed, they retain too much. Water is not only necessary to the 
growth of plants, as such, but it is essential to the production of ex¬ 
tract from vegetable matters which they contain; and, unless the 
soil, by pulverisation or otherwise, is so constituted as to retain the 
quantity of water requisite to produce this extract, the addition of 
manures will be in vain. Manure is useless in vegetation till it be¬ 
come soluble in water, and it would remain useless in a state of so¬ 
lution, if it so abounded as wholly to exclude air, for then the fibres 
or mouths, unable to perform their functions, would soon decay 
and rot ofi'. Pulverization in a warm season is of great advantage 
in admitting the nightly dews to the roots of plants. Chaptal re¬ 
lates the great benefit he found in the practice in this respect to 
his corn crops; and shows of what importance it is in the culture 
of vineyards in France. 
The temperature of a soil is greatly promoted by pulverization .— 
Earths, Grisenthwaite observes, are also among the worst conduc¬ 
tors of heat with which we are acquainted, and consequently it 
would be a considerable time before the gradually increasing tem¬ 
perature of spring could communicate its genial warmth to the roots 
of vegetables, if their lower strata were not heated by some other 
means. To remove this defect, which always belongs to a close 
compact soil, it is necessary to have the land open, that there may 
be a free ingress of the warm air and tepid rains of spring. 
Pulverization contributes to the increase of vegetable food. Water is 
known to be a condenser and solvent of carbonic acid gas, which, 
when the lands are open can be immediately carried to the roots of 
vegetables, and contribute to their growth ; but if the land is close, 
and the water lies on or near the surface, then the carbonic acid gas, 
which always exists in the atmosphere, and is carried down by the 
rains, will soon be dissipated. An open soil is also most suitable 
for effecting those changes in the manure itself, which are equally 
necessary to the preparation of such food. Animal and vegetable 
substances, exposed to the alternate action of heat, moisture, light 
and air, undergo spontaneous decomposition, which would not other¬ 
wise take place. 
By means of pulverization a portion of atmospheric air is buried in 
the soil. This air, so confined, is decomposed by the water retain¬ 
ed in the earthy matters. Ammonia is formed by means of the hy¬ 
drogen of the water with the nitrogen of the atmosphere ; and nitre 
by the union of oxygen and nitrogen: the oxygen may also unite 
with the carbon contained in the soil, and form carbonic acid gas, 
and carburetted hydrogen. Heat is given out during the process, 
and hence, as Darwin remarks, the great propriety of cropping lands 
immediately after they have been comminuted and turned over ; and 
this the more especially, if manure has been loose, and the inter¬ 
stices filled with air, than afterwards, when it becomes compressed 
with its own gravity, and relaxing influence of rains, and the re¬ 
pletion ol the partial vacuums formed by the decomposition of the 
enclosed air. The advantage of the heat thus obtained in exciting 
vegetation, whether in a seed or root, especially in spring, when the 
soil is cold, must be very beneficial. 
The depth of pulverization, Sir H. Davy observes, must depend up¬ 
on the nature of the soil and subsoil. In rich clayey soils it can 
scarcely be too deep ; and even in sands unless the subsoil contains 
some principles noxious to vegetables, deep comminution should be 
practised. When the roots are deep, they are less liable to be in¬ 
jured either by excessive rain or drought; the radicles are shot forth 
into every part of the soil; and the space from which this nourish¬ 
ment is derived, is more considerable than when the seed is superfi¬ 
cially inserted in the soil. 
Pulverization should, in all cases, be accompanied by the admixture of 
the parts of soils, by turning them over. It is difficult, indeed, to pul¬ 
verize without effecting this end, at least by the implements in com¬ 
mon use; but if it could be effected it would be injurious, because 
the difference of gravity between the organized matters and the 
earths has a constant tendency to separate them, and stirring a soil 
only by forks and pronged implements, such as cultivators, would, 
in a short time, leave the surface of the soil too light and spongy,, 
and the lower part too compact and earthy.— Enc. Ag. 
The Primitive Earths —are four, viz: clay, sand, lime, and mag¬ 
nesia. These are the only earths which enter into the composition 
Of soils [ they also enter in very minute portions into the organiza¬ 
tion of plants. Sand and clay are by far the most abundant; lime 
is required but in small proportion : every soil, however, is defective 
without it. Magnesia is found but in a few soils ; its place is well 
supplied by lime ; its entire absence, therefore, is not considered any 
defect. 
Miscellaneous. _ 
«THE USE OF LIME IN AGRICULTURE. 
“ Bennington, Vt. April 7th, 1834. 
« Sir—-I saw it stated in your report to the New-York State Agri¬ 
cultural Society, that Dr. Wm. Darlington, of Penn, had made a 
communication to the society on the ‘ use of lime in agriculture.’ 
“ If it has been published, I would thank you to send it to me, if 
you can do it without too great inconvenience. I find it exceedingly 
difficult to obtain the necessary imformation upon this point; indeed 
all that I have, has been obtained from English publications, not en¬ 
tirely suited to this country. I am fully convinced that lime is as 
necessary upon our lands, especially those which have been highly 
manured, as the manure itself, and if properly manufactured, will 
cost much less and be more durable. I began with one or two loads 
per year, but increased the quantity each year, and shall probably 
use twenty loads the present season. 
« Excuse me, if you please, for troubling you. I know of no other 
way to obtain the communication. Yours, &c. 
“ HAMILTON GAY. 
“ J. P. Beekman, Cor. Sec’y N. Y. S. A. Society.” 
The communication to which our correspondent refers in the 
foregoing letter, was published in the proceedings of the New-York 
State Agricultral Society for 1833, and as it was printed at the ex¬ 
pense of the society, but a few hundred copies were stricken off for 
the use of its members. As extensive a circulation has not been 
given to the communication of Dr. Darlington, on the use of lime 
in agriculture, as its intrinsic merits and the wants of the public re¬ 
quire ; it being now called for, we are happy m having an excuse 
for its re-publication in the columns of the Cultivator, to diffuse it 
more extensively, in hopes our readers will avail themselves of the 
information contained in it, to make a more general use of lime as 
a manure. Lime, as an agent in fertilization, has been, in this coun¬ 
try, comparatively but little used ; all, however, who have tried its 
powers, unite in ascribing to it a strong and quickening influence on 
vegetation, and the letter of Dr. Darlington will be the more useful 
to the public, because he avails himself as well of the experience of 
his practical neighbors, as his own, to treat of this subject in a most 
clear and satisfactory manner. The publishers of the Cultivator 
would be pleased to receive the result of their Vermont correspon¬ 
dent’s future observation, on the use of lime as a manure, should he 
be induced to give it a thorough trial; and they will now add this 
general observation, that in those districts of country where it has 
been extensively, and for some time used, the per acre price of land 
has been greatly, and we presume proportionately increased. Here¬ 
after, we must again take up this subject, because it is an exten¬ 
sive field for investigation, in which farmers, as well as men of 
science are interested, and both will be most amply rewarded, 
should any farther lights be elicited on so important and useful a 
topic. 
Letter from Dr. William Darlington, of Pennsylvania, on the use of Lime 
in Agriculture. 
Westchester, (Penn.) Dec. 17, 1832. 
Dear Sir, —Your etter, containing a number of queries relative 
to the operation and utility of lime, in the process of agriculture, 
was received in the arly part of June last: But as I have been 
much engaged, during the past summer, with duties which required 
all my attention,—and, as your letter intimated that answers fur¬ 
nished “ any time during the present year” would be in season for 
your purposes,-—1 have taken the liberty to postpone my reply until 
now. 
1 proceed then, with great pleasure, to furnish you with such facts 
and remarks as my opportunities tor observation have enabled me 
to offer. With a view to render the answers more explicit and 
satisfactory, I will annex them, seriatim , to your several inqui¬ 
ries. 
Query 1. “ Upon what lands does lime operate most beneficially ,— 
1 . In regard to geological formation ,— as primitive, transition , se¬ 
condary, and alluvial I 
