THE CULTIVATOR. 
115 
of breeding will always insure aptitude to fatten, which, in its turn, 
will insure the largest remuneration for the food consumed. 
Sheep, both fat and lean, may be judged of by nearly the same 
rules. The purity of breeding will be seen in the large full promi¬ 
nent eyes, the clean thin bone of the head and legs, and the large 
thin pricked up ears, set on each side of the top of the head, and in 
the short, thick, smooth, clear hair of the face and legs. The sec¬ 
tion of the form of the fat sheep is even more mathematically like a 
parallelogram than that of the fat ox. The touch of the skin is al¬ 
so the same in kind, and is as sure an indication of the disposition 
to fatten as in the ox. In regard that wool varies so greatly in the 
many breeds of sheep, lean only make this general remark on the 
fleece best suited to every breed, namely, the whole body should be 
well covered with wool, with the exception of the face and legs, 
which are always covered with hair. A large covering of wool, not 
only protects them against the inclemencies of the weather, and the 
coldntss and dampness of the ground, but it supplies a large fleece 
to be disposed of to the wool buyer. One deviation from the rules 
of judging cattle, must be made while judging sheep, to which I have 
already alluded, namely, while the neck of the ox should be thin, 
that of the sheep should be thick ; because a thin necked sheep is 
found to possess a weak spine, and is generally a bad feeder. A thin 
neck has thus the same effects on sheep that a small tail has on cat¬ 
tle. As in cattle, a drooping neck in sheep indicates a weakness ot 
constitution, arising from breeding in and in. 
Some of the rules for cattle and sheep are applicable to swine. 
Swine should have broad straight backs, round ribs, thin hair, thin 
skin, small tails, short and fine muscles, pricked ears, small and fine 
bones, and round and well turned shoulders and hams. 
In conclusion, it is obvious that these rules for judging live-stock 
are not founded upon arbitrary assumptions. Had no natural means 
of judging existed, man could no doubt have contrived rules to suit 
his own convenience; and in such a case, he would probably have 
chosen such as he could have most easily applied ; but unless they 
could be applied to the growing, as well as to the mature condition 
of animals, they would be of little value. But we have seen that 
natural means of judging do exist, and although they cannot be easily 
understood without much observation and practice, yet, by practice 
they can be acquired, and easily applied to the existing circumstances 
of the animal, whatever these may be. Any person, it is true, can¬ 
not at once perceive that their necessary tendency is to lead to a 
correct judgment. Long and careful personal observation is requi¬ 
site to convince the mind of their value in that respect. Tuition, 
without practical observation, cannot of itself do it. It has been the 
study of nature, in short, which has enabled man to establish these 
rules for his guidance ; and as all the operations of nature are regu¬ 
lated by general laws, these rules must be of universal application. 
It is clearly established by observation, as an uniform principle ot 
judgment, that when an ox, in a growing, state, presents a certain 
degree of purity of breeding, a certain form of body, and a certain 
kind of handling of its skin, a certain result is undeviatingly exhibited 
in the mature state from these given premonitory symptoms. Should 
this result conduce to the acquisition of wealth, we are anxious to 
possess the growing animal which exhibits such favorable points; 
and, on the other hand, we are as anxious to avoid the possession 
of that animal which exhibits unfavorable points, unless at a very 
depreciated value. Now, it has been ascertained by experience, 
that pure breeding, perfect form, and fine touch, make the best ma¬ 
ture animal. Hence these points will insure both the growing and 
mature animal a ready market and good price; and hence also, that 
breed which constantly presents these points, deserves, by its intrin¬ 
sic worth, to be generally cultivated. 
Means of Inducing- Fertility. 
APPLICATION OF LIME. 
Those purposes appear to be-—first, to render whatever substances 
may be lodged in the soil, or matter which forms part of it, and which 
may be injurious to vegetation, either harmless or useful; and thus 
to prepare the soil for the reception and nourishment of seeds and 
plants: and secondly, to facilitate the decomposition of putrescible 
matter, so as to furnish food to vegetables during their growth. It 
has been proved by careful experiment, that the application of lime 
is the only known alterative which, upon poor, weak, and weeping 
clays, has power to heal the soil. With the assistance of water, it 
suddenly decomposes all animal and vegetable bodies, and when thus 
spread upon neglected ground covered with heath and moss, the old 
turf is decomposed, and a saponaceous matter is formed which 
sinks into the soil, and covers it with sweet herbage. We also 
know that it imparts a certain degree of vigor to some peculiar plants 
—as, for instance, sainfoin, the roots of which penetrate far into the 
interstices of chalk, and grow luxuriantly, though only covered by a 
slight coat of inferior soil. 
It is however an error,—though entertained by many farmers,— 
to suppose that lime in any state comprises fertilizing properties 
within itself; and that, without operating upon the soil, or upon the 
substances which it contains, it is an enriching manure. It does net 
possess any fertilizing principle in its own composition ; it is merely 
a calcareous earth combined with fixed air, and holding a medium 
between sand and clay, which, in some measure, remedies the defi¬ 
ciencies of both. But though, when alone, unfavorable to the growth 
of plants, yet experience shows that it is an ingredient in soils which, 
whether naturally forming a component part of their substance, so 
judiciously mixed with them by the husbandman, adds greatly to 
their fertility', for it has the po,ver of attracting much both from the 
earth and from the air, which occasions the decomposition of plants, 
and thus converting them into nutriment, it gives power as to vegeta¬ 
tion which, without its operation, would otherwise lie dormant. It 
also appears to act with great force upon that substance which, be¬ 
ing already converted by the decomposition of plants into a species 
of earth, we call mould. 
The other causes with which we are acquainted regarding the 
operation of lime as a manure would lead to a chemical discussion, 
which could only prove uninteresting to the generality of our rea¬ 
ders ; we shall therefore coniine ourselves to the following observa¬ 
tions. 
There can be no doubt that it is a most powerful stimulant when 
applied to deep loams and heavy clays, which contain mould of a na¬ 
ture so sour as to appear to unfit them for the purposes of vegeta¬ 
tion ; or to land which has been previously either more or less ma¬ 
nured with animal or vegetable substances, without any addition of 
lime or other calcareous matter, in which case it often produces ef¬ 
fects far more fertlizing than the application of dung, for its active 
powers render every particle of the putrescent manure useful; but 
if the latter be not afterwards repeated at no great distance of time, 
the soil will, in the course of a few years, become considerably ex¬ 
hausted. In all arable land, however impoverished it maybe, either 
by nature or bad management, there yet always exists some portion 
of mould, and, on this, a first dressing of lime occasions a sensible 
improvement of the soil, which soon becomes apparent in the in¬ 
creased product of the crops. A second dressing will also be at¬ 
tended with some apparently good effect; but unless that, and eve¬ 
ry succeeding repetition, be accompanied with ample additions of 
farm-yard manure, or other putrescent matter, to supply the loss 
thus occasioned by the exhaustion of the vegetative power, every 
future crop will be diminished. The land is then necessarily thrown 
out of cultivation, and left for a series of years to recover itself un¬ 
der pasture, which, in the course of time, may be effected accord¬ 
ing to its former condition; but in the interim it is rendered nearly 
fruitless. It is thus that many thousands of acres in every part of 
the kingdom have been run to a state of almost total infertility; 
and it is even said, that the too great use of lime, though apparent¬ 
ly judiciously employed by some of the first farmers in the Lothians, 
has been lately found very detrimental to their crops. 
Marsh lands, however, which have been drained, will generally 
support a repeated and abuudant application of lime, because they 
usually contain a large proportion of matter upon which the stimu¬ 
lating powers of lime are peculiarly adapted to act; and it will be 
found much better suited to the purpose than dung. On all rich, 
deep, dry, and loamy soils it may also be applied with effect; for al¬ 
though they contain within themselves the component parts of the 
best soils, yet they are frequently found to be sluggish and inert; 
and dung, whether through imperfect fermentation or owing to the 
want of calcareous matter, often remains dormant in the land until 
roused by moderate quantities of quick-lime, which, if applied at dis¬ 
tant periods, will effectually operate to bring it into activity. It 
should, however, be turned into the ground some weeks before the 
dung, in order that it may become thoroughly slaked by mixture with 
the soil, or otherwise it would have the effect of abstracting some of its 
nutriment. Such soils, after the application of lime, produce much 
heavier crops with a much smaller proportion of dung than if no lime 
