THE CULTIVATOR. 
65 
fully, the theory laid down in the first part. The lands upon which 
the experiments were made, are somewhat of the character of 
those which extend from the east end of Long-Island to Florida, 
upon the tide waters of the Atlantic ; and, with the exception that 
they probably contain more clay, appear to be similar to what are 
denominated the Albany barrens, Kinderhook plains, and to a 
large portion of Saratoga county. The natuial growth is pines, 
oaks and whortleberry bushes, and, when cleared, common sorrel; 
the soil is destitute of stones, and the earthy n atters are, apparent¬ 
ly a deposite from overflowing waters, at a remote period of time. 
The experiments were made w ith shell marl, containing 25 to 27 
per cent carbonate of lime, mixed with sand. 
We will remark here, that as the calcareous earth is the bene- 
fitting property of the marl, other calcareous earths may be sub¬ 
stituted ; and on sands, clay marls it is believed, if convenient, 
may be more profitably applied than shell marl, which latter does; 
not often occur in the interior. Mr. R. gives the following clas- i 
sification of manures, a designating its strongest or most valuable 
agency, b the next strongest and so on. 
“ Substances which firm manures, are either 
“Alimentary, nr sen mg as fund f r plants—as feathers, hair, woollen rags, 
ponnde ) bunt's,(A) all putrescent animal and vegetable substances, as dung, 
stible and farmyard manures.(a) straw.(a) green crops ploughed in.(a) 
“ Solvent of iltm-nt try m mures,— us qutck-hme.(a) potash anti soap ley?(o) 
ashes not drawn ?(a) paring anti burning the surface of the soil («) 
“ Mordants— serving to fix other m inures in soils,—as calcareous earth, in- 
clu ling lime become mild by age.(al chalk fa) limestone gravel,(a) wood 
ashes.(A) fossil shells,(a) marl ( i calcareous day),(a) old mortar. 
“Neutralizing acids,—as all calcareous manures,(A) quicklime,(A) potash 
and soap ley.(A) wood ashes (c) 
“ .Mechanical, or improving by altering the texture of soil—as all calcareous 
manures.(c) mirl,(A) clay, sand, fermenting vegetable manures,(a) green ma¬ 
nures.(A) liiifermemed liner.(A) 
“Stimulating, —as nitre? common salt? 
“ SjiedJic. or furnishing ingredients necessary fi t particular plants—as sul¬ 
phate of lime, or gypsum, (for clover,) phosphate of lime, (for wheat,) in 
bones.(a) and drawn ashes,(a) salt ?’’ 
“ Calcareous earth, or carbonate of lime, 1 ' says Mr. T?. “ is (me combined 
with carbonic acid, ami may be convened into pure or quick-lime by beat— 
ami quick-lime, by exposure to the air, soon returns to its lormer state of cal- 
C menus earth. It forms limestone, ma ble, chalk and shells, with very small 
admixtures of other substances. Thus the term ralrareous earth will not be 
used here to include either lime, in its pure state, or any of the numerous com¬ 
binations which lime forms with the various acids, except that one (carbonate 
of lime) which is beyond comparison flie most abundant throughout the worid, 
and most important as an ingredient of soils. I’ure lime attracts all acids so 
powerfully, that it is never presented by nature except n combination with! 
some one of them, and generally with the carbonic and. When this com¬ 
pound is throw u' into any stronger acid, as muriatic, nitric, or even strong 
vinegar,—the lime being more powerfully attracted, unites with, and is dis¬ 
solved by the stronger acid, and lets go the carbonic, wliich escapes with ef¬ 
fervescence in the form of air. In this manner the carbonate of lime, or cal¬ 
careous earth, may not only be easily distinguished by silicmus, and alumi¬ 
nous earth; but also from all other combinations of lime.” p. 9. 
We mark another extract from p. 10, with the view of impress¬ 
ing upon the mind of the reader, the very important truths which 
it conveys, and which are seldom duly appreciated by the ordina¬ 
ry farmer. 
•• All earths, when as pure as they are ever furnished by nature, are en- 
terely barren, as might he inferred from a description of their qualities [de¬ 
scribed in p. 9). nor would any addition of puirescent manures enable either 
of the e trills to support healthy vegetable life. 
“ The mixture ol the three earths in due proportions will correct the de¬ 
fects of all, and w ith a sufficiency of animal or vegetable matter, puirescent, 
anil soluble in water, a soil is formed in which plants cart extend their roots 
freely, yet be firmly supported, and derive all the needful supplies of air, wa¬ 
ter anti warmth, without being hurt by too much of either. Such is the na¬ 
tural surf ce of almost all the habitable world : and though the qualities and 
value of soils are as variable as the propo tions of their ingredients are innu- 
metable yet they are mostly so constituted, that no one earthy ingreilient is 
so abundant, but that the texture of the soil is mechanically suited to some 
one valuable crop,- as some plants require a degree of closeness, and others 
of openness in the soil, which would cause oilier plants to decline or perish.” 
After describing the soil, the general characteristics of which 
we have mentioned, and the state of agriculture in the tide water 
district of Virginia, Mr. R. proceeds, in chap. 3, to describe the 
different capacities of soils for receiving improvement, in which 
he lays down the following propositions : 
“ Proposition ]. Soils naturally poor, and such soils reduced to poverty by 
cultivation, are essentially different in their powers of retaining putrescent 
manures; and tinder like circumstances, the fitness of any soil to be enriched 
by any manures, is in proportion to wlmt was its natural fertility. 
“ 'i. The natural sterility of the soil of lower Virginia, (and of like soils 
elsewhere,) is caused by suclt soils being destitute of calcareous earth, and 
their being injured by the presence and effects of vegetable acid. 
VOL. II. 9 
“3. The fertilizing effects of calcareous earth are chiefly produced by its 
power of neutralizing acids, and of combining puirescent manures w ith soils, 
between which there vvoti.d ot ervvise be but little chemical at tract ion.* 
‘ I. Poor ai d acid soils cannot be improved durably, or prufiml K, by pu¬ 
trescent manures,, without previously making them caltaieous, and then by 
correcting the defect in their constitution. 
•• 5 . Calcareous manuies will give to our worst soils a power of retaining 
putrescent m .nines equal to that of me best—and will cause more productive* 
ness-eund yitld more pro;.l than any other iniptovtnu nt practised in lower 
Virginia.” 
The defect in many of the pine lands in the interior, is not on¬ 
ly the w ant of calcaieous, but of argillaceous matter—clay : they 
kck the adhesive quality, which calcareous earth in a measure, 
but not sufficiently, supplies. The blue and the other clay marls, 
which are found, in many districts, to underlay the soil, offer, 
therefore, the most efficient means of improving our sands. We 
have occasionally, though not systematically, applied the blue clay, 
containing 25 to 30 pet cent carbonate of lime, on literally blow¬ 
ing sand hills, at the rate of 3 to 4 hundred bushels, or 20 cart loads, 
to the acre, and (he results fully sustained the high opinions of Mr. 
R. of the benefits imparted to these soils by calcareous applica¬ 
tions. The soil has become more adhesive, sorrel has disappear¬ 
ed, and there is no longer the lormer marked difference in the pro¬ 
ducts of the hill and the sw'ale. We have often expressed the 
opinion, produced by these results, that a load of blue clay has 
been of more permanent benefit to some of our land than a lead of 
putrescent manure. And in passing over the sandy plains which 
skirt the rich bottoms on the Connecticut river, we have thought 
that our blue clay was the material wanted to impart to them ad¬ 
hesiveness and fertility, with the aid, however, of putrescent ma¬ 
nures which, after all, afford the only alimentary nourishment to 
plants. 
Calcareous earth is an essential ingredient in all good soils, 
though much less of it is required than of sand or clay, and may 
therefore be artificially supplied at comparative small expense. 
From 20 to 40 cart-loads per acre of clay marl would double, if 
not quadruple, the value of our light sands. We hope scon to be 
able to detail some interesting experiments upon marling, by a 
gentleman of high standing. 
In discussing the second proposition, Mr. Ruffin details the re¬ 
sults of nineteen chemical examinations of soils, taken from differ¬ 
ent localities, all from situations which, from their proximity to 
calcareous rock, were supposed most likely to present highly cal¬ 
careous soils. In only four of these experiments did he find any 
finely divided calcareous earth, and in these but in very small pro¬ 
portions. These experiments show the error of an opinion gene¬ 
rally entertained, that the soil in limestone formations always 
abound in carbonate of lime. Wffiere the limestone is hard, and 
in its natural beds, the debris, or pulverized portion, is often so 
: minute as to form hardly a perceptible constituent. This fact ex¬ 
plains the utility of the practice which prevails in Pennsylvania, 
as communicated to us by Dr. Darlington, of applying lime on 
lime-stone lands. The benefits of the application seem to be two- 
| fold ; In the form of quick lime it operates as a solvent, and ren- 
; ders soluble the vegetable matter in the soil ; and in that of a car¬ 
bonate, or mild lime, it improves the soil mechanically, and in- 
1 creases its capacity for combining with, and preventing the waste of, 
! putrescent manures. Mr. Ruffin also examined specimens of soils 
: from the western and southern prairies, from localities abounding 
in shell marl, or soft and decomposing limestone. These gave an 
| abundant proportion of carbonate of lime, and in some instances 
it existed in excess, so as to render the soils sterile. 
In acid and neutral soils, Mr. Ruffin supposes that carbonate of 
lime may have originally existed, and that it may have been de- 
* “ When any substance is mentioned as combining with one or more other 
substances, as different manures with each other, or with soil, I mean that a 
union is formed by chemical attraction, and not hy simple mixture. Mixtures 
are made hy mechanical means, and may be separated in like manner; but 
combinations are chemical, and require some stronger chemical attraction to 
take aw ay either of the bodies so united. 
“ When two substances combine, they both lose their previous peculiar qua¬ 
lities, or neutralize them for each other, and form a third substance different 
from both. Thus, if certain known proportions of muriatic aei !, and pure or 
caustic soda, be brought together, their strong attraction will cause them to 
combine immediately. The strong corrosive acid quality of the one. and the 
equally peculiar alkaline taste anil (towers of the other, will neutralize or en¬ 
tirely destroy each other, and the compound firmed is—common salt— the 
qualities of which are strongly marked, but totally different from those of 
either of its component parte.” 
