Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-02-02

So $3.50 z11zSaIEzm
lime had been exhausted by cultivation,
| rains, etc.
Since the above was written the fol-
lowing letter from an intelligentg gentleman
hes been received, and fully corroborates
what has been said:
To the Editors of the Union and American:
CLARKsvILLE, Jan. %, 1S71.-I prom
ised to answer few questions in regard
to the use and application of lime do
80 at once, hoping this may reach you
before the next issue of your paper. !
regret that / left the memorandum OF
questions in town to-day, but will answer
as nearly as can recollect them. Re
member, however, that with the ex-
ception of few experiments
of nv own within the last few years,
nv knowledge of lime as fertilizer has
been derived from the experience OF 9TH
ers. These, however, are farmers of
considerable reputation and large expe-
rience, whose experiments have watched
with interest.
First. How to prepare lime for agri-
cultural purposes9 .. . ea
Lime well air-slaked needs no further
preparation.
At what season of the year should lime
be appledR L- 1870
If for corn or tobacco, ! would prefer
to have it spread in the fall, and, if pos
sible, turned under before freezing wealth
er. 1t should be plowed in in the fall for
the double purpose of having it mixed
with the soil and the soil it.
self broken up to receive the action
of the frost, both of which are
important for its easier pulverization in
the spring. Land pulverizes more easily
after an application of lime, from the
chemical action of the lime, which sets
at liberty the nitre contained in the soil,
which is of much importance to any crop,
but especially so to tobacco.
For wheat on fallow land l would pre-
fer to spread the lime early in August, so
that it may be broken up two or three
weeks before the wheat is sown. Espe-
cially would this be beneficial and prefer
able to any other season if there should be
any considerable growth of weeds
or grass on the land. l think
your intelligent readers will readi-
ly understand how both the land
and the immediate crop will be benefited
by this course. Should there be large
amount of vegetable matter on the ground
at the time indicated, there must, of ne
cessity, be considerable amount of sap;
therefore, when this receives the action
of the lime the farmer will discover that
he has turned In, at small cost, very
good compost -..r ...
As to lime for wheat on corn land, l
would prefer that it should be ap-
piled before the corn crop is planted,
as indicated above; but should the farmer
desire to add more than has been applied
for the previous crop, it would be well to
spread not more than half the quantity
that had been before applied, and
this may be done before or af-
ter the wheat is sown, but of course
before the wheat comes up. If applied
after the wheat is sown, 1t is simply
top dressing to be dissolved and carried
into the ground by the rain.
AS to quantity, the farmer must event
ually determine for himself how much
his land may receive and be benefited
by. In commencing the use of lime one
should be careful not to apply too much.
l would suggest that the first experiment
be made with an application of from
twenty five to forty bushels, certainly not
more Than the latter quantity, as this is
enough to risk at first, at least in any
upland in Middle Tennessee, and this
quantity will be found sufficient for the
three crops of corn or tobacco, wheat
and clover. And here let me sug-
gest, that for the permanent use of
lime, it would be well to adopt
the above, as regular rotation
of crops. After land has been in clover
and pastuIed one season, it should re-
ceive the second application of lime, this
time however in rather less quantity than
before, say twenty to thirty bushels per
acre. And sgain when thesame routine has
been gone through, q third application
may be made. In all the land will have
received from 70 to 100 bushels per acre.
And in most cases after the third applics-
ton lime may be discontinued; but by
this time the crops of straw and clover
should be sufficient to keep the land up
many years, especially with a little as
sistance from composts.
For almost all fruit trees, lime is in
valuable l would say however, for dwarf
pears, and perhaps for cherries, it should
be used spsringly, but for apple trees use
it liberaly-spread broadcast all over the
orchard. l make it point to apply lime
to grape vines when l plant them, if the
ground has not been recently lined. For
small fruits other than grapes | prefer
not to use it. Especially do think it in
furious TO strawberries. l have no theory
on that subject, merely suggest the fact.
will hereafter write you more of lime
for fruit trees, giving you the result of
some experiments of my own.
w. W. Y.