Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-02-02
FARM AND GARDEN.
MORE ABOUT LIME AS A FERTI-
LIZER.
To the Editors of the Union and American:

10 lne EdtOrs OF the Z mon and AInerlcAns
COLUMBIA, Jan. 10, 1871.-Your ar
ticle in to-day's UNION AND AMERICAN
upon Cline as q Fertilizer" was read
with great interest. l was disappointed
that you failed to tell your readers hotO
to apply it.
Viii you favor us with another article,
in which you will tell us particularly
how to prepare the lime, and how and
when to use it, and how much to the
acre. You say in the article of to-day,
"from fifty to one hundred bushels per
acre, is a sufficient quantity to begin
with Do you mean to use so much,
on the ordinary rolling lands of Middle
Tennessee?
Is it beneficial for fruit trees, and how
and in what quantities should it be ap-
piled TO the orchard, to the small fruit,
to the garden, to the ordinary field
crOps2
hope to be excused for this intrusion
feel considerable interest on this subject,
which no doubt is common to many of
your readers; and could not refrain from
asking to be informed. R.
In answer to our correspondents in
quiries we state:
I. Lime requiring some time to pro-
duce its effects upon the soil, should be
applied in all cases as long as possible be-
fore the planting of the crop. If the land
is to be planted in corn, let it be treated
TO lime the previous autumn, or its ap-
plication a year beforehand would be
still more beneficial.
2. Quick lime should never be applied
al the same time with stable manure, as
its tendency Is to expel ammonia from
fermentIng and decomposing vegetable
substances. If necessary to apply both,
let as long space of time intervene as
possible between the applications. After
fermentation is over it will prove an ad-
vantage.
3. Soils that contain no lime, or an i'm
perceptiSle trace, require larger quantities
than those which already have lime in
them. A test can be readily made by any
farmer in this way: Take specimen of
the soil by driving tube an inch across
and three inches long in the ground. Put
the contents of the tube in an oven and
thoroughly dry and pulYerize. After this
pour in muriatic acid; if fermentation be-
gins there IS probably a suficiency of
lime in the soil The quantity may be
ascertained exactly by weighing one
hundred grains; putting it into q
half-pint of water mixed with a half wine
glass full of muriatiC acid. Stir occasion
ally and let it stand for twenty-four hours.
Then pour off the clear liquor and ill the
vessel with clear water (cIsteTn water, }
when it becomes clear, pour off again.
Take the contents of the vessel, dry and
weigh. The loss of weight will generally
be about one per cent more than the lime
present.
Now we know that some lime is indis-
pensable to the fertility of the soil. This
fact has been made manifest by inumer-
able experiments as well as by q consider
alton of these soils that have the least
quantity of lime. Sandy soils, clayey
soils, feldspar soils, when lime is absent
are always poor, and upon such as these
the effects of lime are most visible. The
amount of organic matter in the soil also
regulates the quantity of lime that should
be applied. Where the proportion eX-
ceeds 10 per cent 100 bushels to the acre
would not be too much for the reduction
Of the organic matter. If the soil possesses
a high degree of acidity and large
per centsge of humus lime must be
applied in q caustiC state until the acid is
neutralized and humate of lime formed.
Should the land, however, be swampy or
saturated with stagnant water, it should
be drained before any lime is applied.
The only condition in which lime
should be applied is in the state of fine
powder well spread or sown, and init
mstely mixed with the soil OF course
we have no reference to mari, or partial
" disintegrated shells; we are speaking
Of csustic lime or hydrate of lime before
it has by the absorption of carbonic acid
lost its Csusticity.
The best, most economical, and surest
means of ascertaining the quantity that
should be applied is for each farmer to
make experiments on small scale. Sc
much depends upon the nature and cha
racter of the soil, the time of application,
the nature of the crop, depth to which
the lime is buried, ETC., ETC., that no rule
can be given as to quantity. From TWEEN,
ty 10 seven hundred bushels have been
used with fine effect. We should advise
9 small quantity at first gradually increased
each year until the maximum results are
obtained. In Maryland it is said not to
be beneficial 10 the smaller fruits, but eX-
celent for apple trees or peach trees. In
that State lining precedes wheat and a
crop of clover succeeds, the clover and
lime mutually acting on each other tc
increase the fertility of the soil. We
hope our correspondent viii experiment
With lime by beginning with thirty bush
els to the acre aud apply fifteen each year
thereafter until he sees deleterious results.
Our own experiments with it have been
altogether favorable, but on quite limit
cd scale.
The first was q few rods in the garden
where lime was applied at the rate of 100
bushels to the acre mixed with leached
ashes in the proportion of four bushels Of
lime to one OF ashes. The cabbage and
potatoes grown on that square have al
ways been superior, although ten years
have elapsed since the application.
The second was on tobacco land. The
same quantity of lime was applied but NJ
sshes. The tobacco grew larger anC
weighed heavier. The soil was clayey
and calcsrous formerly, hut most of TIT