The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1872-09-25
Lime as a Manure,

in fact, looked upon as manure as
farmers understand that term. and
some agricultur writers do not admit
it as properly classed among manures.
But if by the term manure wo mean
anything applied to the land to restore
the waste of growing crops, or to add
fertility thereto, then lime is certainly
a manure in the truest sense.
1t enters largely into the substance
of plants grown as crops. The ashes
of clover, potato, turnip aad carrot
stalks, the stalks and leaves of peas,
fax, hemp, tobacco, and the leaves,
wood and bark of most trees, consist of
from one-third to one-half of lime,
while the ashes of the straw and seed
of all our valuable grain crops contain
from 2 to 10 per cent. of it. Lime,
then, is largely carried off from our
fields by the continual removal of our
ordinary crops year after year, and
finally the soil becomes exhausted.
Net that it would be correct to say
that no lime is left in the soil, but
what is left is not in such a condition
as to become available as foods for
plants. 1t is seen constantly in prac-
tice that a soil filed with fragments of
limestone becomes in need of dress
ing of lime to restore its fertility, and
the reason becomes plain when remem-
Der that limestone is net lime, is not
soluble in water except to a very limit
| ed extent, while lime is more soluble.
When this inert limestone is burnt
into lime, and spread upon the land,
it becomes directly available, and
shows marked and immediate effect.
Therefore we see in practice that a
soil becomes rapidly deprived of lime
by the actions of crops in the same
way that it Is deprived of carbon,
nitrogen, potash, or Phosphoric acid,
and if all these substances are manures
lime is also a manure. To test this
theory ty practice it is only necessary
to observe the effects of dressing of
lime on the soil and the growing crops. |
It has long been known that leguminous
plants, as clover, peas, beans. lucern,
etc, will often die out and refuse to /
grow, although the soil has been heavi-
ly manfred with organic matter. as
vegetable animal remains. Under
such circumstances lime has been found 4
to enable them to grow. On soils ma
turally producing coarse, why grasses.
unfit for pasture. lime is known to bring
in a sweet, nutritious heritage, relished
by stock and when we remember
that one fourth part of the weight of
the skeleton of an animal is lime, it
will readily lie understood why the
natural wants and instincts of an ami
NAL induce it to choose that food in
which line is contained in greater
and why such pasture is
better fitted for it.
Indirectly, too, as well as in this d.
rect manner, lime has valuable office
to perform for the farmer. WI en-
lands are rich in vegetable matter it is
often the case that crops of oats,
wheat and other grains, by reason Of a
want of stiffness in the straw, are IN
able to retain their upright position,
the crop ''lodges," and the harvest is
lost to a great extent. Lime has long
been found a remedy for this weakness,
Of the straw, which is really occasion K
ID not so much by want Of lime as By
want Of silica; the plant cannot appro-
pirate enough of the substance to sup
by It's needs. The silica is soluble. z
Lime acts on the insoluble silica, and ,
'enders it able to enter the circulation t
If the pint and perform its office
Again, soils containing large portion
# vegetable matter, as swamp muck,
lecaying leaves or straw, which as yet
re not ready for use by the plants, are
brought up" instantly by lime. The
matter is acted upon
apidly by the lime, becomes more sol Y
Ible, enters into circulation with the
uices Of the plant, and furnishes ne
essary substance. LINE is a power I
ully destructive agent to animal and
egetable substance, and rapidly re- \
uces it to decomposition. On this e
ccount it should never be mixed with h
Their manures, unless at the moment
f applying them to the soil or imme-
lately after. Thus, in practice, it is
spread on field in which l
arm yard manure or green crop has
cen plowed under. narrowed in,
ther with the seeds or Immediately -
efore sowing it. As these operations cl
re generally performed in the latter o.
art of the summer, it is at this season N
lat lime is mostly used. p,
-==--- VI
Use of Charcoal. vi
The country rentlcmoD gus. At al