Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-11-05
LIVE As A REkrILrzER.

LIME AS A FERTILIZER.
Farmers often fail to appreciate the
value of lime as fertilizer. The best
lands In Tennessee and Kentucky arc
distinguished for their abundance of
lime rock, and their strong, dark
colored calcareous soils that seem to
be the outgrowth of these ocean-formed
rocks, which abound IN organic re-
mains. Prof. Cook, State Geologist of
New Jersey, made the following inter-
esting statements In recent public
lecture at Newton in that State:
Within the past year have had &C.
casion to examine all the soils of the
State-some of them here on the slate,
some on the limestone, some of our red
shales down in the central part of the
State, some on the marls, and some in
the southern part of the State. And
everywhere, where there is a soil which
has a moderate amount of lime in it,
there is a soil which is good now, and
which is capable Of easy improvement;
and on the contrary, in the few cases
where there is a soil without any lime
In it, there you viii find soil without
anything growing on it whatever. And
where there is the most lime init, there
the soil is most productive, and seems
indeed almost inexhaustible. They
raise crops year after year, and light
as the soil appears, it does not fail.
The lime is there, and in some way or
other it seems to keep up the fertility
of the soil They raise good corn and
fair crops of wheel, and good crops of
clover, and anything they choose to
cultivate, and they raise it In the easiest
way imaginable. 1t is found in all
cases that if lime is thrown on the
ground-fne slack hme-that the
grass Immediately begins to grow, and
that it grows thicker In the bottom as
well. This happens almost every
where.
Our own observation, which goes
back half century, and has extended
over a number of States, both North
and South, comedies with that of Prof
Cook. Thirty years ago the writer, as
chairman of the Committee on Agri-
culture, drew up a bill in the New York
Legislature which became a law, re-
curing all farmers to return in every
State census the number Of acres cul-
tivated in their several crops, and the
yield of each per acre. The first Gen.
sus taken under this law was in 1916,
and showed that wheat raised on lime
stone land averaged nearly 20 bushels
per acre; while IN some counties, on
poor, non-calcareous soils, the average
was only five bushels per acre.
The true cause of this difference of
four to one in natural fertility de-
serves our most serious investigation.
The Romans used mari to fertilize
wheat fields in Italy, Spain, France
and England nearly, or quite, two
thousand years ago; and hundreds of
thousands of tons are now annually
employed as the cheapest natural plant
food. Successful experience has sus-
tanned the free use Of lime and mari as
manure, or fertilizing material, for 2l5
centuries. Like all other good things
lime, land-plaster, common salt and
guano, may be perverted to an injuri-
Gus purpose, or an evil result. The
misuse of fire is no sound
argument against its legitimate
use. Hot lime may do harm.
How far burnt lime, unburnt mari, and
the several salts of lime, of which the
nitrate from numerous caves, the sui
phate as plaster, and the phosphate as
bones, fossil or recent, may be profta-
bly, employed by common farmers are
questions Of fact to be determined by
experiments.
We need experimental farms to set
tie questions of this kind. There is a
world of lime in Tennessee and Ala
bama, but few feel safe in handling it
for agricultural purposes yet, if the
farmers of these States would contrib
ute dime apiece to test the value of
lime as a fertilizer, and extend the
growth of clover, bluegrass, wheat,
timothy and cotton, great good would
result.
If the agricultural practice and ex-
perience of our own forefathers are not
worth anything, running back through
sixty generations, then lime deserves
far more attention than Southern farm
ers are giving it. Burnt from oyster
shells, it is sold in the city of Wash
ington at six cents bushel fresh from
the kiln. Mr. Patterson, of Maryland,
expended fifty thousand dollars for
lime put on his large estate, and told
the writer he had made a good invest
ment. Unslaked lime cost him twenty
five cents bushel, although some was
purchased at twenty cents a bushel.
He generally applied about two hun
dred bushels to the acre. Mr.. J. S.
Goe, of Fayette county, Pa, gives the
following directions for using lime,
which deserve attention,
In answer to the questions of R. G.
7. about lime, page 6l3, he will find
air-slaked lime of great benefit to his
land; its action is slower, yet more last
ing than stable manure. Over 25 wears
ago, / commenced to improve a badly
rundown farm. burned and used
many thousands of bushels, using from
so to 500 bushels per acre-the latter
quantity on such parts as appeared to
be entirely worn out. AT this time
some of these places are now the most
productive. He should always apply
the lime to the surface after seeding to
grass, where grass will grow. 1t is
better to apply it two or three years
after seeding. He ought never TO pillow