The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-02-26
HOUSEHOLD AMI tNhM.
About Limestone and Lime AS Fertilizers.

About Limestone and Lime AS Fertilizers.
No single topic has recently brought So
many queries This Is due to the extrnordi-
nary claims Of parties selling ground Lime
stone, or making machinery tor grihulnS H.
Limestone is a most widely distributed "''h'
eral one of its purest forms being known Us
marble, and is found almost all over the coun'
,ry of various qualities and degrees of purity.
1t is a Carbonate of Lime that is, Lime com.
bIned with Carbonic Acid. If fragment OF
Limestone is placed in n glass OF water. ana II
little strong acid added, the Carbonic Acio Is
set free and we see 1t pass OIL rs DuppIcs IT'S
ing through the water Limestone IS 50
sligbtly dissolved by water that it is ,as'eess,
1t takes !, 600 parts of water to dissolve one
part of Limestone. Water, in which there Is
much Carbonlc Acid. dissolvcS Ii conslderaDc
amount of Carbonate of Lime. II small
niece of Limestone be kept at Il red heat for
some hours, it will be only about hall as
heavy as the original stone. What has il cost
IN the burning? If tested with acid rs be-
fore, no bub les of gas will be given OIL The
heat has driven out all the CarDOnic Acid 1t
is no longer a Carbonate of Lime, but simply
Lime tan oxide of the metal Calcium, or Cat
clc Oxide, as the chemists have ~ Lime
stone burned IN kllns produces Lime, olteh
called Quick lime. IT lump OF freshly
burned Lime have water gradually put upon
il. il soon becomes hot, and in HUE WINE
it swells ap, cracks and falls into very whi'e
powder; though much water has been auaed
the powder Is quite dry. The water has united
with the Lime, making solid, Caustic or
Slaked Lime Lime exposed takes up moist.
urc from the air, and we have Ar.slakcd
Lime. Slaked Lime with enough water forms
whltewash, or MIX of Lime On standing,
tine greater part of the Lame will settle, leav-
ing clear Llmc-wa,cr-a saturated solulloh ~
Lime; that is, the water has taken hp all IL
can olssolve, for at ordinary temperature II
requires 700 parts of wafer to dissolve one part
of Ouick.lme If clear Llmc-watcr be placed
in u glass and with straw or pipe.s'em inc
breath forced into it, the Llmc-water VIII
soon become cloudy, and then milky Nc'
the glass aside, and a fine powder VIII scttIc
at the bottom, leaving the water clear above
The breath contains CarbOnic Acid; TINS
when forced into the Limc-watcr, uEitcs with
the Lime, forming Carbonate, the same as I'M
burned Limestone which, beng little soluble
separates as q white powder Ii we continue
to breath INTO the Lime-water after 1t has DC
come milky. 1t VIII soon become perfectly
clear rs at the start. The continued breath
inr supplles more Carh0nic Acid than Is
needed to convert the Lime into an insouhI'
carbonate; the excess of Carbonc Acid in the
water rcdissoived the Carbonate. Heating
This solution drives off the excess ot Carbon!'
Acid. and the Carbonate of Lime will be dc
posted again. Carbonc Acid Is always pres
ent in the atmosphere, and when Slaked Lime
is long exposed, it takes up this Acid ane
slowly becomes Carbonate Of Lime.
WHY We USE QUICK.LlME UPON THE LAND.
All cultivated plants contain Lame in theil
ashes. and it Is considered necessary to thcli
proper growth. But as soils generally contain
~ tN1Nti for
upon the soil Lime acts upon and greatly
aids the decomposition Of organic matter II
soil. 1t Is thought to neutraiac the organic
acids contained i'll what are called "soul
soils" In "a complicated manner it aids II
the fixing Of Ammonia. II also acts upon thu
inorganic or mineral constituents o, the sou
and aids in converting them into forms II
which they can lie taken up Ivy the plants
especially in libcra.ing Polish from its com
bIpations. The effect Of Lame upon in
0.rchanicaE condition OF the soil is m lmpor
tant feature. Upon heavy clay soils itS eittc
is most marked; the particles lose their adht
svencss, and allow air and water to enter
These are the leading effects that follow th
use of Lime. In view of the claims mad
for ground, unburnt Limestone it Is an I'M
portant question how far it can produce III
above effects. That the unburncd Llmcston
will supply the demands o.! the plant FOR Lime
that it may slowly neutralizc organic acid.
and help the mechanical texture oil the sol
seems very probable But that 1t Will perform
one Of the most important offices, the decon!
position of organic matter in the soil, and cor
vert that INTO plant food, seems improbable
because the ability of Lime to 40 tins depend
in a great measure upon It's avldity Tor Cal
bonic Acid while Limestone being already
carbonate, has no need Of more. That Lime
stone cannot produce all the effects OF Lime l
shown by the well known fact that soils under
LAID by Limestone, and naturally containing
large proportion of finely divided Carhonat
of Lime, are rs much benefited by tie use {
Quick lime as are soils deficient in Limestone
The advertisements of ground Limestone, tia
we have seen, make great use OF the eApcr
mentS Of one person in pennsylvania, Wh
states that his yield Of wheat treated wit
ground Limestone, was more than uouni
that to which stacked Lime had been applie'
He also claims to have found it muc
cheaper fertilizer than Lime or Bone DuS
and more profitable than Guanoo or Supcrpho
phatc These statements have been sent b
several who ask our opinion. Our "opinlou
Is, we do not accept ~ final the results Of an
one experimenter when they are in direct 81
position to tie accumulated evidence Of tho>
whose practice runs through many years, |
nothing more easily than II agricultural g,
pcrimcntS can an effect be ascriOcd 10 I'll
wrong cause, and when We see the fertili2in
value of ground Limestone placed above CT
sno or Supcrphosphate, we do not accept it.
.fhfrirra AgrtruItariM fOr ftb |.
Sorghum Sugar and Congress.
Whatever else may be sand Of Mons. lie Du
uavos's head nf The agricultural hurpail |