Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-09-07
GROUND RAW LIMESTONE AS A FER.
TILlZER.
by COMMON SENSE.

The introduction of anything new is
properly attended with some difficulty.
The best farmers are like the best poll.
ticians--they are conservative in all
that is good and progressive in all that
is BETTER but they, of course, want
to know whether new thing is
better before they adopt it. In this
communication we wish TO give far.
mers Of this class some facts about
ground raw limestone, which show
that Tor some reason or other ii has, in
actual use, produced extraordinary re.
suits; and then to suggest the proba.
bic reason of its great efficiency as
fertilizer.
1t has been observed by many, both
in Europe and this country, that the
"scrapings' from streets of towns
where limestone is used for making
roads, when used for fertilizing ia
found very effective. Any farmer who
has lived along the line OF the National
road has observed that the side OF the
fields next to the road is the most pro-
duotive, owing to the dust from the
limestone road being blown on it and
incorporated with the soil. A farmer
in Virginia writes that the land along.
side of the turnpike from Staunton to
Winchester has been fertilized by the
dust from the road macadamized with
limestone.
1t has been asserted that but one
farmer in Pennsylvania has tested it
MI. Reed, OF Erie but the fact is hun.
dreds Of farmers in Western Pennsyl-
vania and Eastern Ohio have tested it,
and there is very remarkable uni
formity in the good results they re.
port. The claim that it is very much
more valuable than burned lime is no
longer a question that can be success.
fully disputed. The evidence in its
favor is overwhelming.
The facts being as stated, can they
be accounted for in satisfactory man.
ner2 We believe the reason is just as
plain as the facts. 1t is acknowledged
that rhinestone lands" are the best
farming lands in their original state.
In early times, all through the East
ern States, and as far West as Ohio,
Indiana and Kentucky, the limestone
lands produced the best crops. 1t is
very evident there was no burnt lime
in the original soil--nature had no lime
kilns at work, but ground up limestone
rocks by frost and rain, and made the
limestone lands in this natural way.
Now these lands are not as produc.
tive as they once were, and whyl
Evidently because the farmer has been
taking out with his crops something
out Of the ground faster than nature
can put it back again. What is it
which he has thus been taking outy
As the land was limestone land, il
must have been something contained
in raw limestone. Now what is there
in grain and all kinds of produce of
the soil that there is in raw limestone?
because this will show what was
taken out of the soil. The answer is
very plain Carbon. Raw ground lime.
stone contains i6 per cent. OF carbonic
acid and this is readily held in solu.
tion by water, and conveyed with the
sap into the plant from the roots OF
course, to do this the raw limestone
must be fine. Lumps of limestone con.
tain the carbonic acid the plant wants,
but il cannot get at il until the lime
stone is made into dust like that which
is blown on the fields from the Ma.
tional road. OF course, in burning the
limestone all the carbon is destroyed,
and the farmer loses 46 per cent. Of
"plant food"
1t has been asserted that plants only
get their carbonic acid from the at.
mosphere, but any one who has read
allow Crops Grow" can find abun.
dant evidence that plants get carbonic
acid from the ground more than from
the atmosphere. To say that plant
cannot get the carbon from the ground
which Is so essential to its life, but
must get il all from the atmosphere, is
a great deal like saying TO you and
me, "You need meat and bread TO
make you a strong and healthy man;
you may eat the meat, but you must
take the bread by absorption, on the
lirer pad system DO you not think
this would be pushing the liver pad
theory TO an extreme? And when
you are told that plant must get all
its carbonic acid through its leaves,
but can not get any from its roots
when nature has proyided IL 40 liber.