Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-02-01
Ground Limestone.

the farmers of this county and
creating considerable discussion
When it is understood that between
three and four thousand tons OF
phosphate are used in this county
every year at cost Of not less than
one hundred thousand dollars, the
importance of the subject will
readily pe seen. The ground lime
stone costs about 50 a ton, while
bone costs over $40, and as bones
are getting scarcer every year. there
is no telling how high the price OF
unaduI,erated bone may be IN the
future. A substitute which would
do near as we'll and the supply OF
which at hand Is inexhaustible,
which would save about SSo.OVO
a year to tile farmers OF the county,
is a matter well worth every effort
to obtain.
We Lave spoken 10 many lar
mers upon the subject and find
that it is agiiating their minds.
One miller in the county has al
ready eng ged regularly In the
business Of grinding the limestone
add Others, il there is any encour-
agemeni. will embark in the buSl-
ness. a farmer from the neighbor
hood of Harrisburg, Pa. remarked
that il had been used near him
year or two with very satisfactory
results. In this county, mostly III
the Beyer Creek district. q number
of farmers tried 1t at the seeding
last fall. o. course it IS as yet too
early 10 form an opinion OF any
value. but the experiment Will be
watched with the most lively IN
terest. When it was said during
the tall by the believers in ground
limestone. that at that time the
wheat 10 which it had been applied
looked as we'll as the wheat in the
same field which had been sowed
with lone phosphate, the bone
dealers said the tall had been so
dry the phOspnates had no chance
to WORK. They went on to pro-
phesy that as soon as the Ialns
came the phosphate wheat would
90 ahead. We canuOt say whether
this prophecy has been fulfilled,
but a suort time ago 1lr. Daniel
Ruch, OF the Beaver Creek district,
assured US that the best wheat he
had Was that he had sOwed with
the limestone, and he had used
several kinds OF bone phosphates.
He v as satisfied that the limestone
is good fertilizer, from the TACT
that at The ends OF the rows where
the drill turned and a double guam
tity OF The ground stone was SOW
ed, he wheat was much more rank
than IN DINER places. Mr.. Elias
Young, an intelligent and observant
tanner Of tie Funkstown district,
remarked in the MAIL office some
DAYS since that lie had sOwed some
wheal with the ground stone, some
wi. b phosphate and some with no
fertilizer at all, and that he could
zee no difference in any of them
TIE " heat sowed with no fertilizer
looks az we'll as either OF the others.
Nothing can be decided definitely
until harvest, and then the ques-
lion should be decided. We nope
cur farmers will watch closely the
results Of all the experiments that
have been tried, and then they will
be better prepared TO act when they
90 10 seed their next crop.
Ground limestone Is the "car-
bouale vi iiaIe," which is absolutely
necessary as plant TODD, Tor it Ii
iound IN The ashes OF all plants
While 1t 10 insoIuble in pure wafer
n is held In sc. luton by the carb0nlC
acid winch occurs III rain watei
and all natural waters. IbuS II
that all the streams IN our section
are heavily charged with the Carlo
nate vi lime, rendering the water;
very 'nard."-When the waieI
gels u, changed tue lime is Preclpl-
lated, forming, Tor instance, the
Leauuful stalactites and SsaIdgmlte'
in the Luray Caverns- While It II
true that wafer will hold but
small quantity OF this IA" lime
one ID solution, II must be lemem
bered that ton OF water viii onl.
dissolve between two aud tbre
pounds OF burnt lime, Lime II
this .orm also enters largely luz
the composition OF the bones Q
aulnas. Ii IS also interesting t
know that TIE vast Quantities pour
ed inlo the oceans by the river
GOES 10 form the shells of all tn
nous which inhablt the deep
Mar, winch has for centuries bee
used as fertilizer, IS nothing moi
than decomposed or partially de
composed shells, and IS therefor
ike raw limestone, carbonate
lime.
Burnt lime, the oxide Of lime
no; u ierullzer and does not entt
INTO tue composition OF plants. IL
action on the soil IS entirely cheml
cal. Ii decomposes the segetabl
m tier IN the soil, rendering Gle
o,s .cnve which before wer