The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-10-24
LIME AND SOIL.
The Mechanical Effects of Lime Upon
Clay Fine AIluviaI Soils.

Clay Fine AIluviaI Soils.
As rule men are given too much to
superficial reasoning and thinking.
Few take time to study any subject ex-
haustively. The question of the agri-
cultural value of lime, for instance. has
been specifically studied until many
farmers who have given attention to it
have some general ideas about it. but a
very insufficient knowledge to found
good practice upon, Agriculture is a
complicated science and is full OF cues
tons which need to be studied from the
fundamental point of the principles in
volved in them, so that the principles
being understood good practice can be
based upon them This is especially true
as regards lime, which is really one of
the most variously effective of fertilizers,
and should therefore be studied
from many points of view We
have at times regarded it as a
direct plant food and as chemical
agent, acting upon organic matter in the
soil and again as affecting the mineral
elements of the soil. One more point
should not be ignored, and this is its
mechanical action upon soils. both
sandy, fine alluyial and clay. Now we
are too much exercised about the chem
istry of soils. Farmers who read so
much about the chemical constituents
of fertile soil are led to believe that
If the requisite proportions of these
needed elements are there nothing more
is required to produce maximum crops.
But we are often disappointed in this
respect. Again, farmers are too apt
being misled by old proverbs to the
effect that lime exhausts the soil. to
think and believe that the farmer who
uses lime in regular rotation once every
five or six years is running his land and
using up the Inheritance Of his children.
This is because the lime is considered
only from a chemical point of view,
ignoring its value as direct plant food.
and not knowing or forgetting that its
mechanical effect is exceedingly valu-
able to crops.
A coarse, sandy soil is too light and
open. 1t is too porous and admits the
suns heat too readily, and thus fails
greatly in dry and hot summers. But
when lime is applied to such soil in
sufficient quantity its effect is to fill I'D
the vacancies or interstces in such a
soil and to make it more adherent, more
retentve of moisture. and consequently
less receptive of heat during the day
and more retcntiye of warmth at night.
These are most important advantages
which should not be overlooked or neg
lected by owners Of light sandy lands.
But the mechanical effect of lime
upon clay lands and those fine alluyial
soils which are so apt to pack and be-
come solid and hard, and especially
upon the alkaline soils of the plains and
Pacific coast, is yet more important. If
an owner of such soil will test this
effect, he will be surprised to see how
great change is made. Let him take
a small portion of such soil and agitate
it in deep glass vessel, as a test tube
or a long, narrow bottle,-an argand
lamp chimney closed at one end makes
a good tube for this purpose and then
drop into the clouded. muddy water
which remains upon settling a small
quantity of fine arslacked, fresh lime;
he will find that the small suspended
particles of soil coagulate into flakes
and cohere into masses which quickly
sink to the bottom, leaving the water
clear. This same effect happens in the
soil of field which has been dressed
with lime, and the result is that the soil
is opened, made more porous and fria-
bic. If he takes some of the fine soil,
mixes it with fine air-slacked lime, and
leaves it to dry, he will find that it will
tall apart quite easily. while another
sample will become harder and more
coherent as it dries, until it remains an
clod.
70 realize how useful this effect is
upon the soil is very easy 1t is a gen
eral complaint that it is difficult to plow
clay or fine aluvial soils in dry
weather. An application of lime to
.hese soils greatly ameliorates these OBJ
ectionable conditions and renders their
illage much easier. 1t is thus seen how
illage is greatly helped by the admix- |
ure of lime to all kinds OF soils, simply
~ its mechanical effect. ~ y Times.