The Bossier banner., 1885-11-19
LIME AND SOIL.
The Mechanical Effects of Lime Upou
Clay or Fine AIluviaI Soils.


Clay or Fine AIIuviaI Soils.
As rule men are given too much tc
superficial reasoning and thinking.
Few take time to study any subject en-
haustively. The question of the agri
cultural value of lime, for instance. has
been specifically studied until many
farmers who have gwen attention to il
have some general ideas about it. but
very insufficient knowledge to found
good practice upon. Agriculture is d
complicated science, and is full OF cues.
tions 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 oI
the most variously effective of fertilizers,
and should therefore be studied
from many points of view We
have at times regarded it as 4
direct plant food and as a 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 It'd
mechanical action upon soils, both
sandy, fine alluvial and clay. Now we
are too much exercised about the chem.
istry of soils. Farmers who read 50
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 soilin
sufficient quantity its effect is to I'LL up
the vacancies or interstices in such
soil and to make it more adherent, more
retentive of moisture, and consequently
less receptive of heat during the day
and more retentive 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 alluvial
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. u
an owner of such soil will test this
effect. he viii 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 test tuoes
or long. narrow bottle,-an argand
lamp chimney closed at one end makes
a good tube for this purpose and thea
drop into the clouded. muddy water
which remains upon settling small
quantity of fine ajr-slacked, fresh llmei
he Will ind that the small suspenaeu
particles of soil coagulate into fakes
and cohere into masses which quickly
sink to the bottom, leaving the water
clear. This same effect happens in tbe
soil of field which has been dressed
with lime, and the result is that thesoH
is opened. made more porous aud ms
bic. If he takes some of the fine soIl.
mixes it with fine air-slacked lime, ana
leaves it to dry, he will find that it WI
fall apart quite easily. while another
sample will become harder and moIs
coherent as it dries, until it remains %
intractable cIod
To realize how useful this effect y
upon the soil is very easy. 1t is gen
eral complaint that it is difficult to piow
clay or fine alluvial soils in afy
weather. An application Of lime y
these soils greatly ameliorates these o..
jeetionable conditions and renders tnss
tillage much easier. It is thus seen nov
tillage is greatly helped by the admlx
ture of lime to all kinds of soils, slmPy
by its mechanical effect ~ I 1sAsss'