Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-11-05
FARM and HOUSEHOLD.
THE EFFECT OE LIME UPON SOIL.

The properties of lime with re
gard to farming are as follows
Heavy soil is rendered loose ant
mellow by it, and the properties o
most kinds of soil are so changed
physically, by the application o
lime as to become very conducive
to the growth of farm productions
Lime decompOses the particles Of
manure In the ground, and thus
favors their quicker absorption by
the roots of the cereals. 1t makes
the straw of the grain sitter, thus
preventing the lodging of stalks,
causes stouter growth, larger ears,
and more abundant kernels OF
probably better quality. Lime
keeps the ground tree from many
weeds, but, unfortunately, does not
destroy the so.called Canada
thistle.
The belief that light, sand soil Is
still more dried out by lime, or, as
some say, sis made too hot" Is ob.
solete and erroneous, and just the
contrary has been proved. BY the
application of lime, sandy soil re-
celves the very things which ii
needs. Light, sandy soil, in which
neither wheat, nor peas, nor clover
will grow, can be made to yield
quite satisfactory crops of the same
by the application of lime. Po-
tatoes raised on freshly lined sol
seldom get scurfy and unseemly.-
There are farms Of light, sandy
soil where lime has been applied
for the last fifty years, and where
they now intend to discontinue its
use, because the yields Of straw
and hay have become so consider.
able that there is no lack of stable
manure, and the crops generally
are all that can be reasonably
wished for.
Put sixty bushels of lime pei
acre on heavy soil, and forty bush
els on sandy soil the former, how
ever, needs it every ten to twelve
years, the latter every six to eight
years, since the power of limo Is
exhausted much quicker. This
would necessitate great expense,
indeed, where the price of lime is
high; but lime in large quantities
can be bought considerably cheap
er, and in regions where limestone
abounds 1t would be no bad specu'
lation for a number of farmers to
build kiln and burn their own
lime. The first expenditure in the
purchase of lime, it is true, would
perhaps exceed that for a CONNER
cial manure, but here we must take
into consideration that the effects
OF the latter do not extend much
beyond one crop at most, while the
effects of lime will hold out for a
number of years. In most lime.
kilns we see the refuse 60 to waste,
while, no doubt, it could be bought
for but a small consideration il the
farmers of the neighborhood would
only avail themselves Of the OPP
portunity.
Fresh burned lime is the best.
1t must be put on the field in small
heaps at about the distance taken
for heaps of manure; next, the
heaps must be well covered with
ground; after some days the dis
solving lime will bulge the cover
ing asunder, in which case the Gov
ering must be renewed. After the
lime has been reduced to powder,
it is then, without delay, spread
evenly over the surface, and i'm
mediately plowed under, but quite
shallow. In very loose soil the
cultivator will accomplish the same
purpose.
The heaps of lime, if not we'll
covered with earth, will be soaked
through by heavy rain; the lime
will thus be slaked, and after being
spread will turn into mortar,
which only after several years
will be of some benefit. Therefore
we should not shun the labor of
amply covering the hillocks Of lime.
1t is not advisable TO pillow under
barn.yard manure together with
lime.
BY the above we by no means
wish to make any one believe that
barn.yard manure is made dispens-
able by lime; this would be great
error, as any one who would try to
get along without stable manure
would not need to build many
barns for his crops. Poor farms,
where lime manuring without barn.
yard manure has been kept up, can
be seen in Virginia and Maryland.
There the tobacco leaves are get
ting smaller and smaller, and
poverty looks out of the huts of
the farmers. Barn-yard manure,
now as ever, remains the chief
factor in farming.-MiIloaukee |
Sentinel.
Profit In Vinegar.