The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1895-10-24
GRASS CROPS ON LIGHT SOILS.
The Secret of a Good Catch of Grass Seed
Effect of Air Slaked Lime.

From numerous complaints about
poor grass crops on light soils, even
when we'll MANFRED and with a fair
amount of moisture, it seems that the
trouble III many eases is due to failure
III getting good catch of grass seed
Now, on the Rhode Island experiment
station farm the management have
been contendng with just this same
difficulty for several years. The land is
sandy loan, underlaid by stratum Of
yellow loan two or three feet in thick
ness. which III turn is underlaid by por-
Gus gravel Of unknown depth, the per
manent water table being about Is feet
below the surface. This land was III
thoroughly exhausted condition when
purchased Liberal amounts Of chem
icals and fertilizers, ordinarily purehas
ed as sources Of plant food, have been
used experimeutally ON portions Of this
plain but without success so far rs the
securing of stand Of grass or clover
was concerned.
Not until an application of air slaked
lime was made has success been attain
ed, and repeated experiment has shown
that the presence or absence of air slak-
ed lime accounts for the success or fail
ure on this particular farm. Director
Flagg, III accounting for this in The
New England Homestead, says: There
appears TO be, and repeated experiment
has pretty we'll demonstrated the fact
an acid condition of the soil sufficient to
prevent the growth of ou1 ordinary
grasses and clover in their infancy. Seed
terminates well, but after developing
two or three leaves the plant turns
yellow and soon dies. Where the fields
have been treated to an application of
from one to three tons per acre of com
mon air slaked lime thoroughly worked
into freshly plowed fields before seed
ing, clover and herds grass present an
entirely different appearance and yield
heavy crops.
BY the use of liberal quantity of
unleached wood ashes the same purpose
may be accomplished, as wood ashes con-
tain large per cent of carbonate Of
lime, but if, as in many instances, the
beneficial effect of wood ashes is due TO
the carbonate Of lime rather than to the
potash in promoting the growth of clo
yer, one can accomplish the same results
more economically by purchasing and
applying air slaked lime.
The effect of the air slaked lime may
be twofold /. AS chemical agent in
correcting any excessive acid condition
of the soil 2. A mechanical effect by
f1occulating the finer particles of the
soil making it more retentive of mois-
ture. Professor Fiagg suggests that
farmers try u dressing Of air elaked lime
III connection with good grass fertilizer
upon portion of such fields when seed
ing again to grass, whether clover or
herd S grass. OF course lime of itself is
insufficient to produce good crops suf
ficient amount of potash, phosphoric acid
and nitrogen should be added to produce
an average crop of hay. Less nitrogen
may be used if the field is sown entirely
to clover than if sown to red top and
herd'S grass without clover, but if hay for
feeding cattle is wanted it is advised to
grow one on two crops Of clover, on nc
count Of its value rs "a renovating agent
in sandy and grayelly soils.