The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-10-12
Farm and Garden
LIME AS A FERTILIZER FOR
CLOVER.

page Gil, makes an inquiry under the title
Of "Clover Running Out" and is looking
for reason why so many farmers in appar-
emily fertile regions fail to secure as good
stand of clover as formerly. AS intimated
in the reply, this is a serious question OF
great Importance to many farmers, ques-
ton. upon which we have very little infor
nation at the present time. Clover-growing
in the West is the keynote of successful
agriculture, and through its use the fields
are kept in a condition of fertility that
enables them to produce the many crops of
the farm-wheat, corn, &c. In New Eng
land, clover-growing has been neglected
for many years, and one sees comparatively
| few fields of clover in ride through the
southern New England States at least One
reason for this is perhaps the fact that
many farmers sell loose hay in the markets,
and any large quantity of clover with
timothy Injuries the sale, as most of the hay
sold is used for feeding city Or town horses,
and clover is objected to. For this reason
some farmers SOW no clover seed whatever
Another reason, and perhaps the chief
one, is the fact that clover seeding often
fails to catch and produce good crop
Failure is so often the rule that farmers
have gotten out of the way of sowing any
clover at all--herd's grass (timothy) and
red top being the principal grasses sown
This is to be greatly regretted, since OF late
years we have learned that the clovcrs and
other leguminous plants secure their
nitrogen mainly from the atmosphere and
therefore serve as an important agent in
enriching our soils. All leguminous plants
should he the protected helpers of every
farmer. since they are capable of lending
him such valuable aid. They are nitrogen
traps set at all times of the day and night
throughout the growing season to secure
the valuable element of nitrogen which is
ever seeking to elude the farmers grasp.
The question, then, of how to secure II
stand OF clover becomes of greet iunl ort
ance. In the experimental Mor, at thi>
station, the u>r Of Sulphate of "In.u"ni.
was found to produce an i'll Eject upon
! Indian corn, and it was presumed Tat tnr
reason of this was inadequate nittl,ication
! in the soil. Casting aholt for Il way out
of the difficulty, our chemist SUE, >tcd the
use of air-slackcd lime. An application Of
about three tons per acre was made upon
some small plats with the best results.
Where. before the application of tn" lime,
an increased quantity of sulphate OF
ammonia had produced a decreased crop,
aft the application the crop was almost
in direct ratio to the quantity "T SUI phatc
of ammonia applied. Later, oats and
clover were sown on the same llatS, to Il
portion of which lime had not bccnapplied
as check, by which TO watch its effect,
and it was found that the oat crop WAS 4
success on the lA1l that had been lilacd
and practice llya failure oa the un!ilncd
portion Clover seeding was a total failure,
hardly Il plant being found upon the un-
lined portion, while the lined POI
ton produced an excellent stand which,
las given two good crops this season.
Tins comparison Of the Use q. fertilizer
niIh lined and uniucd pIu;> has bees
repeated in several experiments with nfa,l,
all our cultivated crops, and We have found
is sandy loan undcll,il by gravel and
pretty thoroughly exhausted of its fertility
it is Impossible to get a catch of clover
without applying from one to three tons
OF air-slackcd lime. Such are very briefly
the facts. Now as to the reason for such q
condition We have found certain Other
fail to make any growth by the use Of
chemicals without line but the addition
of the air-slacked lime produces an excel
lent crop. Some experiments this season.
wherein sulphatc of lime has been used il
com garrison with carbonate Of lime air.
Stacked to determine whether the lime
seem to indicate that it is the action Of the
lime as a chemical agent in neutralizng al
acid condition of the soil which gives the
effect desired. Other experiments point il
the same direction. Tests .! the soil witt
litmus paper indicate considerable acidity,
and we nave reached the conclusion that
this acid condition of the soil is exceedingly
antagonistic to the young clover plants
Your correspondent states, what | have
heard intimated before, that ''before the
days OF fertilizers it Glover was the
principal hay crop" now is it not fact tha
the use of chemicals tends to increase the
acid condition of the soil through the
removal of the plant foods, potash, phos-
phoric acid and nitrogen, and these acids
with which those elements are combined
remain behind in the soil to aggravate tn,
already slightly acid condition? Whcr,
large quantities of stable manures are usct
there is little difficulty i'll growing clover,
so far as we have learned On the Expert
ment Station farm we have used from ont
to three tons of air Stacked lime per acre
This is applied upon the surface after pillow
ing and thoroughly worked into the sol
by repeated borrowings as it is importan
| IL. -. ,.nl L. Ia,