Middletown transcript., 1896-01-25
LIME-FARM MANuREs.
when Lime May Be Advantageously 4
plied-lfanurinr Grass Tans1s.

when Lime May Be Advantsgeously Ap
p1ied-Manuring Grass Lands.
Lime may be applied advantageous,
on grass land in the fall, or on whea
land after it is plowed and before it il
4 fully fitted. If the land is already full
/ of vegetable matter, it is probable tha
the lime will do great good. Forty
bushels was considered a fair dressing il
former years, but now 10 to 30 bushels
per acre is considered the most econom.
ical application. Buy stone or unslaked
lime, place it in small piles Of about
five bushels each at regular intervals
over the field, and cover slightly with
earth, allowing the rain and the mois-
ture which rises from below to slake it.
# it is applied to the wheat land, and
there is not enough moisture, then wa
ter may be drawn and poured upon the
heaps. Immediately after this is done,
cover lightly with earth, SO that the air
may not SO easily get to the lime. Spread
broadcast from sled or stone boat If
no convenient machine is at hand, ad-
vises Country Gentleman, authority also
for the following:
A good practice is to manure during
the winter on grass land intended for
corn the following spring. Five to ten
tons OF good manure evenly spread over
the ground would be the most econom-
ical dressing. Usually farm manures are
spread poorly and too thickly. The corn
to be followed with oats, without any
fertilizers or manures. Oat stubbles to be
pfowed and treated to the same quantity
OF manure as the corn ground before har-
rowing. It is usually economy to add
some mineral matter in the shape Of
commercial fertilizers. It is seldom
necessary to add nitrogen. Color and
growth of the plant should indicate very
accurately whether there is deficiency
Of nitrogen or not in the soil
Professor Comstock says that there is
no evidence that manuring grass lands
tends to multiply grasshoppers. Their
eggs are SO thoroughly protected that
they seldom fail to hatch, but If the
weather is cold and rainy when the
grasshoppers are young vast numbers of
them are destroyed. A short rotation is
likely to prevent them from multiply
ing. 1t may be just possible that heavy
manuring retards the Matching of the
eggs, and SO the young grasshoppers ap-
pear late III the season, when it is like |
ly to be dryer and warmer, than at an
earlier period
The lime and manure should be put |
ON simultaneously-that is, if lime is |
found to be very beneficial light light dress
ing might be applied with every dress
ing of manure. Only by experimenting
can it be determined how often lining |
will be profitable. The chances are that |
ten bushels per acre, applied with about
an equal number of loads of manure ey-
cry other year, would produce very satis-
factory results, or the lining might be
only once in the course-that is, every
four or five years. Lime, strictly speak
Ing, is not o manure. tt is almost al
ways beneficial on both clay and sandy
lands, but whether the benefit will equal
5he cost can only be determined by trial.
It usually acts very energetically on
leavy lands full of vegetable matter,
making them more friable and setting
rec large quantities of plant food,
which before tho application were dor
nant