The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1899-04-05
LIME As A FERTILIZER.
MANY FARMERS OF THE STATE
ARE USING 1T THIS YEAR.
Ita Value in Improving and RenOyastng
WOrn-Out land. Its Effects Lasts
Ing aud Permanent.

FItH Value in Improving and RenOvattng
WOrn-Out Land. Its Effects Lasts
Ing aud Permanent.
The truck farmers of Chatham county
and the state generally have put into
use this year fertilizing material which
has served to tighten and strengthen
soils for many centuries, and which has
been for years extensively employed in
ESome parts of this country, but which,
| for some reason, has never before fouuG
Favor Ia the eyes of the farmers of this
section. This new fertilizer is lime.
Maj. G. NJ. Ryals, who this year has
used large quantities of lime on bis
truck farm in this county and on his
peach orchards in Worth, has become
enthusiastic over the benefits he expects
villa accrue TO the coils from the appli-
cation of this new fertilizer, and yes
| terday gave a Morning News reporter
his views-Or some of them-on the
subiec'. Il have been familiar with the
use of lime as fertilizer since my early
boyhOod, !" said Major Ryals, "tas among
the farmers of my native state, Virginia,
| it is nSidered indispensable. Those
living ON the coast 0ura the lime from
oyster shells, while the inhabitants of
the inland country bura the limestone
rock that is there found in great abun-
dance. The prevailing soil in that state
is Of clay formation. and the use of
some material that will tighten the
l. ~
die ia essential to Successful Agricul
ture. This func:ioa lime admirably
performs, and it is bat one of its good
qualities.
LAS is we'll known, lime has the prop
erty of neutralizing acids, and on ae~
count of this property it is frequently
| used in correcting the acidity OF what
are termed sour soils, which contain
large amounts of vegetable matter, and
which owe their acidity to the presence
Of certain organic acids. Soils of this
character frequently yield a profuse veg
eta BILE growth, and the crop has ten
dency to run to weed, as it IS termed,
while at the same time a failure to fruit
we'll is noticed. Applications of lime to
such soils reno We the sourness, at least
10 part, check the rank growth and i'm
prove the fIuiting capacity of the plant.
"Lime is the most important mineral
constituent of plants, the ashes of plants
being composed principally of calcium
carbonate. With the growth Of plant
life these structural elements are re-
moved frou. the soil and must be re-
placed in some manner, it the yield Is
expected to be uniform. The applca-
ton of lime replaces in the soil the ee-
ments that are removed from it by the
growth of vegetation, aud no other ter>
tilizing material has been found that will
take it's place or induce such marked and
permanent improvement. The benefit
derived from the use of lime is not tenn
porary only, but is continuous, aud vne
application in five years will generally
suffice.
zone great advantage of the ase Of
lime is its chemical activity, by which
other fertiliziug elements, present in
the soil in AN inactive condition, are
rendered soluble and fitted for the pro-
duction of plant growth. Il also sn-
proves the physical condition Of the
soil, rendering it more porous and in