The Indianapolis journal., 1899-10-15
Lime and PhOsphates.

RECORD.
The advantages of lime on grass lands
have been known for over century, but
many facts connected with the use of lime
have been mysterious. 1t has been well
understood by farmers that lime benefits
all kinds of soils. both mechanically and
chemically, but it is not accepted by in
yestigators that lime is food for plants.
The experiment stations have engaged in
tie work OF solving some of the problems
connected with the use of lime on soils,
the Rhode Island station having been en-
years, issuing several valuable bulletins on
the use of lime In the growing of nearly
all kinds of crops and particular attention
mas been given the study or the action or
various phosphate manures upon lined
and unlimed land. Farmers have heretofore
supposed that as phosphate OF lime con-
tained lime there was no necessity for the
use of air-slaked lime, but ii is now known
and demonstrated that instead of lime being
detrimental on land upon which superphos-
phate phosphate had been applied Thy
causing ''reversion'' of the free phosphoric
acid) IL increased the yields of corn, fodder,
oats and hay, the increased yield of hay
being very large. Not only does lime prove
OF advantage on land upon which acid phos-
phate was applied. but it also increases the
yields OF crops on land that received no
phosphate at all, though the increase is
larger on land that received both phosphate
and lime. the gain by lining the land being
in some cases over 100 per cent, which is
remarkable.
Lime does not aid undissolved phosphate
1t Is when dissolved bone. dissolved bone>
piled that the excellent results are obtained
doubtless due to the fact that lime combined
with phosphoric acid tends eventually TO
lessen the sourness of the soil. which Is not
usually the case when much of Ii has been
changed TO land plaster (sulphate of lime)
by the action of the sulphuric acid in the
process of making il into superphosphate
The use OF phosphate is more general
among farmers than the use or potash or
nitrogen. and any method that will increase
the benefit TO be derived from phosphate
will no doubt be readily adopted. The effect
OF lime upon the soil that has received
superphosphate well demonstrates that IL Is
cheaper to use acidulated bone or phosphate
rock than 10 buy the apparently cheaper
have objected TO buying acidulated phos-
pilates on account of the higher prices for
the prepared article. but when there is an
increased yield that is 80 large as TO be out
OF proportion TO the difference IN cost there
will be a preference for phosphates that
have undergone the calculating process
What is known as "superphosphate" Is
phosphate rock or bone that has been treat
ed with sulphUric acid, which converts the
lime of the phosphate into sulphate of lime
and liberates the phosphoric acid by forcing
IL from its combination with lime existing
in the form OF phosphate.
Experiments at the Rhode Island ex-
pertinent station show that the net gain
i'm four years from the use OF one ton OF
lime applied I'm 1894. the four years being
1896 10 1899 inclusive, were as follows:
Dissolved boneblack, $4o.5s; dissolved bone.
1884: dissolved phosphate rock, 1852, fine
ground bone, l.26; basic Stag meal. $2aos;
floats, s40.33; aiumina phosphate rawl,
ss7.36; alumina phosphate dgnited). s62. .5
no phosphoric acid. s55.si; double super
phosphate, $5579; average net gain Si5.10.
The lowest gain on the lined soil was s27.0e,
from the basic Stag meal. which itself con-
tains large proportion of lime. far exceed
ing that of any other OF the phosphates,
hence Il Is not benefited by lime. but nearly
doubled the crop on the unlimed land. The