The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-06-17
Land Lime,

| BY land lime is mean ordinary burnt
! lime. 1t is usually bought in the Jumps
and distributed over the sell il small
heaps of from one to three bushels about
| forty feet apart each way. using about
| forty bushels per acre. The heaps are
| left until the lime IS thoroughly slack ID
! and rcducek TO fine powder, when It IS
! spread over the soil with a shovel.
| Sometimes the heaps are madc much
! larger. and covered with about three
! ircneS of moist earth. but the form er
plan is perhaps the most convenient.
| especially in spreading the Stacked lime.
! The value of line is too Well known
/ to need special mention here. Also,
mcst farmers who have used lime free
| ~ know that at times it fails to show
! any very considerable results. The ac-
! tion Of lime is two fold. 1t improves
! the mechanical cOnGaticn of the soil,
and also makes insol'Ihle plant food
! available. If q soil is too cold and wet,
! clays or heavy clay loam soils. lime viii
/ loosen the lanG so that the water may
! drain off and the sOoil become open &c
| air and sunshine. Soils too loose, .uch
/ as light sands or light sandy loans, are
conpacted by the use Of lime, and held
/ water better. AS Il general rulH, "cry
/ 1Ccse or very met soils, except in 'ater
hcllows. are always improved by lime
/ aprlications, This might be called the
mechanical action oil lime, and is slite
/ separate and distinct from the action of
lime in making plant food available.
Lime in itself is not generally regard
cd as a plant food. IT acts, however. on
! the vegetable matter in the socil, llast-
ening its decay. ant thus Hb2rating SUCH
nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid as
may be contained in same, and III {, more
or less soluble form. 1t also has more
or less action upon insoiuble mineral
plant food in the SOL PARTICLES, usually
only potash and phosphOric acid rlaFnS
them available to the uses of growing
plants. In fact, lime has rather mark
ed action in this way, and commonly
libcrates more IMMORAL plant food than
the crop can take up-oftcn many times
as much. This plant food is very alt
to Ee carried off by seepage or drainage,
thus causing great loss to the sooil
When lime improves a soil Mechanic
ally, but still fails 10 materially increase
! the crop, it is sure sign OF n Soll SO
depleted of plant food that fertill ;crs
or manure of some kind are necessity
This shortage is most apt to be con-
fined to potash and phOsphate>. \ SOIL
we'll worked out of vegetable matt"f Is
! roor in nitrogen, but may stIll "CAtiilh
large quantities of potash and phoS-
phor;s acid Lime viii rapidly ut down
! the quantities OF these made a|aliaDlC
! each wear Therefore, whore crops fall
though even lime is used, we are sure
that potash and phosphate manufln3
arc needed The average crop takes
, from the soil more than tWII" as lhuch
potash as phosphoric acid, and manlr'nI
with fertilizers or chemicals must be gov
crned accordingly. In many cases
simple applications of kainit save crop
particuiarly grains e-a grasses fl-
! tiIiZers usually contain from TWO 10 houi
times as much phosphoric acid as po'a'h'
4 90 that when even these show @iSoa oi
/ failure. it is vcry probable that potash
mall;ring IS needed. Farmers h'uS'
work out their individual probicma' ana
usc a little common sense in dolhS so
Iir1c is valuable. but it is htithei
no1ash nor phcsphoric acid.
BRYAN TYSON.
ho Y