The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-08-30
LIME AS A FERTILIZER.
Report of the Ohio Agricultural Ex
pertinent Station.


A so-called "hydrated" lime, made
under processes upon which patents are
claimed, is being pushed upon the mar
ket under the claim that it is a fertil-
izer and that, because of it's peculiar
manufacture, it will produce better re-
suits than ordinary lime when applied
to the soil. The price asked for this
lime Is usually about ten dollars per
ton.
A sample of this lime was procured
last fall direct from the manufacturers
by the Ohio Experiment Station, and
used at the rate of a ton to the acre on
land that was being prepared for wheat.
At the same time an ordinary builder g
lime, ground into q meal and costing,
delivered at Wooster in car lots, S4.62
per ton, was used in the same quantity
and on adjoining plots Of land, the pre-
paration of the land and the seeding
being identical for both kinds of lime
In the spring the whole tract was sown
to clover, and good stand was OBJ
tanned.
The result Oh .-.is test has been that
in every case .--e lined plots have pro-
duced less wheat than Lhose not lined
there being but little difference in the
reduction in yield following the two
kinds Of lime. Following are the aver
age yields:
Bushels per acre
No fertilizer, no lime (av. plots) .16.3
No fertinzer, hydrated lime Il plot.
................... .... .l46=
4VV lbs. fertilizer, no lime (av. 8
pl0ts) NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. .27ad
400 lbs. fertilizer, hydratsd lime (sv.
piots) ..............,..... 70. %
400 lbs. fertilizer, common lime Cav.
pIots) NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 26.0e
The clover now shows a fairly uni
form stand on all plots. Where nc
fertilizer was used the lime had NO ap-
parent effect upon the clover, but where
fertilizer was used lne growth of clover
is somewhat stronger on the lined than
on the unlimed plots, there being nc
rereeptibie difference between the two
kinds of lime in this respect.
In other tests made by this station
where the common lime has been used
on corn, that being followed by oats anu
the oats by wheat, seeded to clover, the
lime has produced a very slight effect
on the cereal crops unles manure or
fertilizer had been previously used; and
even on clover the grain has been com
paratively small until the land is first
manured or fertiiized; but where ma
nure or fertilizer carrying both phos-
phorous and potassium have been lib
orally employed the erect Of lime is to
produce a most luxurient growth OF
clover on land where, without lime
closer refuses to grow, no matter how
liberal the manuring.
Our experience with lime to the pres
ont time may be condensed into the fol-
lowing statements:
/. Lime does not take the place of
fertilizers or manure and the farmer
who is led to so use It will be disap-
pointed.
2. Lime is indispensable to the
growth OF clover on some Ohio soils;
but before it can materially benefit the
clover 1t must be preceded by liberal
manuring, or fertilizing with materials
carrying both phosphorus and potas-
sium.
8. Lime may produce an increase OF
cereal crops on some soils, but only
when used in connection with judicious
manuring or fertilizing.
A. We have as yet no reason to be-
lieve that the so-called fertilizer lime
now being pushed upon our market pos
sesses any virtues not found in common
lime.