The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-23
GARDEN
AND HOUSEHOLD
BY S. A. COOK.

] Quantities Of fixed ingredients OF the
/ soil necessary 10 the perfect nutrition
I Of plants. one of these, and the most
( important is ammonia. MIX quick
/ lime with farm yard manure that mas
/ been well made or partially decoIh-
! posed and the characteristic odor OF
Z ammonia Is at once noticeable. The
same thing occurs in a soil containing
undecomposed humus. The lime acts
upon II chemically, and ammonia and
other valuable nutrients are set Tree
Were il not for the lime these nutrients
might lie dormant for many months
and probably during the period OF plant
growth when most required. Recogniz-
ing this action il viii be readily un-
derstood that lime enriches the plant
at the expense Of the stored up plant
food Of the soil Provided the soil is
inordiHately rich in humus the action
of lime will not speedily exhaust It's
stores, but if il has been much depict
ed. the lime merely sets free the
remaining traces of ammonia and
leaves the soil practically destitute Of
that fertilizer. knowing this, lime
must be carefully used. but If such
care be taken there is wonderfully
useful field Of action for this chemical
aid. Take for instance our black soils
on low land. They are richly endowed
with humus and may for years have
yielded great crops of clover and other
plants but have become sour" from
the presence of humic acid and SINH
lar acids detrimental to plant growth.
There is abundant humus present IN
such soils, but ammonia cannot exist
in the presence OF an acid, and lime
is here indicated as a neutralizer OF
acidity. Lime employed for this pur-
pose acts beneficially in 'sweetening
the soil and following its use grasses
acquire palatability when hitherto they
had been coarse, innutritious and un-
palatable to stock. Moss often takes
its departure where lime is used. Sour
ness subsidies and clovers luXurlate
where before they had partially failed
In our opinion there is actual neces-
sity for the use Of lime in this set of
circumstances and little likelihood of
serious robbing of stored up humus
There is in such soils humus to burn;
humus that is so great in quantity
that II may be drawn upon heavily for
a year or two as a consequence OF
lime employment, yet remain sufficient
provided judicious use Of lime is prac-
ticed for the future and only when alb
solutely necessary as indicated by
symptoms of the return of aCidity.
Clover enriches the soil with nitrogen.
If clover won't grow on humus, rich
soil and lime will cause it 10 grow am
monia is then set free, nitrogen ac-
CURED from two sources and a dou-
bic purpose served. Excessive use of
lime after the desired result of the
first application has been acquired will
do harm. The first use of lime where
necessary is like medicine. 1t is a
stimulant of dying forces and vitality.
After il has recuperated the strength
Of ,the patient il should be diseon-
tinued. but we have great reason TO
thank the drug, to appreciate and ad-
uaire its benificent action. Lime is a
friend when rightly used. a foe when
abused 1t tends to bind sandy soils
and break up heavy clays. Il is alb
solutely necessary in subjugating
fresh drained wet lands to mans uses.
Il is a sovereign remedy for clover
sickness" and for finger and toe" in
turnips. 1t imparts palatability to pas
ture grasses that have become harsh,
wiry or sour. II tends TO kill out moss
and there is reason to suspect that an
occasional top-dressing Of lime de-
stroys hosts of noxious insects and
bacteria Let US not suddenly cease
10 love lime or account il an enemy
in every instance. Like a poison in
diligently employed by a skillful
physician. lime is a medicine possessed
Of very many virtues and very many
dangers II is, however, quite an easy
matter to avail ourselves of the Yir-
tues and avoid the dangers.