The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1907-09-20

effSctually correct the acidlty. This
lime should be we'll mixed through
the soil. Burned lime may be used,
if caustic, ton, or ton and half,
to the acre, and of all-slaked lime,
which is safe, within limits, twice as
much. The unburned ground lime
stone viii not burn out the humus
in the soil, the burned lime must be
used with more caution. Ground
limestone is usually sold for dol
lar ton and is made in many
places. It is an interesting thought
that good soil that happens to be
acid may be the use of this ground
limestone be made the equal of the
best natural alfalfa soils, and thus
be made to produce crops thai prac-
tically double or treble its value.
Thus land that may be worth in its
natural condition $50 per acre may
easily when set in alfalfa be worth
as an investment at least 5000 per
acre.
| have said this much about acid
ity not because it is present upon
large proportion of soils, but be
cause it has been a most puzzling
condition confronting would be al
falfa growers in Northern Ohio,
Eastern Ohio, Eastern Pennsylvania
parts of Kentucky and Tennessee.
1t is also true of some parts of New
England, No one having acid land
need feel the least discouraged about
growing good alfalfa upon it after
he has lined the soil. AT the Ohio
Exposition Station six tons to the
acre of alfalfa has been grown after
the land was lined, and none could
be grown before lining.
Now we have sweetened and drain.
ed the land, what else is T. 'eded?
Next, and let US impress this upon
you, the and must be rich. Alfal-
ia revels in rich land. 1t revels IN
soil filled with phosphorus, potash,
and with at least fair supply of nj
trogen. 1t must have rich land.
And yet alfalfa is the greatest soil
enricher among the clovers, it
nightly builds soils upon which 1t
grows. But it will not build a poor
soil, because it Will not grow upon
it. Alfalfa Will build up a poor
farm, as 1t built up Woodland Farm,
but it must be done by first enrich
ing one spot, setting that one to al
falfa, then by feeding the hay grown
upon that spot and saving the man
ure another spot may be made rich,
set to alfalfa, and then the two
fields will enrich the third, and thus
with ever increasing rapidly the re
demption of the land goes on. For
once set in alfalfa, the land will not
need constant manurlng, on many
soils it will take care of itself for
many years with no additional man
uring, meanwhile each year shed
ding oft its store of riches to more
needy soils, and in case it needs
feeding it may be conveniently and
cheaply fed by the addition of phos-
phorus and maybe potash to the
soil.
What is rich land2 Land rich
enough to grow 50 or more bushels
of corn to the acre, Land well
stored with vegetable matter. Land
on which stable manure has been
showered. There is something
wonderful fitting about stable man
ure in starting alfalfa. 1t revels in
a manured soil. Manure does three
essential things to the land, it fur
nishes available plant food, that is
then it adds life to the
soil. Upon the decaying vegetable
matter of manure live nyraids of
bacteria, these all aid processes of
'o:l enricl ment and promote plant
growth. The decaYlng manure also
attacks the mineral elements of the
ioil and unlocks inert unavailable
olant food and makes 1t available.
N ore than the the deravinQ vPUe |