The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1910-06-22
LIME FOR VA. FARMS

earnestly by Virginia farmers
today than the use of lime. The
controversy is not so much in
dispute of the well known bene-
fits TO be derived from lining,
under certain conditions, as il
is on the merits of burnt or
quick lime as compared with
pulverized unburnt limestone
or shells. At this juncture the
Virginia Agricultural Expert
ment Station has published a
timely bulletin NO. 1877, "Lime
for Virginia Farms" by w. B..
ElletD which discusses i'm de-
tail the ways i'm which lime
may benefit the land, when
lining may be injurious. the
relative value of different forms
of lime, how, when, and in
what quantity to apply lime,
and other important points.
Directions for burning lime on
the farm and for grinding lime
stone rocks and shells are given.
Among the more important
conclusions of the bullet n are
the following;
eff used judiciously lining
the soil has "a wide field of use
fulness in Virginia It is not a
substitute for manure, but
reinforcement Of il. If used as
a fertilizer simply, and not in
connection with a general plan
of soil Improvement, il may be
a positive injury TO the land
Lining should be practiced
only in connection with a rota.
ton of crops and system of
farming that returns humus to
the land.
upon all types of Virginia
soils on which grasses and leg
luminous plants, especially the
clOvers, do not catch readily
and grow satisfactorily, lining
Will usually be Of marked bene-
fit. The most striking results
from lining Virginia soils. i'm
all sections of the state, will
usually be secured when pre-
pairing the land for grasses and
ciovers. occasionally lining
may be an actual disadvantage.
notably in growing bright
tobacco.
Generally speaking, the sandy
soils OF the Coastal Plain, or
Tidewater are benefited more
10y lining than any other soils
of the state.
The heavy red clay soils of
the Piedmont are usually some
what deficient i'm lime and re.
spond profitably TO it's applica-
ton. In the Valley and South
west, most of the soils are of
limestone origin and usually
contain sufficient lime, but the
surface layer Of some of these
SOILS has been depleted OF lime.
due 20 teaching and the method
of farming, and lining will of
ten give satisfactory results.
I'm all sections Of the state
there are areas of greater or less
extent that show little or no
benefit from lining. Whether
TO use lime or not, therefore
must always be a local problem.
and each farmer must solve il
for himself. The effect of lime
on soil extends over several
years, however, and often no
improvement is noticeable until
several years after the applica-
tfon was made, hence We should
not be- hasty in arriving at con
illusions.
Zine ground limestone or
shells are not as valuable as
burnt lime, pound per pound.
when used for improving farm
soils; but are fully as valuable
as burnt lime when used at the
rate of 100 pounds finely ground
limestone or shells, as equal TO
50 pounds of fresh burnt lime.
The deciding factor, there.
fore, is the relative first cost of
the two materials, together
with the relative cost of getting
1t upon the land. At current
prices of burn. lime it would
not usually paw To use orornd