Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1910-06-30
AGRICULTURAL LIME.
It's Value as a Fertilizer Rapidly
Gaining Ground.

So
Atlanta, Ga, Special Realization
bv farmers Of the Southeast of the
great benefits to be secured by the
use Of agricultural lime and a con-
sequent rapid increase in the con
sumption Of that product are indicat-
ed in the report of the freight traffic
department Of the Southern Railway
Company for May. The report shows
that plants turning out this product
at points on the Southern Railway in
Virginia now have a daily capacity
of 5000 barrels and that additions
and improvements now in progress
and prospect will increase this out
put to 5000 barrels daily in q short
time, while only a few wears ago the
entire capacity was rs barrels per
day.
The use Of agricultural lime and
its beneficent effects, particularly on
sour soil lacking nitrogen and conse-
quently deficient in plant food, is at
tracing the attention of soil experts
and agricultural writer's as are few
other subjects at this time. A most
interesting paper showing the good
effects to be obtained, entitled,
bulletin No. l." has been issued by
the Virginia Truck Experiment Sta
ton, located at Norfolk, A number
of bulletins on the same subject have
been issued by the Bureau of Soils
Of the United States Department Of
Agriculture from which copies can
be procured by farmers or anyone
interested in soil improvement.
The government experiments and
the experiences Of individual farmers
which are dealt with in these bulle-
tins should prove Of unusual interest
to planters and farm land owners Of
the South Atlantic States since it is
declared that in a great many sections
of this territory where land is less
productive than in more favored
portions of the Southeast, the lack Of
fertility is in a large. measure due to
the acidity of the soil. Experiments
by the federal and state departments
of agriculture have developed the fact
that this can best be corrected by the
application Of lime and the growing
of leguminous plants. Lands which
had been abandoned as practically
worthless have been brought to a high
state Of productiveness in this man
ner as pointed out in the state and
government publications which may
be had for the asking.
Lime is not used in place of ma
nure or commercial fertilizers, its
use being entirely supplementary,
and one Of it's chief advantages be-
inc the power which it gives soil to
retain the manure or fertilizer APP
piled to it.
There are large deposits of lime
rock in practically every section of
the Southeast and its use for agri-
cultural purposes has been the basis
of the great fertility Of the famous
Blae GrasA Region of1 Fentacky, the
Great Vallty Of Virginia, the fertile
country Of Tennessee and Norfhern
Alabama and other notably product.
i've areas. The Southern Railway
Company is en%deavoring to encour-
age the use of this product which the
farmers of the South can find practi-
cally at their doors both by urging
the erection of more plants for its
preparation and by granting favor
able tariffs for the transportation Of
the product.
President Finley Of the Southern
Railway Company whose Office is 10
Gated at Washington, DC, is great
ly interested in the efforts Of farmer'
of the Southeast to improve thei,
soils and on application from an.
farmer will gladly request the United
States Agricultural Department t.
send him such literature as may b
most helpful, or application may b
made to the department direct.