The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-12-01

tanning III u66u VI particular SOILS
in this respect. The method US
ually resorted to, is to treat the
soil with some mineral acid and
find out the amount of lime dis
solved. IF the test shows as lit
tie as 5 per cent or less of lime it
will be found profitable to add
lime. And some authors claims
that where one per cent Of lime
is found that it has proven bene-
fetal. Even soils of limestone
formation sometimes shows bene-
fit from lining because sufficient
carbonate of lime is not present
in the upper soil. This is due to
continual removing of crops and
talso teaching.
An easy test for the average
farmer is the blue itmus paper
test. Take some of the soil that
you wish to test for acidity, damp
en- it and place the soil in a glass
Vessel with the blue itmus paper
on the bottom. This brings the
soil in contact with the paper. To
see results pick the vessel up and
thru the glass observe changes
which have taken place. lie the
paper has been changed to a red
you may be assured that lime will
prove beneficial The fact that
beets of all kinds make a ready
responce to lime on soils which
are deficient in carbonate of lime
may be taken as practical and
reliable test whether lime is lack
ling. For this purpose lay out
1.-TWO plats In the. field that you
wish to test, and to of these plates
apply lime from / 2 tons per acre,
and using none on the other. Com
Iparison of the yields will show
whether lime can be used to pro-
lift or not. If the crop is helped
butslightly by the time it will
hardly pay to apply lime, but if
1T is doubled it is evident that it
VIII pay to give the soil a good
coat of lime.
Lime is said to take the place
of potash in certain of the chemi-
cal compounds In the soil thus
hberating the potash and making
it available to the plant. Where
plants under go decay in the soil,
deficient in carbonate of lime and
magnesia, acid or sour humus is
hbrated which is supposed to be
particularly noxious TO most agri-
culture plants, though not appar-
emily detrimental to the growth OF
cranberry, watermelon, and few
others herbaaceous plants, trees
and shrubs. Such conditions are
, liable to occur in upland and vel
drained land. Lining is in al
5 such cases an effectual and pro
E baby the most economical rem
edy.
!, Soils that are not porus enough
:. to let water soak into it are likely
E Ito become clogged, thus damaging
i, the roots of the growing plants
. Lining will tend to make those
, soils porus, thusgetting rid of the
, fsurplus water they hold. On thu
: lother hand where the soils arr
! Isandy and to porus to hold sup
/ tply of water lining will MAKE
: them more compact thus holding
1.-THE water for the plants uses.
Il The growth of sorrel, and mos
: covering the soil are Indication
) of sour land Red top is not eff
! fected by the acidity of the soil
> If timothy and red top are sown OF
3 a piece Of ground and the timoth!
: dwindles away it is a good indi
tcation that the land is sour.
A ton of ground limestone j
! equivalent to 1120 lbs, or q
! bushels of quick lime. Tn
J ground limestone is as good a
the lime, if ground fine enough
! lie depends upon the cost at tn
! factory and the distance that