Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1910-06-24
Biggest Celebration Ever, at Pullman

c. w. Clark, official photographer
}. l.. Ashlock, reporter.
Two hundred and fifty pounds of
seed field peas are distributed at
each stop and are in great demand
Perhaps the most educational lect.
ure given at the towns visited is by
Prof Thatcher, and is as follows:
For the purpose Of neutralizing
acid soils, improving the texture of
neayy clays, and kindred purposes,
some alkaline form of lime is neces-
sary. This may be either quick
lime, slaked lime or air-slalled lime.
! Quick lime is the most concentrated
form, but is difficult to distribute
evenly. The best way to use quick
lime as fertilizer is to pile it in
small heaps of, say, bushel in a
place, cover with a few shovelfuIs
| Of earth, then throw pailful of wa
ter on the heap and let it stand over
night. The next morning the lime
gill be sIaked to u very fine powder,
which may be distributed over the
land with a shovel. These piles
should be placed close enough to-
gether to give the desired treat
ment per acre
THE amount per acre to be used
depends entirely upon the degree of
acidity or other qualities whi, Il is
| desired to neutralize. The exact lime
requirement of any soil can only be
| determined by chemical analysis. One
or two tons per acre are quite com
monty applied. After the soil is once
completely neutralized it never again
needs heavy applications of lime, 100
pounds per acre applied about once
every five years usually being suffi-
cient
Air slaked lime, if available, may
be used instead of quick lime, but
requires nearly twice as heavy ap-
| plications to produce the same re-
suits. Finely ground limestone sea
shells, mari and similar substances
may be used as fertilizer lime with
beneficial results, particularly on
light, sandy soils They may be used
in limited amounts.
Field Investigations have shown
conclusively that land plaster pro-
duces very beneficial results on soils
seeded to vetch or clover in the west
| orn part of Washington and Ore
gon. 1t gives growth, while untreat-
ed clover on the same soil is often
yellowish in color and of very I'M
satisfactory growth. Where no plas-
ter is used, weeds often crowd out
the clover, but where the land plas-
ter is properly applied the clover
grows rapidly and keeps the weeds in
check,
The land plaster should be APP
piled as soon in the spring as the
SIOuhNI DtCOln Co III y ChOu9li W vi iNN
over. 1t must be distributed evenly,
since it does not spread through the
soil to any very great extent, and
if distributed unevely will produce
uneven stand grass If certain parts
of the field receive too much plas-
ter the growth may be SO rank that
the clover falls before it can be har-
vested, while if there is not enough
plaster, the growth is not improved
as it might be.
LAS a plant food itself, lime is
essential to all forms of plant growth.
The amount of lime required as
plant food by most of the common
farm crops is small, and most soils
contain sufficient amounts of lime
for this purpose. However, the le-
gumes, or clover crops of all kinds,
require fully as large amounts per
acre of lime as they do of the other
elements of plant food, which are
commonly used as fertilizers, and
the Weld of these crops on soils CON
tanning small amounts of lime may
often be improved by the addition
of available lime.
Chemically, the lime neutralizes
acidity COR 'sournessD, aids in the
growth of beneficial bacteria and
helps to liberate other elements OF
pIant food from unavailable farms.
Physically, it improves the capil-
larity and increases the water-hold-
ing capacity of nearly all kinds OF
soils, tends to improve the friabi-
lily of clay, and to prevent wash
ing on silt or sandy hillside soils.