Charlevoix county herald., 1911-08-19
Lime for Agricultural
Purposes
BY A. J. PATTEN. Experiment
Station Chemist

jus. at this time great interest is
igan in the subject OF lime for agri-
cultural purposes. The practice of
using lime Is almost as old as agri-
culture itself. The Chinese were
probably the first to use lime on the
soil; it was also used by the Romans
and by them the practice was intro
duced into England and France. In
England the practice of marling the
soil has been followed for centuries
and often with very marked results.
The first mention of lime in connec-
ton with American agriculture is
found in the contributions of Ruffin
In the American Farmer, in 1918.
Although lime has been used more
or less extensively by the farmers of
the United States for the past cen
tury its action upon the soil is not
generally understood. Lime should
never be considered as a fertilizer in
the same way that barnyard manure
or commercial fertilizers are. 1t can
never take the place of these materi-
ais, but should be used in connection
with them. Generally speaking, all
soils contain a sufficient amount OF
lime TO meet the plant food require
ments of crops for all time; conse-
quently the benefits from lime are
shown in another way and 1t is usu-
ally spoken of as an amendment or
modifier because 1t is capable of cor
recting conditions that may be inim-
ical to the best growth of plants.
Lime may act upon the soil in three
ways, viz, chemically, physically and
biologically.
Chemical Action.-iime acts upon
the insoluble potash compounds in the
soil and changes them into forms avail
able as plant food. This action should
not be depended upon, however, as
means of supplying the crops with
available potash to the exclusion of
commercial fertilizers, for unless the
soil contains an almost unlimited sup
ply OF potash we are only Fastening
the time when the soil will be depict
ed Of this form of plant food. Whether
or not lime effects the availability of
the insoluble phosphoric acid COM
pounds is a disputed question. The
most important chemical action OF
lime upon the soils is to correct acid
ity Soils that have been cultivated
for great many years may become
acid, due to the accumulation Of or.
ganic acids produced by the decom-
position OF organic matter. Many crops
are affected by an acid condition of
the soil and in such cases are great
ly benefited by the addition of some
form of lime or material containing
lime, such as mari or hard wood ashes.
Physical Action.-Heavy clay soils
that puddle and bake after a rain are
benefited by the addition of lime. II
acts benefcially upon a soil in this
condition by binding the fine particles
together, thus making the soil more
friable and easy OF cultivation. II
also makes II more open and porous
thus facilitating the movement of air
and water I'm the soil. The action of
lime on sandy soils Is quite the re-
verse Of that on clay soils. since Il
binds together the loose particles of
sand and makes the soil more reten-
tive OF moisture.
Biological Action.-The decomposi-
ton of organic matter added to the
soil In the form of barnyard manure,
green manure, stubble, etc, is brought
about by the action of the numberless
bacteria that live in the soil. Certain