The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1911-07-27
Lime for Agricultural
Purposes
BY A. J. PATTEN, Experiment
Station Chemist

Juh. M this time great interest is
being taken by farmers all over Mich
iean in the subject of lime for agri-
using lime Is almost as old as agri-
culture itself. The Chinese were
probably the first to use lime on the
soil; ii 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
fury 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 IT is usu-
ally spoken of as an amendment or
modifier because It is capable Of cor
mo hot hx t,tY
ical to the best growth Of plants.
Lime may act upon the soil in three
ways, viz, chemically, physically and
biologically.
Chemical Action.--Lime acts upon
the insoluble potash compounds In the
soil and changes them into forms avail
able as plant food. This action should
not he depended upon, however as a
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 insoluhle phosphoric acid com
pounds IL 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
" 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 ard bake after a rain are
benefited by the addition Of lime. II
acts benefcially upon soil in this
condition by binding the fine particles
together. thus making the soil more
friable and easy of cultivation. 1t
also makes II more open and porous.
thus facilitating the movem ent Of air
and water In the soil. The action OF
lime on sandy soils is quite the re-
verse of that on clay soils. since II
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