The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1912-04-19
GROUND LIMESTONE
AS SOIL BUILDER
WONDERFUL REsuurs ApPaR.
EMIT TO ENTERPRIsINo
FARMERS.
Able centributisn BY Mr.. Geo. A.
eishee. =. r. ~. s. Throws Light
On the Subject.

hoN uoes lime Improve the soil
and make IL possible for land 90 Yield
better plant food and more OF II. Is
much consideration by the farmer
Ohio county farmers, q Is learned.
are very Interested IN what Is known
a. ground limestone treatment OF the
oil. and not n few are making den-
rite preparations 20 reach results
through careful experiments.
The following able written and high
~ Instructive article is from the pen
OF Mr.. George A. Bishop, Fellow OF the
Royal Horticultural Society OF Eng
land whose knowledge of soil treat
ment Is the result of many years prac-
ueal experiments in connection with
some OF the greatest agricultural col
leses OF Europe and this country:
first-The effect OF lime r. that II
brings about an alkaline condition in
the soil and this condition is favor
able 20 the increase in millions OF
micro-organisms that are crop pro-
ducers. In the absence of lime an acid
condition may exist and this is favor
able TO the Increase millions OF micro
organisms that are crop spoilers The
greater the increase the worse the
conditions. These micro organisms
are the smallest forms OF plant life
and while one kind likes TO live in a
slum condition the others like TO Iiv.
under more sanitary and sweeter con-
ditions.
The smallest kind OF animal life is
also a micro-organism and some of
these, too. like to live in a dry condi-
ton as does the beneficial mirco- or
ganism OF plant life but, an alkaline
condition il what they cannot stand.
and are never found in any quantity
there. while plant micro organisms
are. IL this small animal can Increase
as IL will under favorable conditions
he will clear the soil OF the small
70 II
crop producer.
However, IL you use lime freely.
you will increase your plant micro
organism from a few million per cubic
center-meter to as high as twenty to
thirty millions and the land will be
correspondingly productive.
Secondly-Burnt lime when used on
land Will Immediately bring about the
result that ground limestone will more
slowly do but IL is not a safe soil i'm
proven. for nine out of ten lime users
10 use as II Is possible TO. do with IL
more harm than good. when ground
limestone Is used II Will at once begin
10 dissolve and this when II rains will
he carried down into the soil and there
carry on the work for which IL Il an
piled. Burnt lime being a lime oxide
and when mixed with water a lime
hydrate. IL can and readily does take
up the carbonic acid of the soil and nv
sell from free carbonic acid but. as
the lime in ground-lime Is already a
carbonate of lime. IL cannot so act.
therefore. this is not the way the soil
Is improved. II is due to the change
brought about by changing the soil
from an acid to an alkaline condition.
The stronger acids of the soil will
readily displace the carbonic acid OF
the limestone and will form other
soluble and insoluble compounds OF
more or Ils value to the growing or
prospective crop. one change Of great
value to the farmer is that the nitro
gen OF the air that the micro-orRan-
isms have fixed or gathered or that
which is manufactured by the nitro
Tying micro organism in the soil from
ammonia and other puterfactive ms
terials Is united with the lime anw
carried about the soil in the soil water
where every thirsty root can drink
freely OF the rich refreshing and build
ing up drink which should contain the
necessary nitrogen. potash. phosphorus
lime and other elements OF the plant
food In various compound form and
IN solution. While these changes are
going on, the physical condition of
the soil In being changed as heavy
soil being rendered lighter. and a loose
SOIL more adhesive. Water will there
fore have a reader passage up or
down or about In every direction in the
-Oi HieI case ana De better retained in
the latter. Air will be able 10 follow
the water or be carried with IL and the
soil, a vertAble warehouse Of locked
up raw material, will be worked nv
the little micro organism manufsc-
turers into manufactured plant food
Heavy crops will be the result. be-
cause the roots Will have several
acres Of soil in small particals Ali
surrounded with soil water rich An
plant food 20 rampify instead OF being
contend TO root only around the large
pomps OF soil, often water logged
and sour.
when lime has been used and the
condition OF the soil made favorable
20 the little nanufac ture-s and for
root ramificatiOn the root action
should be a hundred fold fn nrtrnb.r
and length. which means that a hum
dred fold more water and with m.
. rcrrespondin Increase % plant food.
VIII he conveyed 70 the leaves ~ the
plant 20 combine there with the other
four-nfths % plant food taken in from
ne ar hy the lee rrs. G..me TENDERS
nU a. The foregoing results possible
fef n must he rrr1a rl fsred that M
less The plant food is In fha sof
sroWfh cannot take piara end if must
- remembered that ~. soil L. rrf-
- fertile a. fhs quantifr sri.firr -
~ one ~ me essential si~r~or-s
wtich are available To explain ffr-
thFr. should a crop heed from CD %
~ -. - nitrogen rhrapharors ~
potash md and there Is ONLY araHabra
81 'n l1 70 - snue ono ~ these
frf crop u.. lr.t rrru fH fha arfrrf
- fhaf sr1ar-r 11arsifs --rtrt No..
uaF fa Ger ffr.FHrI pounds % fhrsa
rfrer e.eruHrfa rrsrarf So fn L.
traf r0lr ard Faa uraf go rrrr 81
rec ~ '.r .nreH. rg elements NfnFa
- - nl'r'E@n p. farr arf rrar re-