River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-01-04
Correction of Acidity in Soils
by Use of Ground Lime
Dr.. stone or Merl
BY PROF. A. r. WHITS0N
Wisconsin College of Agriculture

Large areas of soils in Wisconsin
are acid. Sandy soils are almost uni-
versally acid and the clay loan soils
of the northern part of the state are
also very generally in the same con-
dition. Acidity has developed in
patches in the southern part of the
state on soil derived from limestone
rock and which was originally not all
acid. In these latter places the sur
face soil is often somewhat acid while
the deeper subsoil still contains con-
siderable lime.
The presence of sorrel or horsetail
rush is a good indication of acidity,
but very simple and reliable test can
be made by the use of blue litmus pa
per, which can be secured of any good
druggist. When the soil is naturally
moist from rain, make a slit in it with
a clean knife blade and insert one end
Of the strip of blue litmus paper. clos
ing the soil over it and allowing it to
stand for fully five minutes. If it be-
comes pink in spots or over the whole
end, it shows acidity. Care must be
exercised not to touch the end of the
Daper put in the soil with the fingers.
as many persons exude uric acid from
the skin, which would turn the paper
red.
The most important objection to
acidity in soils is that the best le-
gumes, medium red clover and alfalfa,
will not do well on acid soils. and
since these and other leguminous
crops are necessary to increase the
organic matter and nitrogen OF the
soil as well as for the best feed, 1t is
extremely desirable to neutralize the
acidity of the soil on which they are
to be grown.
Several forms of lime are available
for this purpose. Fresh water-slacked
lime may be used where this is the
most available and cheapest form by
putting it in piles of about one bushel
each on the ground and pouring lit
tie water on it gradually, so as to re-
fguce IL to a fine, flour-like condition
for spreading. From ten to twenty
bushels per acre may be used, less on
sandy than on heavy soils. However,
the other forms of lime are usually
better than this fresh lime, when
available. These are ground natural
limestone. ground mari and refuse
from sugar beet factories. Ground
limestone is offered by the following
companies: Biesanz Lime & Stone
company, Winona, Mimi; Eagle Lime
Products company, Dousman Wis.,;
Waukesha Lime & Stone company. Ra-
cine. Wis; Western Lime & Cement
company. Milwaukee, Wis; Wisconsin
Sugar company, Milwaukee, Wis. Very
finely ground mari is offered oy the
Eagle Lime Products company at
Dousman and equally fine ground
refuse lime is usually to be had from
the beet sugar factories at Chippewa
Falls, Menominee Falls, GAINESVILLE and
Menominee, Mich There is consider
able difference in the price asked for
the ground limestone and mari, which
is chiefly due to the fineness to which
it is ground. Where it has to be
shipped by rail and the wagon haul is
some distance, it would probably pay
TO use the finely ground material in
relatively small quantities, say one
half ton to the acre, repeating the APP
pIlcation each time the land is seeded
TO q lagume Where the mcsd coarse