The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-03-24

Cultivating land when too wet
especially in hot weather.
Burning sun on bare, moist soil
The first condition will gradually
correct itself; the others may be ov'
ercome or avoided, but despite the
growers best efforts the soil will
gradually become nonbasis through
the natural teaching away OF the
small lime content common to most
Florida soils.
Some of our soils are naturally
basic. having line rock deposits or
mari subsoil, but, generally speak
ing. Florida soil is very lacking In
base and rapidly loses any 1t may
have The one corrective within our
reach is lime.
Lime will neutralize all acids. and
with aeration will destroy all poi
sonous organic compounds known up
to the present time.
Some lime can be bought in GER
tain fertilizer materials, but when
taking into consideration the effec-
tiveness Of these materials. their
cost, and the very small content Of
basic lime any Of them represent,
this indirect way Of securing base Is
most expensive and ineffective for
correcting soil acidity. know in
stances where the growers. at con-
siderable extra expense. have used
only materials of alkaline tendency
during a period Of several years, yet
their soil became no less acid.
A straight out application OF lime
in the form Of crushed limestone Is
by far the best and most economt-
cal method Of supplying base. Hy-
drafted lime Is also desirable. but
caustic lime should not be a. -.
land as 1t burns out humus.
Lime and fertilizer should not
come In contact above ground, az
ammonia is likely to be liberated
Thus it is well to let the lime appli.
cation be at east four weeks before
or two weeks after an Application Of
fertilizer. The time hastens nitri.
fication, SO loss by teaching Is lest
likely to occur IL it Is put on just
before growing season. Perhaps
the month Of August best meets these
conditions, but generally speaking
the right time to lime land is jus'
as soon as you can do 1t.
All appreciate the value OF car
bonic, nitric. and phOsphoric acids
but sulphuric acid and its resulting
compounds have been knocked" SC
hard by interested parties there il
at least a question as to their value
IL not an actual prejudice against
them. This is unfortunate since oul
best fertilizers carry sulphates. Thai
my readers may see the opinions Of
leading agricultural chemists, have
compiled the following extracts from
standard authorities:
Pierce's PLANT Physiology" Sui
hur is a constituent element OF pro
tcplasm, The source d
sulphur for most plants is the vari
Gus salts of sulphuric acid common
IL found in the soil and dissolved il
ordinary waters"
l.ipman's Bacteria in Relation Il
country Life" sulphur is one o
be chemical elements that en'e
into the composition of protein sub
stances; it is therefore essential t.
the life of plants and of animal
The tissues of dead plant
and animals are made to give al
Their SULPHUR as sulphurettcd hydro
gen by the common soil bacteri
and the sulphur finally re
appears as sulphate of lime, sulphat
o. magnesia, sulphate of soda, or sui
phate of iron and is in condition
again to be utilized by green plants
Il Enormous quantities q
g, psum (sulphate of lime) are thu
Thy drainage waters) brought to tn
ocean daily and are constantly bein
added to by the restless streams
H. 1t has been shown that sui
pilates Of lime, magnesia, potash an
soda favor nitrificati0n In MOI
soils"
Kings Soils" 'Since sulphur
acid In some Of its combinations !
the soil . the only known source Q
sulphur in plants, and since sulphu
is an essential element In the mole
cular constitution Of vegetable 81
bumen and allied compounds, 1t fol
lows that fertile soil should Away
| adequate percentage {
sulphates in some form available I
nlanta"