Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-04-10

phoIlc acld ana nitrogen in the soil.
Lime exerts decided influence on
the mechanical condition of soils, ren.
dering heavy compact soils looser in
texture and tending to bind particles
of loose, leachy soils.
Lime is also beneficial in furnishing
conditions in the soil favorable to the
activity Of the micro organisms which
convert the nitrogen OF organic matter
into nitrates which are readily assim-
Hated by plants which decompose or
ganic matter and which assist certain
leguminous plants TO assimilate the
free nitrogen Of the air.
One form Of lime Gypsum has been
shown to be most effective cOrrec-
tive of black alkali.
The continued use Of lime unaccom-
panied by other fertilizers may prove
injurious, especially on poor soils,
since it converts the insoluble nitro
gen, potash and phosphoric acid COM
pounds of the soil into such as can be
rapidly taken up by plants or washed
out in the drainage, thus fastening the
exhaustion Of the supply of these sub
stances in the soil. AS the German
Ddage states, "The use of lime without
manure makes both farm and farmer
toor."
Behavior Toward Lime.
1t has been shown that even upon
tnany upland and naturally well drain
ed soils, apparently in good condition
otherwise, the sourness (acidity) is so
great that most varieties Of plants will
not thrive. Lime is the most econom-
ical and effective substance thus far
used for correcting this condition. Ac.
cording to experiments made by the
Rhode Island agricultural experiment
station on acid soils in that state, the
plants tested may be classified with
regard to their behavior toward lime
as follows: Plants benefited by lin
ing, spinach. lettuce (all kinds), beets
(all kinds, okra (gumbo), satisfy (veg.
etable oyster), celery. onion, parsnip,
caulitlower, cucumber, eggplant, can
taloupe. asparagus. kohlrabi, cabbage,
dandelion, Swedish turnlp, pepper,
peanut, English or fat turnip, upland
cress Ueppergrass), martynia, rhu.
barb, common pea. pumpkin, summer
squash (scalloped), golden wax bean,
red Valentine bean, horticultural pole
bean, bush lima bean, lentil, Hubbard
squash, saltbush, hemp. tobacco, sor.
ghum, alfalfa, clover red, white. Grim.
son and alsille), barley, emmer, wheat,
oats, timothy, Kentucky blue grass,
, Canada pea, Cuthbert raspberry, goose.
berry, currant CWhite Dutch), orange
| ounce, cherry and Burbank Japan
plum; plants but little benefited by
lining, Indian corn, spurry ut has
been reported in England that spurry
is injured by lining, but such results
hase not n II Is
landl, rye, carrot, chicory, Rhode Is
land bent and redtop; plants slightly
injured by lining, cotton, tomato, COW
pea (drummondD, Concord grape
peach, apple and pear; plants dis
tinctly injured by lining, lupine, com
mon sorrel Rumex acetosella). radish
velvet bean. castor bean, fax, black
berry, black cap raspberry and Gran
berry.
Frequency of Lining.
The frequency with which lining
should be practiccd depends, among
other things, upon the character of the
soil and the rate of application, the
number of years involved in the rota
ton practiced, the plants grown anC
their order of succession. As a gen
eral rule, it may he stated that from
one-half to one and one-half tons o!
lime per ACRE every five or six years Il
sufficient. Applications of two oI
three tons may, however, be advisabl,
in cases of very acid soils which ar,
to be seeded down and are to remail
In grass for several years. The prac
tice of applying small amounts Of lim
at somewhat frequent intervals is be
ing generally accepted as preferable
to the use of large amounts at rar
intervals.
Lime combined as carbonate, as II
mari, wood ashes, etc, can usually b
applied with safety in the spring or a
any other season of the year, but au
tumn is always the safest time to ar
ply caustic or saked lime. 1t Is ger