The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-04-10

locking the unavalldDie pOtdSn' pnos
phoric acid and nitrogen In the soil.
Lime exerts a decided influence Oh
the mechanical condition OF soils, rem
dering heavy compact soils iooser ID
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 ass1m-
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
adage states, 1.-THE use of lime without
manure makes both farm and farmer
poor"
Behavior Toward Limo.
It has been shown that even upon
many 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 linn
ing, spinach. lettuce (all kinds. beets
(all kinds, okra (gumbo). satisfy (veg-
etable OYSTER, celery, onion. parsnlp.
cauliflower. cucumber, eggplant. can
taloupe. asparagus. kohlrabi. cabbage.
dandelion. Swedish turnip. pepper,
peanut. English or fat turnfp, upland
cress Heppergrass), 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 alsike}. barley. emmer. wheat
oats, timothy. kentucky blue grass
| Canada pea. Cuthbert raspberry. goose
berry. currant white Dutch). orange
| ounce, cherry and Burbank Japan
| plum; plants but little benefited by
lining. Indian corn. spurry lit has
been reported in England that spurry
| is injured by lining, but such results
/ have not been obtained in Rhode Is
landl, rye. carrot. chicory. Rhode is
land bent and redtop; plants slightly
injured by lining. cotton. tomato. COW
pea (drunmondn. Concord grape
peach. apple and pear: plants dis
tinctly injured by lining. lupine. com
mon sorrel tRumex acetosellaD. radish
velvet bean, castor bean, fax. black
berry, black cap raspberry and Gran
berry.
| Frequency Of Lining.
The frequency with which lining
should be practiced depends. anon:
other things. upon the character of thu
soil and the rate Of application. thu
number of years involved in the rota
ton practiced. the plants grown ane
their order of succession. As gen
eral rule, it may be stated that from
one-half to one and one-half tons O
lime per acre every five or six years i
sufficient Applications of two o.
three tons may. however, be advisable
in cases of very acid soils which arr
to be seeded down and are to renal.
in grass for several years. The prac
tice Of applying small amounts Of linn
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 sufety in the spring or q
, any other season of the year. but All
tumn is always the safest time to NJ
ply caustic or slaked lime 1t Is gen