The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-15
WITH THE FARMERS
BY Prof. w. F. MASSEY

Now as to the phosphate rock. there
Ii hardly any difference in the samples.
and / would buy tho lowcr-priced ar
ticlc Just as soon as tho other; there
Is too much difference In tho price for
the difference in the quality. have
been watching tho discussion about
limo and ground limestone ana ground
phosphate with good deal of interest.
Being now retired from active farm
work, l have not had chance to test
tho difference between burnt limo and
limestone that Is simply ground fine.
Some OF tho advocates OF the ground
lime are rather intolerant of any diff
ference Of opinion on the subject. and
insist that ground limestone is the only
thing that good farmer should use.
Well believe that 1 have had the
reputation among those who know me
and know my work OF being fairly
good farmer. and / have used thou
sands of bushels OF burnt lime with
the happicst effect on the land.
When 1 was young 1 bought what IS
called agricultural lime. L soon learned
better. after rejecting that this was
merely air slaked refuse OF tho kilns,
and that / had to freight the water it
took In in the slaking. Then i found
that tho limo burners would sell their
fresh lump limo In bulk for n lower
price when guarantee was given
that 1t was for agricultural purposes.
And the railroads made special rate
for agricultural lime. My first carload
OF lump lime was 4+o bushels. 1t was
On excellent article / had to haul il
five miles. 1 piled It near water and
slaked IL 10 Il powder, and found that
had very nearly 1000 bushels. Had
bought slaked limo would have had
to freight all that water.
Now this slakcd heap. standing a
week or two. was not caustic al tho
rock people claim. and 1t went twice
as far as tho ground rock. and this
matter OF hauling and spreading Is n
costly thing. For. In freighting tho
ground rock you are freishting Just
as much water az In tho slaked limo.
Mono Of tho advocates OF ground lime
stono claim that they can use less than
double the amount OF the slaked burnt
lime. Now. II is also admitted that
for the swectening influence on the
soil tho burnt limo acts more quickly.
md when we take into consideration
tho extra railroad freight and haul
ing and the extra labor In spreading.
the burnt lime Is the cheaper ana
more quickly acting. But as to the
phosphate rock, / am heartily in favor
Of it's use where the land is kept sup
piled with hunus or II is used mixed
In stable manure. As | told DR.. Hop
kins. of Illinois. at the farmers con-
vcntion In Raleigh last summer. when
he was advocating the use OF the
ground rock phosphate II is good
thing for n good farmer. but n poor
thing for poor one. one great ad-
vantage is that Il does not rob the
soil OF lime and make IT sour az acid
phopshate does. Basic Stag Is not so
readily available AZ acid phosphate.
but II. 100. keeps the soil sweet. for
IL carries forty pounds Of free lime in
inclined
10 believe that its regular and liberal
use will keep the soil sweet and save
the cost Of lining. But the fact that
1t carries free lime makes IL bad
thing TO mix with materials contain
ing nitrogen In organic form. II can
not be mixed with the manure safely.
and cannot be used In mixing n COM
plete fertilizer. II cottcnsecd meal or
other forms OF organic nitrogen are
used, though II may be safely mixed
with nitrate OF soda. For general pur-
poses on such n farm as yours ! would
use the puiverizci rock in connection
with blowing under legume crops and
mixing In stable manure. For lining
! had rather use 1000 pounds OF fresh
ly-slaked burnt lime than a ton OF
ground rock, rs being cheaper and
more efficient. Some OF the advocates
OF ground limestone say that the burnt
lime destroys the humus In the soil
Now the fact is that when we have
n lot of organic decay in the soil. the
lime helps us to get the use OF the
nitrogen il carries, and Il is the farm
crs part to keep up the supply In the
soil They claim that II is limo car
Donate that liz needed, and the rock
is simply carbonate OF lime. Well
when we slake pile of burnt lime
and let 1t stand week or so. 1t is
lime carbonate, and in a much finer
condition than any grinding could put
It, and hence far more readily used.
Preparing Glover Sod for Wheat.
ION a field OF red Piedmont clay
cut the first crop Of red clover and
turned under the second growth. Now
please tell me what further To do and
, what fertilizer TO use. Also how much
seed !s best per acre" What is need
cd now is to keep the land well mar
rowed and mako the soil hne. and tho
finer you get the surface soil. and the
better you pack II down by team ano
harrow, the better the chance for the
wheat crop. You have turned q clover
sod. That will give you all the nitro
gen needed. Your red soil has an in
exhaustible supply of insoluble potash
and the clover turned under will helr
In its decay to make some OF thi:
available. This. then. leaves only the
matter OF phosphoric acid as needed
1t will pay you to use fully 400 pound:
OF the 16 per cent grade of acid phos
plate, and. l believe. that with tn,
turned under sod. the same amount o.
the Basic Stag might be better be
cause OF the effect of the lime II car.
rics on the decaying organic matter
But II YOU cannot get the Basic Stag
commonly called Thomas phosphate
use the acid phosphate and drill it il
with the wheat. Sow Ave pecks o.