The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-21


oarken the tobacco and make weight
If used on bright tobacco it would
PROBABLY spoil tho quality OF the leaf.
III your land is acid and needs lime.
apply IT on some other crop Il year or
moro before tobacco goes on the land.
Lime and Lining.
nave read great deal about lime
and limestone, and many say that the
hnely pulverized limestone is better
than burnt lime. / would like to have
your opinion?' have used great
zeal Oh burnt lime In past years but
have never tried the ground limestone.
The great objection to the burnt lime
urged by the advocates of the ground
rock is that 1t burns up tho humus in
the soil because it Is moro or less
caustic. Now, In my farming l have
used lime because 1 wanted IT to act
on the humus and promote the nitri-
hcatlon OF organic nitrogen. so that
plants can use it, for plants use nitro
gen only when in the form Of a
nitrate. They do not use ammonia
nor organic nitrogen until they have
been acted upon by the nitric fcrment
bacteria in the soil and changed to
nitrates. Lime greatly promotes the
activity of these microscopic plants
mat do the work we call nitriiication
or the change of organic nitrogen to
nitrates in the soil. AS to using up
the humus IT Is the farmers duty to
see that there is always plenty OF
humus- making material supplied 10
the soil.
We do not use limo as fertilizer.
and do not use it annually on the same
land. but only as soil conditions seem
TO demand 1t l always bought the
fresh lump lime and slalted It with
water to a powder. and then let the
heaps lie some time before spreading,
so that the lime has lost most of its
chustic character. and has become lime
carbonate TO a great extent. Then
since 1t is lime carbonate that we
want in the SOIL there is really no
good reason why a finely pulverized
article OF the raw rock should not fur
nish II as well as the slaked lime.
believe that the pulvcrized rock, II
make as fine ns -four, will answer all
purposes. but will have to he used in
heavier amount than tho burned lime.
and will be slightly slower I'm sweet
ening the soil than burnt lime will
II VIII promote the nitrihcation as
well AS burnt lime. as this is done
by the fact that the low order OF
plants that carry on the nitrification,
having no green matter in them can
not get carbon from the air rs green
plants do but they have the power
that no green plant has. 10 get car
bon that they need from lime car
Donate. and. hence. the presence of
lime as a carbonate aids the bacteria !
that are working in the interest Of the |
farmer
AS ! have said, have never used |
the ground limestone, but have OBJ
served its effects. Oyster shells are the |
purcst form of lime carbonate Where !
] live we have Il very sandy soil, and !
our truckers have improved their land |
with great quantities OF stable manure |
brought from New York The roads |
are largely made OF oyster shells. and |
the automobiles raise clouds OF the |
lime dust that blows over the land on |
either side, and now on this sandy soil |
piece of land along these roads left |.
out sodS over with Kentucky blue /
grass, and on sandy ridges. that can |
see az | write this. there is a sod OF !
bluc grass that Kentucky cannot heat |
| suppose the seed came originally !
with the manure. but the fact re-
mains that any land here that has |
mad lime and manure will sod over
with blue grass when left idle Blue |
grass is limestone soil grass. and /
It's welfare is very greatly promoted |
by lining the land
But do not jump to the conclusion
That because an application of lime or |
limestone shows good results in the |
and that all you have to do Is % keep |
on lining. They tried this years ago /
IN tho beautiful valleys of Southern |
Pennsylvania. and used lime at the
rate OF 200 bushels ar acre In the /
same section to-day. they have found /
out tho error Of this heavy lining
and they lime less frequently and !
never more than twenty-five bushels /
an acre of slaked burnt lime. or
h.
shells twice this amount would be bet
ter. The State is now preparing.
believe. to furnish the ground lime
stone to the farmers of Virginia In
Illinois they furnish 1t for 60 cents
ton. and II is possible that II NAV
be made for this In Virginia. though
do not know what price will he
charged, AT 81 ton ! would prefer
to use the ground limestone rather
than tho burnt lime. though for i'm
mediate eject In the sweetening OF
acid soil am still of the opinion that
the burnt lime will do 1t more speed
lily.
Another effect of lime on the red
hills of Virginia is the releasipr Of
the abundant supply OF potash these
soils contain In an insoluble silicatc.
On these lands the wise farmer needs
TO buy no potash If he keeps IN the
about once in six years. The lime re-
leases potash and tho organic acids in
the vegetable decay also act on the
potash and render IT available. Hence
the farmer who farms In n good rota-
non and grows an abundance OF
legume crops needs to buy no nitro
gen nor potash and only needs n lib
eral use OF phosphoric acid. which IS
always in deficient amount in our old
cultivated soils
Lam" is essential in putting the soil
INTO the best condition for clover and
other iesume crops. for the bacteria
that live on the roots of the legumes
cannot exist in acid conditions in the
SOIL Lime and leEumes grass and
stock are the means for building up
our old soils to greater productive
ness
Smut ON OntS.
MY oats are very full OF smut Will
IL make them dangerous to feed? How
shaH prevent it?" 10 not think that
'he common oats smut VIII make the
oats dangerous feed. but It should he
prevented and can he II the. seed are
1.xF