Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-06-03

vorable conditions. Lining renders
heavy soils more friable and less liable
to cake. It also renders these soils less
liable to washing, as the water viii
sink into the ground to a large extent
Very sandy soils are also benefited by
being rendered more compact. It Is not
advisable. however. to use lime on very
light. soils as 1t will soon deplete the
fertility of the land.
Another very important effect is
upon the micro organisms Of the soil
These micro organisms do not thrive
in an acid soil. but II lime Is added
the soil is made basic and the number
Of ..iese micro organisms is greatly
increased. The change Of nitrogen and
ammonia in organic matter into nj
trates, the form in which II Is chiefly
assimilated by most plants, is promot-
ed by the presence of lime In the soil
The decomposition Of organic matter
is much FASTENED by lime. The utili-
zation Of the atmospheric nitrogen by
certain of the legumes is facilitated by
the application Of lime.
Lining is injurious when excessive
amounts are applied, especially upon
light sandy soils. This is particularly
true of caustic lime and freshly slak-
ed lime upon sandy soils which con-
tain only small amounts Of organic
matter. In injuries these soils by has
tening unduly the decomposition OF
organic matter, and thus renders the
soil more open and less retentive to
fertilizers and moisture than before
If either caustic or slaked lime mus,
be used on such soils 1t should be ap-
piled In very small amounts. Clay
marls are much better suited than
any other forms Of lime for the i'm
provement of such soils. In place OF
clay mari either wood ashes or lime
which has been exposed to the action
Of the air for long time Is preferable
to caustic or slaked lime. II lime Is
used alone 1t serves to liberate potash
nitrogen and sometimes phosphoric
acid, and often the extra drain Of In
creased crops on the soil leaves It f.
nally in worse condition than at the
outset. It is therefore necessary to
use the other essential manurial sub
stances In connection with lime II we
wish to have continued success with
1t. fsg
There are several forms of lime OF
which caustic lime, water slaked lime
and carbonate of lime are the most
Caustic lime or quick lime,
Is very caustic In its action, rapidly
breaking down the organic matter in
the soil and in this way II depletes
the store of organic matter quite ra-
pidiy. +. Water slaked lime Is almost as
quick acting as the caustic lime. Car
Donate Of lime may be ground lime
stone or caustic lime which has been
exposed to the action of the air for q
long time, and is much less caustic
than quick lime or water slaked lime.
These three forms Of lime correct soil
acidity while land plaster (Ca SO4)
phosphate of lime or silicate Of lime
do not. The disadvantage in the use
of carbonate of lime is that 1t takes a
larger quantity to produce the same
effect in the soil than the other two
forms and on this account the freight
and cost Of handling will be increased,
One form of lime commonly used is
land plaster. This form Of lime sup
plies no plant food and does not cor
rect acidity and its physical effect upon
the soil is probably injurious rather
than beneficial. The long continued
use of land plaster may cause the soil
to become hard and more compact
The chemical effect Is the only benefi-
cial effect of land plaster. 1t may con-
vert the difficulty available iron phos-
phate into the more available trical-
cium phosphate. 1t may also liberate
potash from the polysilicates.-F.
Hodges In Clemson Agricultural Jour-
nal d.. .... ..... ~ r.. IS a