The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-11-17
AGRrcUInURAL USE OF LIME.

Tho use of lime as a fertilizer dates from the inception of modern scien- tiac farming. Agricultural chemists have showM that there are i've or six different functions which lime may perform to benefit a soil. which may be summarized briefly as follows:
 1. It is an essential element Of plant food.
 9 It aids in the conversion Of de- caying organic matter into humus
 8. It forms compoun ds with the hu- mic acids, which tend to prevent tn cir being leached out Of the soil and lost
 By producing proper sanitary conditions the growth of injurious bacteria Is largely prevented while. the growth Of nitrifying bacteria isa encouraged. These nitrifying bac- teria. convert the nitrogen of the hu- mus into such form thatsi is avail able as plant food
 5. Lime aids in the liberation ofs potash and phosphorals from Inert, compounds.
 6. It tends to focculate clay soils. rendering them granular and more po- rous.
 Obviously. permanent results can not be expected unless care is taken to. insure the presence of some organic fertilizer at all times. Lime used alone may be temporarily beneficial but will eventually be harmful; when used with cowpea vines 1t becomes more efficient for general purposes than almost any ot her fertilizer. Of. course lime is not beneficial to all crops to the same extent and not all soils need lime. Thus, some Of the the Department Of Agriculture to De5 benefited by lime. are spinach, lettuce, beet, celery. onion, cucumber, can taloupez asparagus cabbage. peanut, rhubarb. pea, pumpkin. bean. tobac co, alfalfa, clover barley. wheat oats, qnince, and cherry Indian corn is only, slightly benefited.
 Plants which are said to be slightly injured by lime are cotton, tomato, cowpea, concord grape peach. apple, and pear. and those really injured are radish. flax, Blackberry, black rasp- berry, and cranberry.
 Whether a soil will respond to dim ing or not depends on the amount of available calcium oxide which 1t all ready contains Probably the best indication of the need of lime Is the failure to obtain good crop of clover. The question whether lime should be applied to the soil as quickhme, hydrated lime, air-slaked lime, or ground limestone is still the subject Of a great deal of controversy. The advocates of ground finest claim that the causttc properties Of quick or hydrated lime will burn up and de- stroy the organic matter in the soil, where as limestone can be appliad in large quantities at long intervals and will therefore produce more or less permanent fertility. The advocates of lime claim that one of the main functions which lime has to perform is the destruction of the organic mat fer and the Liberation of the nitro gen in such a form that the plant can | use it: that the frequent and judicious use of lime. together with some organ ic fertilizer. will bring immediate re- suits Of course the local conditions of each particular case must be con sfdered before final conclusion can be reached. Thus, it is rational to use uufck1irne on soils which are ex- ceeding1y rich in organic matter. such AS peaty or swampy soils. Limestone is safer than uuicklime when applied Just before planting 8 crop which is little helped by lining. or when ap- piled to a light sandy soil in hot dry weather.-( (The Source, Manufacture. and Use of Lime, D. S. Geological Sur | vey.)
 John Quinlan. thirteen. of Brooklyn,