Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-11-22
LIME ON LAND THE THING:
LESSON FROM NAT URE
Department of Soil Investigation at
Washington HAS Few Words
fU Say.

Earl I.angenbacl<. who writes some
right good stuff from the Agricultural
Department at Washington, tells a
story when lie has a mind to. Here is
one OF them:
When wash day came around, old
Mrs. Sims filled her tubs from the
water barrel that caught the rain from
tho roof of her cabin, down near North
Bend way. on tho big Miami River.
But in dry weather she had Il bad
time. The boys had to fetch water
from the river. Miami River water is
some job. III the drought OF IL, the
bows had to go to Cincinnati, and they
filled the water butt for her before
they went. 1t was three days before
wash day. Next day Jimmie and Sam
Slick were fooling round the yard.
They had chased the chickens and wal
Hoped the shotcs and gotten a licking
from Mrs. Sims for general devilish-
ness. They We're mad, and, bound they
would do mon Il turn. So, when
she was taking 81 snooze. they up and
shoveled "a lot of dirt In the water butt
10 fix her against wash das-. My,
wa sn't she mad when she saw il. The
boys dursn't come nigh her. Well,
wash day came. the mud had settled.
and Mrs. Sims was highly careful how
she dipped into the barrel, so as not
to stir it up. The boys were still keep
ing pretty quiet. but they saw that
MON was looking terrible pleased
over the tub. Boys" says shc.
wasn't this here water river water?"
"Yas'm' says jim. Wall, j declar,"
says Mrs. Sims. 'it's plum soft like
rain water. do believe that mud you
'uns put in have took up all the hard
ness"
Now, this is true. and every old
farmer In Ohio and Indiana knows il.
But. there is much more to II than the
mere softening OF water for wash day.
! Though it is this that tells the story.
which is, that n lime hungry soil will
{ take lime from natural water and
leave II soft. For it is lime and mag
nesia in solution that makes water
hard. Wherever you find sections with
river bottom lands that have a great
reputation for fertility, you can be
sure that the river waters which over
flow them, in the spring freshets, are
very hard waters bearing a fairly good
percentage Of lime and magnesia.
These waters. standing on the land.
lose 2 part OF all OF their lime and
magnesia, which are then retained by
the soil beneath. This is true Of all
these lands in the Mississippi Valley,
Ohio, Kentucky. Indiana and the Val
ley OF Virginia. The flood waters
standing on these bottoms lime them,
and ii Is caHy TO show it chemically.
Now. why is it that such lands have
no such reputation in Virginia and
North Carolina east and soutl, OF the
Shcna ndoah and Potomac flood plains.
nero glance at the analysis 81 the
river waters of tho country, published
by the government tells the story.
The waters OF the Miami, Maumec.
Kentucky MuskiuGum, Cumberland,
Missouri and Cedar Rivers OF the Mid
die West contain six to twelve times
the amount, of lime and magnesia as
that contained III the Dan, the Neuac.
the pedec. TIE Roanoke and the James
Rivers OF Virginia and North Carolina,
though the James gets through it's
tributaries from the Valley enough
lime 10 make il something of nm ex-
ception to the rule. This is the reason
why even bottom lands. as well ~ other
ficially.