The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-11-16
LIME AS FERTILIZER.
Five or Six Functions 1t May Perform
To Aid the Soil

! The use of lime as fertilizer dates
from the inception of modern scientific
farming Agricultural CHEMISTS have
shown that tnere are five or six differ
ent functions which lime may perform
10 benefit soil, which may be summar-
lied briefly as follows;
/. 1t il an essential element of plant
food.
2. II aids in the conversion of decay
ing organic matter into humus.
3. 1t forms compounds with the hui
mic acids which tend to prevent their
being leached out of the soil and lost.
4. BY producing proper sanitary con-
ditions the growth of injurious bac-
terra is largely prevented, while the
growth of nitrifying bacteria is encour-
aged. These nitrifying bacteria convert
the nitrogen of the humus into such
form that it is available as plant
food.
5. Lime aids in the liberation OF
potash and PHOSPHORUS from inert COM
pounds.
@. II tends to focculate clay soils,
rendering them granular and more por-
Gus.
Obviously, permanent results cannot
be expected unless care is taken to in
sure the presence of some organic fer
tilizer at all times. Lime used alone
may be temporarily beneficial but will
eventually be harmful; when used with
cowpea vines il becomes more efficient
for general purposes than almost any
other fertilizer. OF course, lime is not
beneficial to all crops TO the same ex-
tent, and not all soils need lime. Thus,
some Of the common plants which are
stated by the department of agriculture
TO be benefited by lime, are spinach,
lettuce. beet, celery, onion, cucumber,
asparagus, cabbage peanut, |
pea, pumpkin, bean, tobacco, /
alfalfa. clover, barley, wheats, oats, tim |
Dthy, gooseberry, currant, orange, ounce 4
and cherry Indian corn is only slight /
81 benefited.
Plants which are said 10 be slightly /
injured by lime are cotton, tomato, COW.
pea, Concord grape, peach, apple and
bear, and those really injured are rad i
sh, fax, blackberry, black raspberry,
md cranberry.
Whether a soil viii respond TO Lining
" not depends on the amount Of avail
bic calcium oxide which il already con-
aims. Probably the best Indication Of
be need OF lime il the failure 70 obtain
good crop 81 clover.
The question whether lime should be
Ipplied TO the soil as quicklime. his.
rated lime, air-slaked lime. or ground
limestone j. still the subject Of a great
zeal Of controversy. TIE advocates Of
round limestone claim that the caustie
Properties Of quick or hydrated lime viii
urn up and destroy the organic matter
n the soil. whereas limestone can -
pplied in large quantities az long u.
frvals and vii therefore produce q more
? less permanent fertility. The adVo-
ates 81 lime claim that one Of the main
unetions which time has 20 perform is
he drstrHetinn 81 the orghrfr rnatter ,
nd the iberation 81 ths nitrogen IS
1rh q form that TIRE piant cnn ne ~
bat IRE frequent and iulicious nee ~
me. forrther with some rrramie frrtt.
~. al bring immediate resuIfs ~
Iurse THE local conditions Of aarh par
ellar ease usuEt - cunsiiu-rd before
raj conclusion ran he rarried Ttas /.
= rntiOual BE- nss ruifkfimr - coils
hith art ergHs8turif r6rh n mrarif
atser surh as pests - rvrraa saHa
limestone u safer thar aniak re- uhaa
rlist iust before firrtfar " rrnn uteb !
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ird tn iirtt srf~ sel n hu f~f ;
'atlfr - le >uHref Eanufelfrrr ard
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