The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-11-18

AGRICULTURE Al USE OF LIME.
The use Of lime as a fertilixer dates
from the inception of modern scientific
farming. According to the United
States Geological Survey. agricultural
chemists have shown that there are
five or six different functions which
lime may perform to benefit soil.
which may be summarized as follows:
1t is an essential element of plant
food.
1t aids in the conversion Of decaying
organic matter in humus.
1t forms compounds with the humic
acids which tend to prevent their being
leached out of the soil and lost.
BY producing proper sanitary condi-
tons the growth Of injurious bacteria
is largely prevented. while the growth
OF nitrifying bacteria is encouraged.
These nitrifying bacteria convert the
nitrogen of the human into such a.
form that 1t is available as a plant
food.
Lime aids in the liberation of potash
and phosphorus from inert compounds.
1t tends to hocculate clay soils. rem
dering them granular and more porous.
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 it 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 agricul-
ture to be benefited by lime. are spin
ach, lettuce, beet, celery. onion, cucum-
Der. cantaloupe, asparagus. cabbage.
peanut. rhubarb. pea. pumpkin. bean.
tobacco. alfalfa, clover, barley. wheat.
oats. timothy, gooseberry. currant,
orange. ounce. 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, fax, blackberry, black raspber-
ry. and cranberry.
Whether q soil will respond to linn
ing or not depends on the amount OF
available calcium oxide which it al
ready contains. Probably the best in
dication of the need of lime is the fail
ure to obtain a good crop Of clover.
The question whether lime should be
applied to the soil as quicklime. n.y.
drafted lime. air-slacked lime. or ground
limestone is still the subject of a great
deal Of controversy. The advocates of
ground limestone claim that the caustic
properties Of quick or hydrated lime
will burn up and destroy the organic
matter in the soil. whereas limestone
can be applied in large quantities at
long intervals and will therefore pro-
duce 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 matter and the liberation Of
the nitrogen in such a form that the
plant can use it; that the frequent and
judicious use of lime, together with
some organic fertilizersgwill bring I'M
mediate results. OF course the local
conditions of each particular case must
be considered before a final conclusion
can be reached. Thus. it is rational to
u quicklime on soils which are ex-
ceedingly rich in organic matter, such
as peaty or swampy soils. Limestone
is safer than quicklime when applied
just before planting a crop which il
little helped by lining. or when applied
to light sandy soil in hot dry
weather.