Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1915-09-09
LIME AND ITS USES

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LIME AND ITS USES
During the last eight years the ex-
pertinent station has been testing lime
in the fat land of Putnam county and
similar lands in other counties
Early in the course of these tests we
demonstrated to our own satisfaction
that to farm with profit, lime is as
essential, if not more so than any
plant foods. We have proven that al
falfa cannot be grown with profit with
out lime, in fact can hardly be grown
on unlimed land. We have also
shown that all the clovers and other
legumes require lime and that by its
use most all of the lands can be made
to produce clover.
We have shown that lime not only
increases clover crops but that all
crops are vastly increased, corn being
no exception. That crop is generally
increased from eight to twenty per
cent. and the writer has known Of corn
being increased more than one hum
dred per cent. by the use of lime.
Wheat is also very much improved
by the use of lime, the increase being
some times as much as 80 per cent.
In fact so general are the crops that
respond to lime that we might state 1t
as broad as to say that all crops are
benefited by it's use.
We drew the conclusions. from the
results of our first experiments and
while we have continued to try expert
ments their results have merely clinch
ed our first experiments.
Forms of lime. Lime is used on
farms in two forms, the burnt or caus-
tic and the ground or raw rock or
these the burnt lime is fast going out.
and it is well that it should for it is
expensive to buy or burn, hard to han
die and apply, and large application
is dangerous to the land.
While this is true of burned lime
the ground lime, ground limestone, has
many advantages. 1t is cheap, can
frequently be ground and spread on
land for one dollar per ton or less, is
pleasant to handle (not dusty, and
cannot be used so as to hurt land
Limestone qualities. There is much
difference in lime stones Of this sec
tion. There is one stone that lays
near the base of the mountains that
is very high quality, 95 per cent or
more, there are many good stones 70
to 80 per cent. lying in this section.
There is one farmer using so to 65
per cent stone with excellent results
He is getting corn better than the land
has ever grown before, according to
the statement of old men. He is get
ting gras and clover wherever he sows
and small grain is yielding better.
The experiment station will analize
stone for any farmers free, who ex-
poets to crush.
Size to Crush or Grind. Very fine
grinding is not necessary Stone that |
will pass through a sieve with four
meshes to the inch is f1ne enough and
preferable many times to dust grind
Ing Some are using It with good re.
suits when not nearly all will pass this
sieve. Where the distance to haul is |
short, coarse grinding and large ap-
plications are preferable, for with
large application of coarse stones, the
Of lime can be made very
far apart.
Lime should be put on once in four
or six years, two or three tons per
acre, but four or fve tons Of course
ground stone should last for ten years.
The writer realizes that the fiat
lands are Welding better crops by
phosphate and better farming, but as
soon as lime comes into general use
crops equal to those in the best sec
tions Of our state may be expected
from our fiat lands. J. b. Converse.
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