Milford chronicle., 1917-09-28
SOIL SWEETENING
Farming Methods Endangered by
Confusion of Instructions.
MEN OF EXPERIENCE MIsLED.

Attention Of Teachers ls Focused on
Unprosrsssive Element, and Bulletins
Are Addressed Mainly to Them, Thus
Confusing Those Who Have Lined
Their Lands In Right Manner.
The wide spread OF sour land and the
resulting limitation OF crops has alarm
ed agricultural teachers to push the
conservative and meet objections that
are in part local and often evasive.
The teachers having their troubles
with unprogressive farmers focus their
attention upon them. Thus they are
liable to make wholesale recommends
tions in the agricultural bulletins as II
such men comprise the sole public.
Unfortunately through this many who
have always lined their lands right
are made doubtful by such generaliza-
tions and the tone OF authority In new
recommendations Pulverized lime
stone and oyster shell are useful forms
OF soil sweeteners when ground fine
enough. OutcrOps Of the stone and
abandoned shell heaps occur in many
places. These should be developed and
local grinding encouraged If the opera
tion is practical and economical. For
lime is not merely useful; 1t is essen
tial to all land.
But so anxious are the teachers to
start this utilization that nearly all
bulletins convey the impression that
these carbonate forms Of lime are
cheap. This is not often the case
where freight rates are reasonable and
immediate results from lining are de-
sired. Consider that ordinary stone
grinders when new reduce the mate
rial so that about one-half OF 1t will
pass a sieve with sixty meshes to the
inch. The Pennsylvania Agricultural
college recommends that ground lime
stone be reduced to a degree OF fine
ness so that all win pass a sixty mesh
screen, OF twice as fine as many Of the
products Of local grinding plants. Then
as coarse ground limestone contains
only one-half its weight Of oxide, or
true lime, you only have One-half of
One-half or One-quarter Of the stun.
shipped, hauled and spread, that
sweetens soil. In a rough estimate
the cheapest true lime or lime oxide
on the field gives the largest profit.
Don't be misled into believing that the
lowest cost lime product is always the
cheapest I'm the end from the stand
point of genuine service. A good way
TO figure out which is the most ecOnOm-
ical form of lime 10 use is to multiply
the cost of coarse ground limestone
or oyster shell offered at a low price
by four. when comparing it with the
COS. of burned lime. after you have
added freight, hauling and handling to
both. In doing this remember that our
agricultural experts generally advise
about twice as much ground limestone
is needed to do the work of burned
lime. and this means twice the freight
rate when the former material Is used.
Ground limestone and shell produced
in a farming section at a distance from
railroads may stand this test Of cheap
ness. But many farmers near lines Of
transportation are being misled in this
connection Dy Tue EeconlAhchudtiVH0 hi
agricultural bulletins. The authorities
had no intention in writing, them Of
changing good lining practices already
existing.
Increasing the Egg Supply.
The number Of marketable eggs can
be increased by following a few prac-
tical suggestions, says the United
States department Of agriculture.
Among the most important Of these
are the production Of the infertile egg
after the breeding season is over and
the proper handling of eggs by the
farmer before sending them to mar
ket. The infertiIe egg is obtained when
all male birds are removed from the
flock. This does not decrease the num-
Der Of eggs produced, but it does in
crease greatly their keeping qualities.
The production Of the infertile egg and
the proper handling and marketing Of
eggs by the producer would increase
tremendously the number Of market
able eggs each year by diminishing the
AF,rA ,vaak