The courier-index. (Marianna, Ark.) 1917-current, 1917-11-02
RAISE LEGUME HAY;
ARMY NEEDS GRAIN
Glover and Alfalfa Should Be Raised
For Stock-Grain is Needed
For Human Food.
by d. F. Hungerford, Assistant Agron-
omist University of Arkansas.

vers and alfalfa because the demand
| for grain as human food has so in
| creased the price that live stock men
must rely upon legume hay largely to
| take the place of grain in feeding
| their animals.
| Those who attempt to raise these
legumes should remember that al
| falfa and most of the common Glow
ers require a soil that is we'll sup
piled with lime to insure their best
DEVELOPMENT. Soil acidity, which
means the absence of lime from q
soil, is especially injurious TO alfalfa
and sweet clover. Neither OF these
crops appear to be able to resist, per-
manently, even a slight degree OF
acidity. Red clover is nearly as SEN
sitive to an acid condition az alfalfa.
White, also crimson and burr clover
are slightly more resistant, but will
not do well on soils that have even
a medium acidity. japan clover or
lespedeza appears to be the most re-
sistant of all the clovers to acid con-
dition; but even though it will grow
to limited extent on very acid soils,
Il does much better on soils contain
ing lime.
How To Determine II Your Soil
Needs Lime.
The simplest method OF determin-
ing II a soil needs lime is to test 1t
with litmus paper. Litmus paper
can be secured at most drug stores.
II comes in two colors-red and blue.
The blue is used for the test. Much
Of the litmus paper carried by drug
gists is Of an inferior quality and 10
not suflciently sensitive for the test.
That which is put up in small walls
by Squibble and by Merck 4 Co. has
been found to be satisfactory.
To make the test in the field time
is selected after a rain when the soil
is moist. A ball of moist soil Is
broken apart, a strip Of the blue lit
mus paper inserted, and the soil
pressed together again. After Ave
or ten minutes the paper is taken out
and IL it has turned pink the soil is
acid Tests should be made in sew
eral parts Of field that is being
examined to eliminate errors. The
litmus paper test is not absolutely re-
liable even in the hands of trained
workman and is sometimes mislead-
ing when used by the inexperienced
person. 1t is so simple and mex
pensive, however, that every farmer
should test his soil. Then il there is
any doubt about it sample may be
sent to the Department of Agronomy
of the Agricultural Experiment Sta
ton at Fayetteville where it will be
tested free of charge.
Form of Lime To Use.
II II is desired to grow clover or
alfalfa on a soil that has been found
to be acid, lime in some form must
be used to correct the acidity or the
attempt to get stand is almost GER
tain to be a failure. Lime may be
applied as ground limestone. ground
shells, ground burned lime, Stacked
lime. or wood ashes. The safest and
usually the cheapest form of lime to
use is ground limestone or ground
shells. An unlimited amount Of such
material could be used without in
Jury; whereas if an excessive amount
Of burned or Stacked lime or wood
ashes is used, the crop may be in
jured and much humus destroyed in
the soil However, IL the burned or
Stacked lime is used in moderate
quantities (not to exceed 1900 pounds
per acre) no injury will result. In
most cases it will be found more sat
isfactory to use the ground limestone,
because it is cheaper less unpleas-
ant to handle, and is safer
Ground limestone should be applied
at the rate of about two tons per
acre. II very large proportion OF
the material consists of coarse partf-
cles from one-eighth to one-fourth
inch in diameter a larger quantity
should be used. The finer the rock
Is ground the more quickly it becomes
available, but the finer grinding adds
materially to the cost of production /;
hence in many cases, it is cheaper TO
nae three or four tons OF the coarse
material rather than two tons of fine
w ground rock. In no case, however.
should ground limestone be purchased
which contains particles larger than
one-fourth inch and a large proper
ton of all limestone used should con
sist of fine powder.
Ground limestone may be spread
with special lime distributors. many
STYLES of which are on the market, or
II may be spread from wagon with
shovels. In case the latter method is
used care should be taken to insure
an even distribution, otherwise the
crop will not be uniform. II should
be spread on plowed ground and eth
er disked or narrowed in Lime should
never be plowed under as that buries
it too deeply to be OF benefit to the
terminating seed which needs II
most