Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-01-19
What Alfalfa Needs Most-Lime.
L. F. GRADER in The Country Gentleman.


After considerable experience and travt
| have come to believe that the creates
cultural factor in growing alfalfa in thos
sections where it is not general crop
the use of lime. Alfalfa is lime-lovin
plant-more so than any other farm crop
-Four tons of alfalfa remove twenty time
as much standardization the soil al
the straw and grain of a thirty-bushe
wheat crop. A ton of alfalfa hay con
tains nearly hundred pounds of lime
Limestone has mapped the great alfalfa
areas of the United States. II has figured
most prominently in the historical devel-
opment and growth of the crop in this
country. Alfalfa was first introduced into
California in 1854. Since then and from
there it has spread with amazing rapidity
all through the Western States Why
Because lime is most abundant in those
soils.
More than hundred and fifty years ago
the colonists tried to grow alfalfa in the
Eastern States. 1t never succeeded The
soil was sour. They did not know about
lining at that time. The only place in the
East where alfalfa was a success in the
early days was Syracuse. New York. Rec
otds show that the crop has been grown
there successfully for more than hun
dred years. WhyH Because 1t is in the
heart of a limestone-sOil area.
Some farmers grow alfalfa successfully
with no more effort than is necessary for
timothy. They happen to have natural
alfalfa soil-meaning soil containing a
goodly supply of limestone carbonates and
having good drainage.
All our soils contain lime. They must
have lime to support plant growth But
many soils cannot provide a sufficient
amount of this necessary plant food for
such lime-hungry plant as alfalfa. Lime
on some soils will act as an actual fertil-
izer for alfalfa, but on most soils it serves
principally as the great neutraizer of those
soil acids which make the land sour and
the alfalfa yellow and sickly.
have met many farmers who have said !:
MY land isn't sour why. it's all upland.
1t grows sweet grass. like red top and timo-
thy. 1t grows good corn and potatoes. It's
rich land-worth $50 an acre. It's not
marsh land. Haven't any sour slough
grass growing on the farm I"
They forgot that corn. oats. potatoes.
red top and alsike clover will produce well
on soil much too sour to grow crop of
alfalfa successfully. And ii is often true
that muck soils which grow the sO-caled
sour grasses are not acid. They may be
just the opposite-especially when they
are surrounded by limestone hills whence
lime is carried in the natural waters into
the marsh.
Soils are sour when they lack sufficient
limestone carbonates to counteract or neu-
tralize acids that may occur in both the
poorest and the richest of soils. Many Of
our farms which grow big crops of corn
and potatoes need lime TO grow alfalfa.
do not wish to say all soils need lime.
That Is not true. Very rich soils will some
times grow alfalfa even though they are
quite acid. But so many soils need lime
that all should be tested for sourness or
acidity before attempts at alfalfa growing
are made. These tests are simple. They
will save thousands of dollars that ere
annually wasted in trying to grow alfalfa
on soils too sour for healthy growth Of
this crop.
Not long ago grower of alfalfa told
me; THE first time tried testing my soils
with blue ltmus paper did II on the sly.
! didn't want anyone to know about il,
because really didn't think there was
much to it. boughta dime worth. Just
for my own satisfaction tried It out with
some vinegar and il did turn right red.
Then went up into one field where |
never could get alfalfa started. 1t had
rained the day before, so the soil was
moist. ! made a slit in the ground with
my knife. put a strip Of the ltmus in. and
closed the dirt about it. left 1t there for
five minutes and then removed the dirt.
Well, sir. that paper had turned to sort
Of notified pink That meant the soil was
sour tried il in three or four places by
taking handfuls of dirt and making them
into balls with the litmus in the center,
and they all did the same thing.
II was just curious enough to haul out
three loads Of waste air-slaked lime that
got from our dealer and put II on one
acre. The next year | inoculated and
seeded down TO alfalfa and Got an excel
lent stand. The litmus test may not be
absolutely reliable for all soils. but it's
mighty close indicator Of soil acids.
I've been reading about the Truog Soil
Acidity Test. They say it's little more
but it's better than the litmus
because it tells how acid the soil Is and
gives one a better idea Of the amount Of
lime TO use. I've been sending samples Of
my soil to the experiment station to be
tested for acidity. II gives me little more
confidence in spending money for lime.
DO you know. il seems mighty queer
that this soil about here should be sour.
This is limestone country and good
many round here don't need to buy lime
But II pays me TO use two tons to the acre,
though nearly all my farm is underlaid
with fine gravelly limestone subsoil The
surface is sour. The experts say that rain.
with the aid Of years Of cultivation. has
Ieached the lime out Of the top eight inches.
My experience has really shown that.
Il found that the first year after | had
seeded alfalfa on my soil. when didn't
use lime the alfalfa never grew well. 1t
was thick enough, but 1t always looked
yellowish and never get very good first
or second crop. The next year 1t would
make a surprisingly healthy green and
rapid growth.
1T gradually dawned upon me that the