Sharp County record., 1917-09-07
RAISE LEGUAE 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.

Live stock growers in Arkansas are
| becoming more interested in the clo-
vers and alfalfa because the deinanl
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 well sup
! piled with lime to insure their best
/ development. Soil acidity, which
means the absence of lime from a
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 as alfalfa.
White, also crimson and burr clover
are slightly more resistant, but VIII
not do we'll on soils that have even
q medium acidity. Japan clover OF
lespedeza appears to be the most re-
sistant of all the cIovers to acid con-
dition; but even though it will grow
to a limited extent on very acid SOILS,
It does much better on soils contain
ing lime.
How To Determine If Your Soil
Needs Lime.
The simplest method Of determin-
! ing if a soil needs lime is to test 1t
with litmus paper. Litmus paper
can be secured at most drug stores
It 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 Is
not sufficiently sensitive for the test.
That which is put up in small walls
by Squibble and by Merck & 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 ls
broken apart, a strip Of the blue lit
mus paper inserted, and the soil
pressed together again. After five
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 a 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 mfslead-
ing when used by the inexperienced
nerson. 1t is so simple and mex.
pensive, however, that every farmer
should test his soil. Then II there is
any doubt about 1t sample may be
sent to the Department of Agronomy
of the Agricultural Experiment sta
ton at Fayetteville where 1t will be
tested free Of charge.
Form Of Lime To Use.
II II is desired to grow clover or
alfalfa on a soil trat has been found
10 be acid, lime in some form must
be used to correct the acidity or the
attempt to get a stand Is almost GER
tain 10 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
fury; whereas II an excessive amount
Of burned or Stacked lime or wood
ashes la used, the crop may be ip
jured and much humus destroyed In
the soil. However, II the burned oi
Stacked lime is used in moderate
quantities mot 10 exceed l,5O0 pounds
per acre. no injury will result In
most cases II will be found more sat
isfactory to use the ground limestone
because II Is cheaper, less unpleas
ant 10 handle, and Is safer,
Ground limestone should be applied
at the rate Of about two tons pei
acre II a very large proportion Of
the material consists Of coarse par-i
cles from one.eighth TO one-Gourtt
/ inch in diameter a larger quantity
should be used. The finer the rock
Ia ground the more quickly It becomes
available, but the finer grinding adds
materially to the cost Of production
hence in many cases II Is cheaper Il
use three or four tons Of the coarse
material rather than two tons Of ane
ly ground rock, In no case, however
should ground limestone be purchased
which contains particles larger thar
one-rourth inch and a largo proper
ton Of all limestone used should con
| gIst Of fne powder,
Ground limestone may be spread
with special lime distributors, many
styles Of which are on the market, oi
| H. may be spread from a wagon viii
ahovels, In case the latter method ii
,,a.d anna ahauId ha taLsa ta laa,,p,