Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-06-11
Limo and How to Use It.

L 64W0 000 l1VW ~ OSO tes
a. L. Deering, County Agent, Kennebee
County, ct Farmers' Week)
The chief value OF lime 10 . soil
sweetener, thereby making 1t possible
for maximum yields Of beets, such
leguminous plants % clovers, beans,
peas, vetches, alfalfa and . few other
less common plants.
Causes Of soil aoidity. The decay Of
any organic matter such % roots, stubble
green manure and the use Of commercial
fertilixers all cause soil In time TO be-
come acid or sour.
Effects Of sour soil. A soil which
IL strongly aoid does not grow . maxi
mum crop Of clover, the young clover
plants easily winter kill, heave out Of
the ground and We fail to get an even
strand Of clover.
Moreover acid soils are very favorable
for growth of certain weeds which still
further cut down the yields Of cultivat-
ed plants.
How to detect sour soil. Soils which
are acid can be detected by the growth
OF such weeds as moss, bluets, poly
pod brakes, white daisies, wild black
berry and golden rod. A further way
of determining II the soil is sour is to
notice II clover grows richer, and winter
kills less when we have sowed lime or
wood ashes. A very easy test to make
Is by the use of blue litmus paper.
Rinse out glass with clear fresh water,
place strip of blue litmus paper on the
inside and FIJI the glass with the soil to
be tested. Compact the soil and moisten.
II the litmus paper turns pink In the
course Of five hours you can be reason.
ably certain the soil needs lime.
Valuable constituent of lime. The
only valuable constituent OF lime is the
calcium oxide which II contains. This
ranges from 90 pounds in every hundred
down to fifty pounds in hundred. 1t
is therefore essential to get the analysis
of the lime before buying.
Form of lime to buy. There are two
forms Of lime more commonly sold for
agricultural purposes, ground lime
stones, and so called agricultural or
land lime. The first usually carries
about fifty-one pounds and the second
go pounds of calcium oxide IN 100 pounds
of material. In other words lime hav'
ing the same analysis as above will re.
quire 1000 pounds ground limestone and
TOO pounds OF land lime to furnish the
same amount of calcium oxide. Taking
into consideration the price this makes
ground limestone the cheaper form to
buy In southern and central Maine. 1t is
also much easier and less disagreeable to
apply. go,
When and how to apply. Lime should
be applied previous to the crop for
which II Is intended. That Ia II we
are raising It for clover, as wa probably
are, It should be applied when seeding
down. The best way Of applying lime 10
with lime sower and We will need one
II We are using land lime which is fine,
dry, dusty and disagreeable to handle.
II We are using ground limestone we can
put one or two inches OF fine horse
manure in the bottom OF q manure
spreader, put the lime on top Of this
and apply Il satisfactorily.
Need for lime. 1t 10 undoubtedly
true of any section In Maine that II lime
or ashes have not been used In the past
the soil is sour and will probably re-
spond to the proper application Of lime:
There never was Q time when We needed
lime as In 1918. We are striving to get
maximum yields Of crops as never be.
fore especially do We desire an increased
yield Of home grown feed, one OF the
more important being clover. Without
sweet soil We cannot expect to get the
largest returns from this legume. A
little verse chance to remember shows
the value of both the lime and clover In
the fertility OF our farms.
Lime, and lime without manure,
Makes the farm and farmer poor.
Lime, manure and abundant clover
Makes the old farm rich all over.