Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1919-01-11

Though the armistice has been sign
ed, the eyes of the world are still To-
cused upon the American farmer, who
Is called upon to exert his. best effort
to produce greater yields of all farm
commodities under the existing short
supply of labor. The duty is pressing
Of furnishing abundant supplies for
our own people, and in large meas
ure for shipment abroad. Conditions
generally make it important that the
farmer retain on the farm over winter
as much Of his labor supply as posi-
ble This man power should likewise
be utilized to accomplish tasks which
might otherwise fall in the buster sea-
sons of spring and summer, or at
planting and harvest times. One Of
these tasks which is Of rather Ia
borious nature is that of lining, and
fortunately it may be done in winter,
though it is not the customary prac-
tice. Yet, under the circumstances, it
is one way to utilize labor efficiently
during the winter and at the same
time bring about better soil conditions
and greater yields so badly needed.
Lining Soils in Winter an Advisable
Practice, According to Opinions Of
Agricultural Colleges.
Agriculturalists and Experiment Sta
ton workers have been prompted by
difficulties arising out of war condi-
lions to give thorough consideration to
the practice of lining soils in winter.
The opinions of a number on this sub
ject are given:
Advice Of Experiment Station Workers.
Prof. T. c. Johnson, director of the
Virginia Truck Experiment Station,
Norfolk, Va, says:
1--WE think it very good practice
for the farmer to purchase lime dur
ing the fall and winter for immediate
application or for application prior to
planting crops in the early spring. In
the trucking section it is customary to
procure lime during the winter months
and apply it on such crops as cabbage,
lettuce; tomatoes, cantaloupes and Gu
cumbers. but for such crops as beets
and potatoes lime usually should be
applied on the crops preceding those
mentioned. We are advising farmers
to secure the lime ut the earliest date
possible on account Of the difficulty in
transportation end labor"
DR.. H. J. Patterson. director of the
Stofinv,
1--WE have gotten very good results
by applying lime during the winter as
top dressing on wheat and fall seed
ed grasses. We do not advise this as
being the best method Of applying
lime, but lime applied in this way has
proven beneficial both to the grain and
grass which follows the wheat
DR.. Jacob G. Lipman, soil chemist,
dean and director of the New Jersey
Agricultural Experiment Station, says:
"The wisdom Of purchasing and
spreading lime in the fall and winter
is entirely proper At this particu-
lar time, when farm labor is costly
and scant as to supply, the conserva-
ton Of the efforts of the farmer should
be urged in every possible way. In
deed it has been our practice for
some time past to advise farmers in
New Jersey not to leave certain Of
the farm work that may be done in
the winter until early spring.
DR.. Elmer o. Fippin, professor Of
soils, Cornell University and College
Of Agriculture, Ithaca. N. Y, says:
I'm the matter Of the ordering and
use Of lime in the winter we
have emphasized the Importance Of
farmers ordering their lime in the win
ter because Of difficulties of getting
cars in the spring; also they then have
more time for such work. We also
recommend in our regular work the
practice Of applying lime in the winter
any time when the ground is essential
ly bare of snow, While we prefer
that it be applied to land that is to be
plowed or to be given cultivation be-
fore the crop is planted, we do not
object to man applying it to a crop
already established, but with the un-
derstanding that his immediate bene-
fits are not likely to be as large IA
where the lime can be more thorough
ly incorporated with the SOIL"
Use Of the Concentrated Forms OF
Lime Saves Labor.
Considering these statements Of the
leading agriculturaljsts, in view of TIL"
fact that high percentage (approXi-
mately So per cent? of the soils east
Of the Mississippi river are sour and
badly in need of lime and that the
shortage of labor and transportation
facilities is severe, the farmer should
not hesitate to secure a liberal sur
ply of lime now for immediate appl
cation and home storage.
In the purchase Of lining material
the farmer should give careful consid-
Grafton to it's chemical composition,
bearing in mind that the concentrated
form of lime, which is the lump and
b ~,