The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1919-01-06

tinue to Conserve Labor and to Meet
,, Other Problems OF His Operation
Brought About by the War.
Thn,.Sh the annlStice has been sign
ed. the eyes of the wnrl' are still 20.
cliSp upon The American farmer who
IS called itluIi Ia exert his best effort
to l.r..,l,ict 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 a large meas
urc for shipment abroad. Conditions
generally make it important that the
fari ,cr retain OH the farm over winter
as n;;Ich of his labor supply as possi-
bic. This man power should likewise
be utilized to accomplish tasks which
might otherwise fall in the buster sea-
sollS .pf spring and summer, or at
planting and harvest times. One of
these tasks which is of rather la
borious nature is that of Inning, 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.
| AgriculturalfstS and Experiment Sta
ton workers have been prompted by
difficulties arising out of war cOndi.
ti"ns to give thorough consideration to
the practice of lining soils in winter.
The opinions Of number on this sub.
| jecl are given:
Advice Of Experiment Station w orkers.
Prof Z. C. Johnson, director of the
Virginia Truck Experiment Station,
Norfolk. Va, says:
I'VE think it q, 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
| 10 secure the lime at the earliest date
possible on account Of the difficulty in
transportation and labor"
| DR.. H. ]. Patterson, director of the
Maryland Experiment Station, says:
I'VE have gotten very good results
by applying lime during the winter as
q 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 q. 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, 1t 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."
DIR. Elmer o. Fippin, professor OF
| soils, Cornell University and College
of Agriculture, Ithaca, n. z, says: J,
"ln 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 mo-
object to a man applying it to croI
already established, but with the un
Outstanding that his immediate bene
fits are not likely to be as large a.
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 agriculturalists, in view of the
fact that a high percentage (approxi
mately S5 per cent? Of the soils cas-
of the Mississippi river are sour ant
badly in need Of lime and that the
shortage of labor and transportation
facilities is severe, the farmer should
not hesitate to secure q liberal sup
ply of lime now for immediate appli
cation and home storage.
In The purchase Of lining materia
the farmer should give careful consid
Grafton to its chemical composition
bearing in mind that the concentrates
form Of lime, which is the lump ant
The hydrate, possesses nearly twice tn,
neutralizing power Of that of the vari
GUS finely pulverized limestones.