Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1920-02-20

must be compacted or the seed bed will
dry out before the young plants get
their roots down far enough.
Be Sure Whether Lime Is Needed.
Another matter of the utmost I'm
portance is to consider whether or not
the field 1t Is proposed to seed needs
lime. Unless the farmer Is sure, he
should send sample Of the soil to his
state station and inquire. Not far from
rs per cent of the arabic land east of
the Mississippi and north of the south
ern boundary Of Tennessee needs lime
to bring Il good crop Of clover. This
fact can not be too strongly en-
phaszed. II the soil Is "sour" do not
waste expensive red clover seed on
it---let some one else have II. But land
need not remon sour. A ton or two
of Underground limestone per acre
VIII. In the average ease, put the soil
into condition 10 grow clover Ii Is not
necessary to put on enough TO com
pletely satisfy the lime requirement.
The Pennsylvania station has shown
that lime requirement of 800 pounds
per acre or less did no great harm.
but when more Is needed II must be
supplied If clover Is TO do well. Soil
with lime requirement of 1000
pounds or more per acre will usually
not make paying crop Of red clover.
If the wheat ground needs lime the
clover should be seeded with spring
grain with lime narrowed in on the
plowed ground. If this can not be done
the limestone may be put on the wheat
and narrowed in with the seed. though
ii is not so effective when applied in
this way as when spread on plowed
ground and narrowed in. Farmers look
ing ahead for several years should con-
slider lining the corn field next spring,
especially If this Is to be followed by
wheat with clover on the wheat In
1921. Corn responds to lining more
than small grains do and limestone
put on in this way will prepare the
ground well for a subsequent clover
crop. Used in this way the full amount
necessary TO satisfy the lime require
ment should he Used, as some will be
lost in drainage wafer and some will
be removed by the corn crop. A coat
ing of manure will help clover, AMI
on some soils phoSphates are essential.
Potash Is Scarce.
In some cases. too, potash gives good
results, but potash it still scarce and
its use will not be warranted unless
the farmer knows that ii is needed.
A word Of warning must, however.
be added in the discussion of lime.
Lime is not a fertilizer, and If used
persistenty without addinc organic
matter in the shape of manure or crop
reSidues will eventually leave the soil
the poorer. When clover is grown the
nitrogen will largely take care of It.
self, but phosphorus and sometimes
potash will have to be added as soils
need them. And most of all will they
need organic matter.
Good clover crops lie at the founda-
ton of agriculture in the northeastern
quarter of the United States. On many
farms good clover crops can not be
produced without lime, hut lime alone
Will not permanently help the situa-
ton. 4 proper system of rotf ion with
clover as regular element in three
or four year rotation must be adopted
for the permanent upbuilding of the
land, and then whatever else the land
needs in the way of lime or fertilizer
must be added thereto.