The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1920-06-16
THE BIG FIVE
oeNsnsss, Lime, caItsvasien, oruaass
"atesr and Soluble FeFtiIixsrs Ne.
qulrsd In Soil Improvement.
BY N. r.. Winters, Asronomist.

A ~ Wmte1s, AaBonoml0t.
Inc hVe factors to consider IN
h handiing our soils are drainage, lima.
starvation, organic matter and SOL
u0as fertilizers.
Ine direct bearing Of any Que OF
sneee hSe factors on the management
ez any particular soil, depends on ceu-
eitions.
Drainage.
livery cubic inch Of good soil con-
lAtns millions Of microscopic organ.
ams called bacteria, which are busy
neBlns to bring about chemical
s6anges In rendering plant nutrients
avanable and destroying toxic sub
Feances in the soil. These little bac-
seria must have air. If too much wa
Ser is present in the soil, the bene-
fciel bacteria can not work to the
pest advantage; substances that are
no1le to field crops are developed and
uesrable chemical changes do not take
place.
In order to give the plant a good
sanitary home In which to grow drain
age 10 absolutely necessary.
Lime
The practice OF applying lime in
some form has been followed for a
long time, especially in European coun-
utes. The beneficial effects following
ifs use have been appreciated by the
practical European farmers since
ancient times. Strange to say, the
need of lime is unrecognized or ig-
nored In some localities in the United
states today under conditions which
really make it very important factor
IN the Big Five.
Lime Needed in Eastern United
States.
With modern methods of cultivation
and the use Of commercial fertilizers.
the lime content OF practically all
eastern soils is gradually depleted
from year to year. Even tho limestone
lands Of New York, Virxinia, Ken
7ucky and Tennessee are responding
to the wise use Of lime by the farmers
OF these states
Loss Of Limestone.
Under best of cropping conditions
from 800 to 500 pounds Of limestone
are annually lost In the drainage wa
ter from each acre Of cultivated sol,
where the rainfall varies from IS TO
% inches or more per JS:-. C-cse
use an average Of about 81 pounds
limestone per ncre per year, and an
average Of 200 pounds or more Of lime
stone should be available at all times
IN each acre during the growing sea
con for combining with the soluble
nitrogen formed by bacterial action.
The best advice is to use the form
w1lcn gives tho largest amount of
calcium for the money, considering
the percentage of purity, fneness and
price delivered. (The ease and cost
OF application should also be consid-
ered.)
Some men who are paid for boosting
es,e nr the other form of lime would
have us believe that one form Is far
superior to other forms; but average
practical. results and experiment data
do not show this to be the case.
Bulletin $50 OF the Rhode Island
Experiment Station sh ,ws results *
i've years work in favor Of burned
Anae than most experiment station
data shows to date.
The conclusion in this bulletin il
that 80 mesh limestone has the same
eject the first year as burned or ny
drafted lime OF same calcium oxide
equivalent per acre.
The coarser particles seemed to have
little effect during the nrst two years
after application but during the third
year, fourth and fifth years the 10
mesh limestone showed creator actly-
Ny than an equivalent amount of hy-
drafted lime.
All Forms Become Same In Soil.
Either the burned or hydrated forms
soon revert TO natural limestone ON
exposure to air and moisture. Dr. Nc
Intyre found that this reversion was
complete in 3 to 8 days after applica-
ton, and his work would also Indicate
mat IN the practice Of applying lime
the burned or hydrated forms may re-
vert in large measure to the natural
limestone previous to contact with the
soil.
In case Of doubt, consult your coun-
ty agent as to which form Of lime
to buy, considering the percentage Of
purity and the price Of the products
delivered.
Cultivation, Organic Matter,
Fertilizers.
Each one of these three are just an
important for consideration as drain
age or lime; but space forbids an ade-
ne
five big factors.