Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1922-12-28

OF which build up the soil for bigger
and better crops of grain.
Little did the builders of those
fences ever realize-and it must
have been laborious job-what the
ultimate fate of that limestone would
be. They knew not alfalfa-nor
did their soils necessarily require
lime at that time on the kind of
crops they were growing. The ne
cesslty of lime is largely due to the
teaching effect of abundant rains
which remove annually from the sur
face OF cultivated soils from 800 to
500 lbs. of lime carbonate. This con-
dition has obtained in Iowa county
and the remedy is being applied with
vigor and enthusiasm.
Fighting Canada Thfstles with
Alfalfa
When we started out on this pro-
gram,' said Mr.. Noble, I'VE made a
preliminary survey of the amount of
ground limestone shipped into the
county for soil purposes and as far
as could be ascertained not to exceed
800 tons had been used during the
previous twenty-five years. Hun
dreds of soil samples have been test
ed and they unquestionably indicate
the widespread need of lime. The
alfalfa growers of this county are
those who have used lime or those
! who have land that still contains suf-
ficient lime for this lime hungry
plant. We have in the western half
of this county broad expense of
fertile, black prairie loam-such as
your field down in the Corn Belt. 1t
is sometimes called the Garden of
Eden because of it's remarkable fer
tility. 1t grows splendid corn, good
grain, fair clover and excellent tim
othy. But alfalfa is almost COM
plete fizzle. 1t failed for Willard
Huson and it faded away for the
Harker Bros; that is, until they be-
gan to use lime, which proved all
that was needed to make alfalfa a
glowing success. So well did it grow
that on both these farms dense
patches of Canada thistles were COM
pletely wiped out by the overmaster-
ing growth and frequent cutting of
the alfalfa.
"This is what we hope to do on a
large number of farms in Iowa coun-
ty with the use of ground limestone.
Alfalfa is the best weed eradicator
known and while we are not badly
infested with Canada thistles they
have made their appearance in many
places and the sooner they are
checked the better for all concerned"
Two Lime Grinders at Work
Our first limestone meeting a year
and half ago was a great success
not in numbers but results. About
80 attended but after we had dis
cussed this limestone program they
signed up for 1900 tons of lime
stone to be ground as soon as we
could get the arrangements made.
We decided to follow the Green
county plan of lime grinding where,
instead Of having comparatively own
ed grinders, local parties purchase
an outfit and do the grinding at the
quarries for around 81 ton. With
orders for 1900 tons to start on it
was not difficult to find those who
! were ready and willing to go into the
agoing. Conrad Holt is operating
over in the eastern half of the county
and Will Johns and Dick Evans are
working in the northern section.
They are doing fine work in the way
of getting cheap limestone for those
| farmers who are too far distant from
railroad stations to have 1t shipped
in. The haul is not small matter
| and not a small item. In many cases
it has been the cause of line not be-
ing used. With a suppl near at
hand this key to successful alfalfa
growing is unlocking the door for
greater prosperity, VIII in times
like this is surely needed"
The economic significance of this
work is difficult to measure in dollars
and cents. Six thousand TONS of lime
applied to sour soils in Iowa county
should mean at least an additional
1900 acres of alfalfa if sown under
the direction of County Agent No
BILE. Fifteen hundred acres of alfal-
ia will produce 1900 tons of addi-
tional hay worth easily 100000 at
current market prices. But to be
doubly conservative let us cut this
in two-say SIS, 900. For a period
of ten years we have $4,000 added