Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1923-08-25
I0D|STR|bUTE LINE
FREE TO FARMERS
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND AND
B. 4 o. RAILROAD TO RUN
SPECIAL TRAIN INAUoUsT.
SOILS WILL Be TESTED

A special train, equipped with coil
testing apparatus and carrying quantt-
ties of lime Tor free distribution to
the farmers Of the State. viii be op-
Grated by the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad In cooperation with the UnI
yersity of Maryland and thes United
States Department Of Agriculture dur
ing the week Of August - to 26. and
will be the means OF emphasizing the
value. of lime to agriculture.
The "soil testing special" Win -
operated over the lines Of the Bslti-
more and Ohio Railroad. and VIII
make number Of stops In each Of the
counties through which the failroad
runs. A definite schedule Of stops at
points in Cecil. Hartford, Baltimore.
Anne Arundel. Prince Georges. How.
ard. Carroll, Frederick, Garrett. ALE
gany, washington. and Montgomery
counties is being arranged and will
be announced so that farmers can
meet the train at the nearest stopping
point.
The train will be equipped with soil
testing apparatus and will stop at
zach point long enough to test soil
samples brought In by the farmers.
This work will be under the direction
Of DR.. A. G. Mccall, head Of the de-
partpent Of soils Of the University OF
Maryland Experiment Station. The
proper amount Of lime for an acre OF
ground as shown by the test will be
given free OF charge to each farmer,
and will be unloaded from the supply
which the train will carry.
"The soil Of .seventy4ive out Of
every hundred fields in Maryland is
sick for the lack Of lime. and must
have an application Of some form OF
lime bearing material before maximum
crops can be produced" says DR.. Nc
Call
Fortunately Maryland offers .
variety of limeIbearing materials.
many Of which are being used as .
course of agricultural lime," he con-
tinues. "The finished product Is usu>
ally available 40 a. raw pulverized
oyster shells, pulverized limestone and
mari; ,(2) burned limestone or oyster
shells; and (3) hydrated lime. To
apply these different forms In chem
ically equivalent amounts 1t is neces-
sary to make much heavier applica-
lions of the pulveri4sd raw limestone
and the hydrated lime than OF the
burned form. For practical purposes
1t is sufn cient to remember that one
ton Of the burned. lime Is equivalent
10 one and q half tons Of the hydrated
form or two tons Of the pulverized
raw limestone or oyster shells.
I'm deciding which form Of lime to
use the farmer must take into consid,
Grafton not only the, cost Of the ma
'terial delivered to. his station, but
also the cost q hauling and handling
from the railroad station to the farm,
Farmers living near the station will
usually find It much more economical
to buy the low priced raw material
while those living from five to ten
miles distant may find it advantage
GUS to buy the more expensive con,
centrated forms.
Farmers in the counties through
which the soil testing special will
run are urged to have their soil tested
before wheat Is seeded this fall. The
success of. the hay crop which usually
follows the wheat is particularly de-
pendent upon the condition Of the soil
with respect to acidity. II on the
other hand the lime requirement Of
the soil has been met. money should
BE invested in fertilizer rather than
III lime. d
SAMPLES OF soil to be tested should
be taken from the Held that is to be
SEEDED to mixed grasses. clover or
alfalfa. A spade or shovel should be
puzzled into the ground and worked
back and forth to open up the cut. A
thin slice OF soil from the top to the
bottom OF the hole should then be
shaved on and placed on a clean piece
Of paper. The same operation should
BE- repeated in another section Of the
field. n the field is large and uneven
samples should be secured from Ave
Or SIX different places.
"All samples should be placed on
the same piece Of paper and thorough
ly mixed, A 'half-pint Of soil should
be taken. from this mixture, allowed
to dry and placed. in clean. bag OF
can which should bes numbered and
marked with the name Of the owner
Around each package should be Q
sheet Of paper giving the following In
formation:
Name and address,
Location Of the field,
Size Of the field,
When last lined,
How much lime was used,
Does clover grow well.
-: y S.