FORTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 37 



approve of tlie use of hyd rated lime, but I do approve of the finely 

 ground, raw-rock limestone. This may be put on ground that is acid, 

 at the rate of two tons per acre without any injury whatever. I 

 like the raw-rock lime because it acts more slowly upon the soil than 

 hydrated lime, and here is no undesirable after atfect where the raw- 

 rock lime is used. 



Before going into the details of soil preparation, T want to discuss 

 the advantages of leguminous crops. Legume plants will put the soil 

 into a rich virgin mellowness more quickly and cheaply than any other 

 method I ever have tried. I have experimented with winter and 

 spring vetch cow peas, soy beans, clover and alfalfa. All of these are 

 good, but if I was forced to name my favorite legume plant I would 

 name the winter vetch, because the seed of the winter vetch may be 

 sown as late as the latter part of August with full assurance of getting 

 a splendid growth before winter sets in. And I find that the winter 

 vetch will continue to grow throughout the winter months at all times 

 when the soil is not frozen. 



The strawberry grower may defer sowing his winter vetch until 

 after his strawberry plants have finished fruiting. The old plants may 

 then he plowed under and the ground harrowed and reharrowed until 

 sometime in August, at which time the winter vetch may be sown 

 at the rate of 20 to 25 pounds per acre. We have sown as much as 

 40 and 50 pounds per acre, but I find this excessive amount of seed 

 is unnecessary, as the vetch stools heavily and will completely cover 

 the ground when as little as 20 pounds of seed per acre is sown. 



It must be remembered that all soils are not acid, and if you are 

 located in a limestone district, it may be unnecessary for you to 

 , lime your soil. It is an easy matter to learn whether or not your 

 soil is acid. Simply take a piece of litmus paper and make an opening 

 in the soil, place the litmus paper in the opening the same as you 

 would when setting a plant, and press the moist soil tiglitly against 

 the paper. In 10 or 15 minutes remove the paper and if it has turned 

 real red it indicates your soil is acid. The degree of the change in 

 color of the litmus paper determines the degree of the acidity of 

 your soil. 



EFFECT OF LIME ON LEGUME CROPS. 



No other treatment of the soil will give a greater growth to the 

 legume crop than to lime the soil before the legume seed is sown. 

 As all agriculturalists know, the legume plants have the power of draw- 

 ing in or extracting from the atmosphere great quantities of nitrogen 

 that covers the earth like a blanket. Bacterial life uses the roots of 

 legume plants for the building of their homes. These homes are known 

 as bacteria nodules. 



Leguminous plants cannot be expected to add great quantities of 

 nitrogen to the soil unless conditions are made so favorable that bac- 

 teria may work and multiply upon the roots. These micro-organisms are 

 very industrious and they aid the legumes greatly in doing the work 

 which they are expected to do, and tlie excess of nitrogen which is 

 brought down through the legume plant into the roots over and above 

 what tlie bacteria germs use, is left in the soil for the benefit of the 

 crop which is to follow. 



