EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 



283 



Dually. The application of 200 to 250 pounds of acid phosphate or 100 

 or 150 pounds of steamed bone meal might be ajjplied as an experiment on 

 clay soils, as might also the same fertilizer with the addition of 75 to 

 100 pounds of muriate of potash on the sandy soils. 



USB OP LIME IN SEEDING ALFALFA. 



Only about twenty-five per cent of the farmers who filled out the report 

 blanks used lime at all and over one-third of these applied it at less 

 than 1000 pounds per acre. It is, therefore, evident, considering the 

 large percentage of successful seedings, that the use of lime is not an 

 essential factor in the seeding of alfalfa on many of the farms in Michi- 

 gan, It is just as evident, however, as shown by many observations 

 about the state and by numerous reports from farmers that, under cer- 

 tain soil conditions, the use of lime is quite essential to the growing of 

 this crop. 



Table A-^I shows the summarized results of the use of lime as compared 

 with no lime. 



TABLE VI.— INFLUENCE OF LIME IN GROWING ALFALFA. 



It is sometimes diflScult to tell by preliminary study whether an ap- 

 plication of lime is needed before seeding alfalfa. If the surface soil 

 contains small shells or small pieces of limestone, it probably is not in 

 an acid condition. Pebbles that are thought to be of limestone oi-igin 

 (and also the soil itself) may be tested by pouring on a small amount 

 of hydrochloric or other acid. If an effeivesence or bubbling takes 

 place it indicates an alkaline condition, and an application of lime 

 is not necessary. When much difficulty is experienced in producing 

 satisfactory crops of red clover, it may be taken as an indication of 

 some unfavorable condition, possibly an acid condition of the soil. 

 The use of litmus paper is often of value in determining whether lime 

 is necessary. In order to make this test, the blue litmus paper, should 

 be purchased at a drug store, and the strips placed in the moist soil 

 in various parts of the field and left there for five or ten minutes. 

 If the paper turns to a reddish color it is said to indicate an acid 

 condition of the soil. This, however, is rather a crude test and may 

 be misleading either from the fact that the blue dye may oe absorbed 

 by the soil, leaving the paper red or because much of the litmus paper 

 on the market is not sufficiently sensitive to determine slightly acid 

 conditions of the soil. By far the most satisfactory method of de- 

 termining this point is to apply lime on a portion of the field where 

 alfalfa is being seeded. It is recommended that this be done in all 

 cases of seeding alfalfa for the first time on the farm. The results of 

 such a test will on the whole direct the farmer wisely in future seedings 

 of alfalfa. 



