166 Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



ill the soil and are not able to use to best advantage the plant-food 

 and moisture distributed tlirouf^hoiit the soil. If possible all manures 

 should be spread evenly over the soil and plou<^hed, cultivated, or 

 duf>' under. 



Fonnvhic 1 (n) and 1 (/>). — Hone-dust and kraal ash or sulphate 

 of potash mixed and applied in April to manure the pea crop. Peas 

 sown in April (as early as possible) and phnio-hed under towards the 

 end of July, or early in August. 



Formula 2. — Spread manure in April-May, bone-dust over this, 

 and plough under immediately. 



For^nulae 3 {o), 3 (b), and 3 {c). — Bone-dust and kraal ash. 

 Karroo sheep manure or sulphate of potash mixed and ap])lied in 

 April-May, guano in July-August. 



Formula Al. — All mixed and applied in April-May, or part of 

 the blood-meal can be held over and applied in July-August. If 

 sulphate of ammonia is used it should be applied over the surface in 

 July. Nitrate of soda should not be applied before August (spread 

 over surface). 



U»E or LiMK IN Vineyards. 



Vineyard soils which are acid or sour should receive occasional 

 dressings of lime. Though lime is one of the essential plant-foods it 

 is not applied as a fertilizer or manure in the correct sense of the 

 w^ord, and it is important to bear in mind that it cannot take the 

 place of other fertilizers. If the soil should be deficient in lime as 

 a plant-food (which very rarely occurs), the crop will obtain suiiicient 

 lime in the various phosphatic fertilizers used. 



Lime is a soil improver rather than a fertilizer, and its useful 

 functions are as follows: — 



1. It neutralizes acidity and keeps the soil sweet. AVhen humus 

 decays in tlie soil, a considerable amount of acid substances is pro- 

 duced and these afterwards interfere with the bacterial activities 

 which bring about the decay of humus and the production of available 

 nitrogen for the crop. But if lime is present it destroys the acidity 

 and encourages the bacterial activities in the soil. Thus an applica- 

 tion is especially necessary when large amounts of humus (stable or 

 kraal manure, and green manure) are ploughed into the soil. Dark 

 brown or black soils which are rich in humus are generally greatly 

 improved by applying lime. 



2. It lo()sens up heavy, compact soils, making tluMu easier io 

 M'ork and more porous, so that air and water can penetrate more 

 easily. 



3. It increases the availability of the mineral jilant-foods in ihe 

 soil, especially potash and phosphoric; oxide. Thus it is a stimulant, 

 and unless pliosphatic and potash fertilizers are used along with 

 the lime it will cause the soil to become rapidly depleted of these 

 plant-foods. 



Lime can be obtained in the following forms: — 



1. Burnt or quick lime (lumps). 



2. Slaked lime (fine powder). 



3. Finely ground limestone, or carbonate of lime, or " agricul- 



tural " lime. 



