11 March, 1918.] Apple Culture in Victoria. 139 



5. Lime, but es]ieeially hot lime, has a good, effect upon the mechani- 



cal condition of stiff" clays. 



6. Gypsum also coagulates clay, but it has not the beneficial action 



of lime in other directions. 



7. Lime greatly hastens the production of nitrates. 



8. It has a good effect in liberating potash and phosphoric acid, 



especially when the latter is combined with iron or alumina. 



9. Where required by soil, lime produces larger crops. 



10. It produces root crops, which are of greater feeding value per ton. 



11. It may often be a profitable application to grass land. 



12. Lime kills sori'el, docks, and other acid-loving weeds. 



13. It is specially stimulating to lucerne, clovers, and leguminous 



plants. 



14. Lime will not act if phosphates are deficient. 



15. It increases the need, everywhere present, of ploughing in green 



manures or stubbles. 



16. It facilitates this operation. 



17. The surest method of determining the need for lime is to dress 



trial strips and await results. 



In an article on " Lime for Orchards,"* Mr. P. J. Carmody, Chief 

 Orchard Supervisor, dealing in a practical manner with the effect of lime 

 on fruit and fruit trees, and advocating its use, writes : — • 



" When it is considered that the average crop of fruit requires 

 more plant food for its development than an average crop of 

 wheat, and, moreover, that the fruit demands the same soil con- 

 stituents year after year, the necessity for a sweet and. favorable 

 medium for root pasturage is apparent; and as no other applica- 

 tion is at all comparable to the influence of lime for this purpose, 

 its frequent use is urgently required. It is a matter of common 

 observation that the fruit-buds of trees grown on sour soils are 

 of a weak or indefinite character, while the bark is harsh and dry 

 in appearance, and the growth more or less stunted. Under such 

 conditions it is practically impossible to develop trees on the most 

 profitable lines without first correcting soil acidity by the free use 

 of lime in the same manner as requires to be adopted for other 

 farm crops. 



In many parts of the State insufiicient attention has been given 

 to this feature of soil management in the orchards. Particularly 

 is this the case where fruit is grown on heavy clay soils. In these 

 soils fruit trees grow through a lengthy period, so that a consider- 

 able quantity of immature wood is produced to the detriment of 

 subsequent crops of fruit. Measures have not hitherto been 

 adopted to definitely determine the actual effect of lime on the 

 different parts of the tree; but investigations in other countries 

 show that on soils rich in lime the wood is matured earlier and 

 the fruit-buds are more stocky and robust than is the case with 

 trees grown on soils deficient in lime. This is very appareiit to 

 any one acquainted with the fruit areas of many parts of Gipps- 

 land and other places in Southern Victoria, and one is struck 



* Journal of Agriculture {yictOTia), October, 1912. 



