lo Oct., 191 -J 



/'//(• /'racticc 0] LiinDig. 



613 



with regularity and accuracy. It would be a distinct advantage to have 

 larger hoppers, more especially when fairly liberal dressings are used. 

 -SO as to avoid the necessity for filling up so often. The price of the 

 spreaders also .Sieems rather high, especially for the small settler. It is 

 interesting to note that the farm dray is being adopted for limespreading. 

 Figure IV. represents a limespreader. made by Sir. H. W. Kerle, of 

 New South Wales, attached to the back of an ordinary dray ; and Figure V. 

 shows a field in the act of being limed with this machine. The advantage 

 ■of this arrangement is that a good load of lime may be started with in the 

 dray, and the hopper replenished as the .spreading proceeds. I am 

 indebted to Mr. Geo. Valder, Superintendent of Agriculture of New South 

 ^Vales. for the photograph of this machine in action. 



If a simple and cheap limespreading device could be made and attached 

 to the back of an ordinary farm dray, and worked by a sprocket from 

 the box of the wheel, it would be a great con\-enience to a farmer desirous 

 ■of applving lime in liberal dressings. 



Time of Application. 

 The most suitable time to apply lime is in the autumn— a month or two 

 T>efore seeding. O'licklime or staked l^ne mav interfere wdth the germina- 



FIG. 2.- -FORCE FEED LIMESPREADER. 



tion of the seed if sown too close to seeding, but its power to injure seeds 

 gradually disappears as it changes into the form of carbonate by contact 

 "with the soil, and in this form it is quite innocuous to germination or plant 

 life. Quicklime and slaked lime mav be applied at other seasons of the 

 year, provided the lime is \-er\ thoroughlv and uniformly worked into the 

 soil by means of the harrows before the crop is sown. Carbonate of lime. 

 I.e., chalk, ground limestone, ■" unburnt lime" or ground limestone, 

 may lie applied at any time without risk, and the farmer may, therefore, 

 consult his own convenience in applying these. 



Cost of Material. 

 An important practical consideration to the farmer is the cost of the 

 lime. At present, good agricultural lime containing over 90 per cent, of 

 calcium oxide may be purchased for 25s. per ton. This agricultural lime 

 Js a by-product in the manufacture of builders' lime, which costs over 

 jQ2 per ton. Now, as a source of lime, this burnt lime is relatively much 



