628 Journal of Agriculture. \'ictoria. [1 o Oct.. 1912. 



test, both of which have beeu described. As a guide each has its uses 

 and its limitations, but in most cases the question can best be decided on 

 the spot. To the practised eye the colour of the vegetation may often 

 indicate acid soil conditions, and here lime is required. Such a result, 

 however, may simply be due to an excessively wet season, and in this case 

 and in all others where the need for lime is suspected the surest test is 

 to try. For this purpose trial strips should be treated with lime at 

 different parts of the farm, and the situation of these plots should be 

 indicated by suitable marks. 



Where the trial applxations are made on grass land too much atten- 

 tion should not be paid to the bulk of herbage produced, as stock usually 

 prefer limed pasture, and eat it more closely down. 



Summary and Conclusions. 



1. Lime tends to leave the surface soil through various channels, and 

 fresh applications become necessary to maintain fertility. 



2. Carbonate of lime is the best form of lime for the soil. 



3. Burnt and slaked lime are rapidly changed to carbonate when: 

 they are applied to land. 



4. The rate at which lime acts depends on its fineness of division. 



5. Lime, but especially hot lime, has a good effect upon the mechanical 

 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 lil-)erating 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 feed'ng \alue per ton. 



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



12. Lime kills sorrel, 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. 



VII. 

 THE USE OF LIME IN VICTORIAN VINEYARDS. 



By Francois de Castclla, Government Viticnlturist. 



The object of the present article is to briefly set out the reasons which 

 make it logical to anticipate that our vine-growing industry will benefit 

 quite as much as any other branch of our agriculture, from the judicious 

 application of lime to the soil. As will be shown pre.sently, the soils of 

 mo.st of our vine-growing districts have a low lime contents. Though 

 those of our vignerons who have planted their vines properlv and culti- 

 vated them carefully have usually obtained profitable results, the progres- 

 sive grower must ever strive to do t>?tter than he has done in the past, 

 and there appears every reason to anticipate that in the supplementing^ 



