32 Kansas State Board of Agriculture. 



LIMING. 



The counties where liming has been found necessary and most often 

 tried with success are located chiefly in the southeastern corner of the 

 state. Here are some reports of successful liming: 



Allen county: "I have used raw crushed limestone on shale upland at 

 the rate of three tons per acre, in addition to good manure at the rate of 

 eight tons per acre." 



Bourbon county: "I applied ground limestone at the rate of two tons 

 per acre, sowing with an end-gate seeder." 



Cowley county: "I have applied ground limestone with a manure 

 spreader at the rate of two or three tons to the acre. I think it is bene- 

 ficial, increasing the yield." 



Labette county: "It takes from four to five years to reclaim water- 

 oak land by applications of lime and manure. We have successfully used 

 both air-slaked lime and ground limestone. We prefer the latter on ac- 

 count of the cost. We use one and one-half tons per acre, applied with a 

 lime spreader, or on top of manure with a manure spreader." 



Labette county: "Sour soil needs lime, at the rate of one ton per 

 acre, or more, applied with a spreader." 



Montgomery county: "We have used 60,000 pounds of crushed native 

 limestone, scattered by putting about three inches on top of each spreader 

 load of manure." 



On the other hand, some growers report that, seemingly, no particu- 

 lar benefits resulted from the application of lime. Whether, in these in- 

 stances, the soil really needed lime, whether lime was applied in suffi- 

 cient quantities to meet the need, whether the right form and quality of 

 lime was properly applied, or whether the land needed more thorough 

 drainage or manuring, we can not say; but certainly it would seem that 

 there was some irregularity about its application. The reports follow: 



Nemaha county : " I have applied ground limestone on trial plots, but 

 this soil does not need it." 



Harvey county: "I have applied crushed limestone with no particular 

 benefit." 



Jackson county: "I don't think our soil is sour to hurt. Some of my 

 neighbors have applied ground lime to alfalfa, and I can see no effect." 



Bourbon county: "I put four tons on two acres of wet land (water- 

 oak soil) two years ago. There is no difference that I can see, as yet." 



Wilson county: "I have used some lime or land plaster on a demonstra- 

 tion plot, but with very poor results. I used one ton per acre, applied 

 by hand." 



The following theory about the correction of sour soil is self-explana- 

 tory: 



Crawford county: "Our sour land was sweetened by drainage. I 

 don't believe any amount of lime would do good if the surplus water were 

 not taken from the soil." 



Ground limestone is the most popular and apparently the most eco- 

 nomical form of lime to apply. The rate of application depends some- 

 what upon the degree of acidity, varying from one and one-half to three 



