LIME AND MISCELLANEOUS FERTILIZERS 197 



245. Amount of Lime Removed in Crops. 37 — 



Pounds per acre. 



Wheat, 20 bushels 1 



Straw, 2000 pounds 7 



Total 8 



Corn, 65 bushels 1 



Stalks, 3000 pounds 11 



Total 12 



Peas, 30 bushels 4 



Straw, 3500 pounds 71 



Total 75 



Flax, 15 bushels ' 3 



Straw, 1800 pounds 13 



Total 16 



Clover, 4000 pounds 75 



Clover and peas remove so much lime from the soil 

 that they are often called lime plants. The amount 

 required by grain and hay is small compared with that 

 required for a clover or pea crop. 



246. Amount of Lime in Soils. — There is no ele- 

 ment in the soil in such variable amounts as calcium. 

 It may be present from a few hundredths of a per cent. 

 to twenty per cent.; soils which contain from 0.4 to 

 0.5 per cent, are usually well supplied. The lime in 

 a soil takes an important part in soil fertility ; when 

 deficient, humic acid may be formed, nitrification 

 checked, and the soil particles will lack binding material. 



