85 



keep the circles around the roots of the trees for the feed- 

 ing roots are not near the trunks. 



Q. Is the marl that is put on the market now, desir- 

 al)le to use ? 



It may be. The rela'ive value of limes depends mostly 

 on the percentage of calcium oxide that it contains for this 

 is what you are after, not carbonic acid. ]\Iarl is carbonate 

 of lime, a combination of lime and carbonic acid and some- 

 times contains insoluble matter. 



We propose to try to help you in relation to intelligently 

 buying lime. We have a law l:)efore the legislature now 

 that will require the dealer to guarantee the per cent, of 

 actual calcium oxide, also whether it is combined as car- 

 bonate or not, also telling if the lime is in part magnesia. 

 He shall s'a^e the percentage of magnesium oxide. 



This raises a question because certain companies are 

 interested in selling lime which contains about 2-3 as much 

 magnesia as lime and they claim that the magnesia is just 

 as good as lime. That is p point upon which there is some 

 difference of opinion. If not much magnesia, it probably 

 is just as good, but where the percentage of magnesia ap- 

 proaches that of lime or is etjual to it. it is not certain that 

 it is equally valuable. 



Q. We want lime for spraying purposes and Ave want 

 to know where it can be purchased. 



It is a subject that I have not thoroughly investigated. 

 You want the pure lime and you want lime that has no 

 magnesia. I think that if you go to a reliable dealer you 

 will have no difficulty in finding it. 



Q. How much basic slag would you recommend for 

 an old orchard that has been kept in grass and that you wish 

 to keep in grass? 



Well, three years ago I took the deed f(n* a farm that 

 had an old orchard on it. I was told that the trees did 

 not produce anything. 6000 pounds of slag were placed on 

 the sod, 1000 lbs. to an acre, and the first two years I so 

 stimulated the trees that they made an annual growth of 

 3 feet or more. I wanted to spray them with soluble oil, 

 but they retained the leaves until winter set in and pre- 

 vented. 



Q. Can you cultivate that orchard? 



Not at first but I did th'.s last year. The apples have 

 become enormous in size. I have overdoiie it. 



