SOILS AND FERTILIZERS 513 



and where only redtop, Rhode Island bent, and grasses having simi- 

 lar soil adaptability could be grown. Where land is kept in grass 

 for a number of consecutive years, top-dressing with lime or, prefer- 

 ably, wood ashes may possibly be advisable in some instances, par- 

 ticularly if ordinary commercial fertilizers are employed in lieu of 

 stable manure. If home-mixed dressings containing basic slag 

 meal or liberal amounts of bone are used with nitrate of soda or 

 nitrate of potash, the need of liming is much less than under many 

 other circumstances. 



When to Apply Lime. Lime in the form of carbonate of lime, 

 as in marl, wood ashes, etc., can usually be applied with safety in the 

 spring or at any other season of the year, but autumn is always the 

 safest time to apply caustic or slaked lime. The latter form upon 

 further exposure to the air changes gradually into the mild car- 

 bonate of lime, but usually a considerable quantity has not reached 

 that stage when applied and it may in consequence act too energetic- 

 ally. This is particularly true if the soil is light and sandy, and if 

 plants, which are but little helped by lime, are employed. On very 

 acid soils, particularly such as contain much humus, there is little 

 or no danger from applying reasonable quantities of lime in the 

 spring. If caustic or slaked lime is applied in excessive amounts 

 it may not only injure plants directly, but also indirectly by render- 

 ing the texture of the soil unfavorable; it may also make the soil 

 temporarily so alkaline as to interfere with the activity of the 

 organisms which transform ammonia into readily assimilable 

 nitrates. Injury thus arising can not ordinarily be of long dura- 

 tion, for the reason that the carbonic acid of the soil changes the 

 caustic lime rapidly into carbonate of lime, and thus the alkalinity 

 of the soil is soon reduced. 



How to Apply Lime. Some writers recommend that upon old 

 mossy meadows and pastures lime should be applied to the surface 

 before plowing, in order that it may help to quickly decompose the 

 organic matter. The chief objection to this procedure is that the 

 lime does not become well incorporated with the soil, and since some 

 of it is turned to the bottom of the furrow and its tendency at all 

 times is to work downward, it may be quickly carried not only away 

 from the surface soil, but also from the reach of plants. The prac- 

 tice of liming such soils immediately after plowing and then thor- 

 oughly harrowing has been attended by excellent results. This is 

 particularly the case provided a second application is made in a 

 similar manner just previous to reseeding. Under such a plan some 

 lime becomes intimately mixed with the entire mass of soil by the 

 operations of tillage, and finally a considerable amount is left 

 near the surface, thus accomplishing two important objects. 



In some sections where marl is used extensively it is spread 

 upon the surface and plowed under, turning a furrow about 2 inches 

 deep. The more common method where marling is practiced is to 

 plow the land and then cart on the marl, dumping it in heaps at 

 such intervals that it can be spread conveniently with a shovel. If 

 the marl ia not sufficiently' fine, but is of such a nature that it 



