514 MISCELLANEOUS FARM SUBJECTS 



crumbles upon exposure to the air, the heaps may be allowed to 

 remain for some time before spreading, and still further time may 

 be allowed to elapse before the operation of harrowing is begun. 

 Sometimes a clod crusher or bush harrow may be employed to ad- 

 vantage to break up the lumps before harrowing. A most impor- 

 tant point to be observed in applying lime of all kinds is to mix it 

 with the soil as thoroughly as possible, the finer the particles the 

 better being the result. 



Pulverized Burned Lime or lime which is already slaked may 

 be spread upon the soil directly from wagons or carts, or dumped in 

 heaps and then spread with a shovel, though the most satisfactory 

 plan in such cases is to employ an ordinary grain drill with fertilizer 

 attachment or a*lime spreader. In the use of such spreaders it is 

 generally advisable to attach some burlap or old bagging to the 

 sides and rear of the machine in such a way that it will trail upon 

 the ground. If the machine is so equipped and the burlap is 

 weighted with a piece of wood at the rear, much of the unpleasant- 

 ness connected with spreading lime is avoided. For those familiar 

 with the nature of lime and its use it is unnecessary to state that it 

 is well, if possible, to apply it on a quiet day. The eyes may be 

 protected by glasses and the nostrils and mouth by devices used by 

 those who run thrashing machines. 



The only other form of lime in connection with the application 

 of which any particular difficulty might be encountered is quick or 

 burned lime in lump form. Where only small quantities of such 

 lime are to be used it is frequently immersed for a moment in water, 

 in a basket, and emptied into a wagon body. The following day it 

 will be slaked sufficiently for use. Where larger quantities are 

 used, and a lime spreader is at hand, the lime is sometimes water 

 slaked in large piles on the border of the field and then distributed. 

 To accomplish the water slaking in a satisfactory manner, from 2 

 to 2^ pails of water should be sprinkled over each cask of lime as 

 it is emptied upon the pile, and finally the whole mass should be 

 very thoroughly covered with soil. In a few days practically all of 

 the lime will be in a fine condition suitable for spreading. In load- 

 ing it into the spreader care should be taken to first remove the soil, 

 so as to avoid its clogging the machine. If the lime spreader itself 

 is not fitted with a screen, the lime should first be carefully screened 

 for the purpose of removing any hard lumps which may remain, 

 due to imperfect slaking or burning. These lumps may be further 

 slaked by themselves. 



A practice preferred by many, and probably ihe most feasible 

 one where a lime spreader is not to be had, is to place the burnt lime 

 in piles of from 35 to 40 pounds each at suitable intervals (heaps of 

 this size 20 feet apart in each direction furnish about 2 tons per 

 acre) , and cover the piles with moist earth. In a few days the lime 

 is so thoroughly slaked that it can be spread directly with a shovel. 

 Provided the soil is dry, from one-fourth to half a pail of water 

 (or in extreme cases even more) should be sprinkled over each pile 

 immediately before it is covered with earth. In this case, as in all 



