LIME AND OTHER SOIL AMENDMENTS 107 



izers, and mix it with the soil by disking or harrowing. In case of manure 

 .which is plowed under, the application of lime may follow that of manure, 

 being applied preferably after plowing. 



The pulverized raw limestone may be applied with manure, or at 

 the time of applying fertilizers, without injurious results. 



Experimental Results. Experiments with lime at many experiment 

 stations and on all kinds of soils show that it makes little difference what 

 form is used, so long as it is applied in sufficient quantities to meet the 

 lime requirements of the soil, and is thoroughly and uniformly mixed with 

 the soil. At the Penn- 

 sylvania Experiment 

 Station finely crushed 

 limestone in each of 

 three field tests ex- 

 tending over a num- 

 ber of years has 

 proven slightly better 

 than equivalent 

 amounts of burnt 

 lime. Extensive pot 

 experiments at the 

 same experiment sta- 

 tion have shown that 

 finely pulverized lime- 

 stone IS equally ^ as After slaking, the piles are uniformly spread over 

 prompt and effective the surface. 

 in correcting soil 



acidity and promoting the growth of clover as equivalent amounts of 

 caustic lime. While these tests are favorable to pulverized limestone, 

 they are not all sufficiently decisive to justify its use at a dispropor- 

 tionate price. If two tons of ground limestone cost much more than 

 one ton of burnt lime, one would ordinarily not be justified in using the 

 former. 



Where lime must be shipped some distance, the more concentrated 

 forms are usually the cheaper. 



Spreading Lime. The practice most common in the Eastern States 

 is to place small piles of burnt lump lime at uniform intervals over the 

 field, the amount in each pile and the distance between piles determining 

 the rate of application. If the lime is to be spread promptly, about one- 

 half pail of water should be applied to each pile, and then covered lightly 

 with earth. This facilitates slaking, and the lime will be ready for dis- 

 tribution in a comparatively short time. In other instances the piles 

 are allowed to remain without either wetting or covering with earth 

 until weather conditions bring about complete slaking, Long periods of 



1 Courtesy of W. N. Lowry, Student 



THE OLD WAY OF SPREADING LIME. 



