-6- 



This carbonated line, or limestone, is easily recognized in a bag 

 of lime as a coarse, crumbly layer just beneath the paper container. It 

 does not disperse v/ell in the spray tank. It remains coarse and gritty 

 and readily clogs the gpray nozzles. In addition, it has no value whatso- 

 ever in counteracting spray injury. In fact, chemists have reported that 

 the presence of Calcium Carbonate actually hastens the decomposition of lead 

 arsenate into soluble arsenic. It is also perfectly inert and valueless 

 in the preparation of Bordeaux mixture. 



If freshly prepared hydrated lime is stored in air-tight containers, 

 it should keep almost indefinitely without becoming carbonated. Y^en stored 

 in paper bags, it is subject to carbonation just in proportion to the extent 

 to which the bag is exposed to the air. If bags of hydrated lime are stored 

 in a large, closely-packed pile or stack, the outside bags will proceed to 

 carbonate gradually while the inner ones should undergo very little carbon- 

 ation even during three or four years of storage. 



The principal disadvantage of using for spraying purposes hydrated 

 lime that has carbonated slightly is the nozzle trouble and the sludge or 

 settlings in the bottom of the tank. There still would be enough of the 

 calcium hydrate or hydroxide present to act as "safener" if there was only 

 a thin crust or layer of carbonated lime next to the wall of the paper bag. 

 However, it is not always possible to determine through ordinary examination 

 just how far the carbonated lime extends into the package, although it is 

 generally understood that most of it will occur in the outside layer that 

 appears coarse and grainy to the fingers. 



So, by freshly hydrated lime, we mean lime that vms slaked or hy- 

 drated by the manufacturer v/ithin a year of its use. As a rule, under farm 

 storage conditions, it will undergo considerable carbonation by the end of 

 the first season. If kept over for use the folloviing year, it could be ex- . 

 pected to contain an undesirable amount of carbonated lime. A chemist's 

 analysis should reveal exactly to what extent the hydrated lime has changed 

 to carbonate. 



— 0. C. Boyd 



FARIvl WORK SII^LIFICATION 



Farm workers are scarce and labor is an expensive item in the cost 

 of producing farm products in Massachusetts. It "is quite probable that the 

 farm labor shortage may continue for several years. Faced with this situa- 

 tion, farmers are particularly interested in ways of saving labor and in 

 using the available supply fully and efficiently so as to keep production 

 costs as low as possible. Also, many of the available workers are young and 

 some will be girls and women. Farmers should therefore give considerable 

 thought to ways of making the work as easy as possible. 



Industry saves money by simplifying work. It has found that the sim- 

 pler and easier each operation is made, the more production results. The 

 principles of work simplification can be, and are being applied to farming. 

 The object is toj 



