246 



SOIL ACIDITY AND LIMING 



Liming should be done previous to planting the crop to receive 

 the direct benefit. To be most effective, lime should be applied 

 to plowed land and thoroughly mixed in by harrowing or disking. 

 Application may be made at any convenient time. It is good prac- 

 tice, when alfalfa and clover is to follow corn, to apply the lime 

 when the ground is fitted for corn, particularly if a carbonate form is 

 used. In so doing the acidity is much reduced before the alfalfa or 

 clover is sown. In such cases pulverized limestone may be conven- 

 iently applied by spreading it over the spreader-loads of manure. 



FIG. 160. Applying lime with a lime spreader. 



Lime is most conveniently applied through the use of lime 

 spreaders (Fig. 160). When only a few acres are to be limed at a 

 time, the material may be spread by hand directly from the wagon 

 if it is damp enough to prevent excessive blowing; otherwise it is 

 best to place the material in small piles, then spread it over the 

 ground by means of shovels. 



Lump lime is best applied by placing it in small piles about 

 two rods apart each way on plowed ground. If a ton, for example, 

 is to be applied to the acre, fifty pounds should be placed in each 

 pile. When the lime becomes slaked, it is spread and disked. 

 It is usually best to shovel the pile over at least once to facili- 

 tate slaking. 



Dry air-slakod lime, quicklime, hydrated lime and kiln-dried 



