with the fingers. After about ten minutes remove the paper, 

 washing it if necessary to show the color. If it has turned red, 

 the soil is sour and needs an application of lime. Practically all 

 druggists keep litmus paper. 



3. The most certain evidence of all as to whether lime will 

 prove beneficial is afforded by a simple experiment which may be 

 carried out as follows: Lay off two square rods in a part of the 

 field to be tested which seems to be fairly representative and even 

 in quality. To one of these apply 20 pounds of freshly slaked 

 lime. After applying at once work it in deeply and thoroughly. 

 A few days later apply to each plot a liberal quantity of either 

 manure or fertilizer, precisely the same amount to each. Plant 

 table beets. If the soil is much in need of lime, these will make 

 a better growth upon the limed plot. 



• THE RELATION OF LIME TO CROPS. 



Different plants require varying amounts of lime. Some are 

 extremely sensitive to and much injured by the presence of free 

 acid. Others are comparatively indifferent to the presence of 

 such acids, while still others appear to do better in soils contain- 

 ing them. Among plants requiring large amounts of lime in the 

 soil are alfalfa, clovers, peas, beans and vetches. Grasses, as a 

 rule, require less lime than clovers, but timothy will not do well 

 in soils markedly deficient in lime. On the other hand, red top 

 thrives in sour soils. Neither com nor millets are especially sen- 

 sitive to acid. They will often do well on soils which are sour. 

 The same is true of potatoes ; although excessive acidity is unde- 

 sirable for even these crops. Cabbages and turnips and all the 

 cultivated members of the same family require large amounts 

 of lime. Mangel wurzels, sugar beets and table beets are usually 

 benefited by lime, as are also onions, spinach and lettuce; celery 

 also is much benefited by liming. Among fruits the apple, pear , 

 peach, plum and cherry usually do best where lime is abundant. 

 The blackberry, on the other hand, does well in soils containing 

 free acid, and some experiments indicate that the strawberry does 

 not particularly require lime. 



Lime should not be applied immediately preceding a crop of 

 potatoes. They are more likely to be affected with scab should 

 such an application be made. 



METHODS OF APPLYING LIME. 



Although lime applied as a top dressing on grass land is often 

 beneficial, it proves most effective in correcting most of the faults 

 of soils needing liming if it can be applied to the plowed surface 

 and thoroughly mixed with the soil. The autumn or early spring 

 is usually best, but lime may be applied without hesitation at 



