6 



any season of the year when the land is not occupied by crops 

 and when it can be plowed. If manures or fertiHzers containing 

 ammonia or organic nitrogen are to be used in connection with 

 lime the latter should be put on and incorporated with the soil 

 before the manure or fertilizers are applied. Lime should always 

 be applied broadcast, and as soon as possible after it is spread 

 upon the rough furrow it should be deeply worked into the soil. 

 For this purpose either the disk, cutaway or spring-toothed 

 harrow will be most effective. To apply by hand is disagreeable, 

 especially in the case of the finest and driest forms of lime. A 

 machine distributor or a manure spreader should be used if pos- 

 sible, and the extent to which the lime will, fly into the air when 

 a distributor is used will be much reduced by an apron of heavy 

 burlap attached to the bottom of the hopper and extending to 

 the ground. 



QUANTITY OF LIME NEEDED. 



The amount of lime needed under different conditions varies 

 from a few hundred pounds to several tons; but an average of 

 about one ton of good lime to the acre will usually be suiffcient. 

 If grades of lime are used which contain 50 per cent or less of 

 calcium oxide larger quantities will be required. Such applications 

 as have been suggested will not unusually be called for a second 

 time. Smaller applications — perhaps three to six hundred pounds 

 — once in two to four years, will be preferable to very heavy 

 applications at longer intervals ; and if basic slag be freely used 

 as a source of phosphoric acid, it is probable that a second appli- 

 cation of lime will in most cases be unnecessary. 



