7. Lime mellows the heavy and more clayey soils. It makes 

 them more friable and permeable. It helps prevent the formation 

 of crusts and cracking, and makes the maintenance of good tilth more 

 easy. 



I. Those soils on which, when seeded, timothy 



How to deter- and clovers fail, and where sorrel comes in abund- 



raine what soils antly together with red top, almost invariably need 



need liming, liming. Beeches and locusts among trees are lime 



lovers and where these grow spontaneously and 



attain good size lime is hardly likely to be required. The presence 



of much moss or an abundant growth of bluets {Houstonia caerii/ea), 



horse tails (^Equisetuvi), or polypods {Folypodiian) is an indication 



that lime will probably be beneficial. 



2. When soil is sour it will when moderately moist turn blue 

 litmus paper placed in contact with it red as the paper absorbs the 

 moisture from the soil. Such paper can be purchased from drug- 

 gists. It should not be handled with the fingers. "Sour" soils 

 need liming for most crops. 



3. If still in doubt after making the litmus test, place a few 

 drops of common ammonia water in a glass with half a cupful of 

 pure water. Into this stir about a teaspoonful of the soil to be 

 tested. Allow the mixture to settle. If the soil needs liming the 

 water standing above it will have a reddish brown appearance, the 

 depth of the color depending upon the amount of soil taken and its 

 need of liming. In making this test it will be wise for the purpose 

 of comparison to stir up an equal amount of soil with the same 

 quantity of pure water without the addition of ammonia. There 

 will be a distinct difference in color if lime is needed. 



4. 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 ofif two square rods in a part of the field to be 

 tested which seem to be fairly representative and even in quality. 

 To one of these apply twenty (20) pounds of freshly slaked lime 

 after plowing and at once work it in deeply. Then apply to each 

 plot a liberal quantity either of manure or fertilizer and precisely 

 the same amount to each. Plant table beets. If the soil was much 

 in need of lime, these will make much the better growth upon the 

 limed plot. 



