PROFITABLE FARMING 19 



Lime 



The use of lime as such, or as carbonate of 

 lime (chalk, &c.), in agriculture, dates from a 

 very early period, and its utility has been recog- 

 nised in almost every country. In former times 

 it was customary to apply very large dressings 

 at long intervals, but this method has been found 

 to have rather an injurious effect during the 

 first year or more after application, and smaller 

 dressings at shorter intervals have been proved 

 to be far more beneficial. 



Some of the benefits to be derived from the 

 presence of carbonate of lime in the soil are : 



1. It promotes the decomposition of humus 



or organic matter in the soil, rendering it 

 available as plant food. 



2. It corrects sourness and improves the 



quality of herbage. 



3. It hastens the processes of nitrification. 



4. It assists the liberation of potash and other 



plant food from the dormant ingredients 

 in the soil. 



5. It improves the physical character of soil, 



rendering heavy clay soils porous, friable 

 and drier, and making light, sandy, and 

 gravelly ones more compact. 



6. It promotes healthy growth. " Finger 



and toe/' and other fungoid diseases, are 

 very rarely, if ever, found on soil well 

 supplied with carbonate of lime, and 

 should these exist, they can be eradi- 

 cated by a thorough liming. 



