THE NEED OF LIME 



deficiency have illustration in an experiment re- 

 ported by the Cornell station : 



The soil was once a fertile loam that had become 

 very poor. A part was given an application of 

 lime, and similar land at its side was left unlimed. 

 The land without lime and fertilizer of any kind 

 made a yield of 1824 pounds of clover hay per 

 acre. A complete fertilizer on the unlimed land 

 made the yield 2235 pounds, and 15 tons of 

 manure on the unlimed land made the yield 2091 

 pounds. 



Where lime had been applied, the unfertilized 

 land yielded 3852 pounds per acre, the fertilized, 

 4085 pounds, and the manured, 4976 pounds. 

 The manure and fertilizer were nearly inactive 

 in the acid soil. The lime enabled the plants to 

 obtain benefit from the plant-food. 



Determining Lime Requirement. It is waste- 

 ful to apply lime on land that does not need it. 

 As has been said, the man who can grow heavy 

 clover sods has assurance that the lime content 

 of his soil is satisfactory. This is a test that has 

 as much practical value as the analysis of a skill- 

 ful chemist. The owner of such land may dis- 

 miss the matter of liming from his attention so far 

 as acidity is concerned, though it is a reasonable 

 c [17] 



