APPLYING LIME 



years, it is a fair inference that the deficiency, if 

 it exists, has not become great. When sorrel 

 and plantain have gained a strong foothold, in- 

 dicating that good grasses are unable to replace 

 clover, the degree of acidity probably is higher. 

 The results of tests at experiment stations and on 

 farms show that 1000 pounds of pulverized lime, 

 or one ton of pulverized limestone, evenly dis- 

 tributed throughout the surface soil, can restore 

 clover to the crop-rotation on much land. This 

 is an application so light that a state of alkalinity 

 cannot be long retained. It is better to apply 

 the equivalent of a ton of stone-lime in the case 

 of all heavy soils that have shown any acidity. 

 Where lime is low in price, 3000 pounds of stone- 

 lime, or its equivalent in any other form of lime, 

 is advised, the belief being that such an applica- 

 tion will maintain good soil conditions through 

 two crop-rotations, or eight to ten years. This 

 amount can be applied quite successfully with a 

 manure-spreader, and meets the convenience of 

 the man who burns his own lime and does not 

 want to screen it for use in a lime-spreader. The 

 man who must buy his lime, and pay a freight 

 charge upon it, will find it better to use only a ton 

 per acre. This advice applies to heavy soils. A 

 D [33] 



