LIMING THE LAND IO3 



cially, perhaps because the humus has been destroyed, 

 the soil texture is bad; plowing is done with difficulty; 

 overturned earth is hard, lifeless, and inactive; air and 

 water are treated \vith indifference. The consequence is : 

 poor crops are produced. When lime is supplied these 

 soils in sufficient quantities, what a wonderful change 

 takes place! At once the soils mellow: they lose their 

 gruffness, their sourness, their bad behavior: they show 

 greater vigor, life becomes apparent again, plants are 

 attracted, and more : air and water are differently re- 

 ceived, their wholesome influence appreciated, and their 

 offer of service accepted. 



Lime influences soil particles. Just as soon as lime is 

 supplied the soil, a change takes place in the position of 

 soil particles : they "flocculate" : they gather together in 

 little balls. Now, this is just what is needed in order to 

 make these tiny particles behave in such a manner that 

 air and water will be so attracted that both will be willing 

 to move freely about in the soil, to the advantage of the 

 soil itself, and to the advantage of plant roots that are 

 living there. 



When a condition like this is secured, extremes of dry 

 or wet weather will influence the soil in a much less 

 degree than otherwise would be the case, were it soil- 

 bound, inactive, and lifeless. It is stated that one part of 

 lime is able to flocculate and clear 10,000 parts of muddy 

 water. You can understand readily the effectiveness of 

 an entire ton of lime in the average soil which weighs in 

 its surface six inches but 900 tons per acre. 



Lime is a corrective for acidity. One of the most 

 wholesome influences that lime brings to the soil is its 

 sweetening effect : its driving away of sourness the acid 

 condition of the soil. \Yhcn decomposition is taking place 

 in the soil, acid substances are formed and so remain. 



