Gardening for Amateurs 



81 



Lime in the Garden 



E[E in some form or other enters into 

 the constitution of all fertile soils, 

 but the amount present varies con- 

 siderably in different parts of the country. 

 In certain of the calcareous uplands in the 

 south of England there is present so much 

 that the soil is poisoned, but in most 

 gardens there is not a sufficient percent- 

 age, and it is necessary to apply lime at 

 intervals and in amounts which will benefit 

 the soil. 



Kinds of Lime. Lime is taken to in- 

 clude various compounds. The natural 

 chalk or limestone is really a carbonate of 

 lime (calcium carbonate) ; shells are chemic- 

 ally of the same constitution. When lime- 

 stone is burned or roasted we get quicklime 

 or burnt lime, and if this is allowed to 

 absorb moisture there is formed slaked 

 lime. Acetylene gas residue and gas-lime 

 may be considered as slaked lime ; but 

 impurities are present in both, which force 

 us to be careful in using them horticulturally. 

 Gypsum is a sulphate of lime, i.e. a com- 

 pound which supplies lime and sulphur to 

 the soil. Marl is a mixture of clay and lime 

 stone. Old mortar, plaster, and the like 

 are really composed of sand and carbonate 

 of lime, i.e. limestone. Basic slag is a phos- 

 phatic manure with an excess of lime. 



Benefits Derived from Liming. Lime 

 benefits all soils, and it is for this, rather 

 than as a manure, that we use it ; it should 

 be regarded as essential to successful gar- 

 dening. It alters, mechanically, every soil. 

 A clayey loam becomes less plastic ; the 

 particles are loosened, the ground becomes 

 friable, sweet, porous, easier to work, and 

 of better consistency for root development. 

 Curiously enough, a loose, sandy loam has 

 its particles bound firmly together by lime ; 

 it becomes more retentive of moisture and 

 less porous. Lime, again, promotes a henlt hy 

 chemical action ; it acts as a medicine to the 

 soil, clearing away those vegetable acids 

 which check plant growth and render the 

 soil sour ; this " sweetening of the soil " is 

 good for bacterial action. Again, organic 

 matter like humus is decomposed by lime, 

 6 



manurial compounds are set free and ab- 

 sorbed by the plant, hence lime acts indirectly 

 as a stimulating plant food. Soil rich in 

 humus, like old garden soil, ought to be 

 limed regularly to render the humus into 

 nutritive compounds. From a clay soil 

 potash is freed by an application of lime, 

 and we must always remember that lime of 

 itself is an ingredient of plant food. 



Time of Application. Lime can be 

 applied to the soil at any time ; but if the 

 caustic form, quicklime, is used it is best 

 to dig it into the soil in autumn or winter, 

 when the border is vacant. Large dress- 

 ings at long intervals have been the rule 

 for many years, but new ideas deprecate 

 this practice. Lime should, like artificial 

 manure, be added annually and in small 

 amounts. The usual plan is to spread lime 

 on the soil before digging, but it should 

 never be applied at the same time as farm- 

 yard manure ; it can quite well be spread 

 on the soil at any time, and lightly forked 

 or hoed in. 



FORMS OF LIME USED 



Quicklime (lime shell or burnt lime). 



This is the most active and best form of 

 lime. It can be had ground and, though 

 the process of grinding adds considerably 

 to the cost, yet this particular form is 

 greatly to be preferred ; it can be spread 

 easily on the soil, dug in almost immediately, 

 and a less quantity is required owing to its 

 fineness. The quicklime should be spread 

 on the soil and left there for a short time 

 to slake or take up water ; the time neces- 

 sary for this varies, but from three to twenty- 

 four hours is ample : it is then worked into 

 the soil. If lumps are used the slaking 

 takes longer, and after the shells crumble 

 down they must be raked evenly over the 

 surface before digging. 



Slaked Lime, Acetylene Residue and 

 Gas Lime. Slaked lime is cheaper, but its 

 condition and purity are often open to 

 question. It is generally of a moist, adhesive 

 character, hence the difficulty of unif<>nn 

 application. Owing to the fact that slaked 



