Lime exists in nature as lime rock, which is carbonic acid 

 and calcium combined, and is practically insoluble in water. 

 Burning it drives off the water of crystallization, breaks down 

 its structure, and leaves it in what is known as a caustic con- 

 dition — that is, in a condition to combine easily and quickly How 

 with all acids, particularly with the weak organic acids of ^^™® 



£k c c j Qf ft 



the soil, — and it is in this form that lime is of very great assist- ^^^ 

 ance in neutralizing the excess of soil acids and leaving the soil Growth 

 in a neutral or slightly alkaline condition. It is known that 

 farm crops thrive best on a soil which is slightly alkaline, alka- 

 linity being necessary for the growth of the nitrifying bacteria 

 which must exist and thrive in all soils that support the higher 

 orders of vegetation, such as farm crops. 



Burnt lime is also exceedingly valuable on soils which 

 have been over-manured, or on muck soils, — that is, soils which 

 are rich in organic matter (humus) — in order to assist in breaking 

 them down and rendering the plant food available, and also 

 to aid in the formation of silicates of lime, which are necessary 

 for stiffness or stamina in the stalk. Unfortunately, burnt 

 lime (quicklime) cannot be introduced into mixed commercial 

 manures, because it will set up a chemical action that causes 

 the nitrogen which is present in the form of meat, blood and 

 tankage, to be set free as ammonia, which passes off into the 

 atmosphere as a gas, to the great detriment of the fertilizer. 



Therefore lime must be supplied to the soil in its clear 

 state. Usually an application of about a ton to the acre once How 

 in two or three years will correct the acidity of the soil. This Much 

 is an important thing to accomplish, as we shall see when we 

 consider on another page the soil bacteria, or "yeast" of the soil. 



To Use 



13 



