CARBONATE OF LIME. 119 



safe to use in fairly large amounts on the land. 

 Probably no harm would result from using as much 

 as six tons to 'the acre of air slaked lime. One may 

 burn his own lime and, putting it in piles, let it air 

 slake on his own farm if he has time to wait, or he 

 may buy it cheap from the refuse about the kilns. 

 Bear in mind that it has gained in weight in slaking, 

 and is only about two-thirds as strong as the fresh 

 burned lime. 



Ground lime is fresh-burned lime ground ready 

 for use. It is very convenient to distribute, and 

 there may possibly be some virtue in having it slake 

 in direct connection with the land. The only objec- 

 tion to its use is that manufacturers often charge 

 pretty well for grinding it. The farmer can some- 

 times grind it at home, or he can buy lump lime and 

 slake it at home at almost no cost. He can pile the 

 lime in little piles of a bushel in a place over the 

 field and let it slake by absorbing moisture from the 

 soil ; then when it is in powder spread it at once with 

 the shovel. Or he can slake it to powder in a large 

 pile and apply it with a lime distributor or by use 

 of the manure spreader. To first lay down in the 

 manure spreader a thin layer of chaff or manure 

 and set the machine on the slow speed, will make it 

 work very well. Many manure spreaders are now 

 made with special lime distributors. 



Time to Apply. When is the right time to put on 

 caustic lime ! Not in direct connection with manure, 

 since it will doubtless attack the manure and set 

 free more or less nitrogen that may possibly be 



