RIGHT USE OF LIME IN SOIL IMPROVEMENT 



greater part of our farming lands is defi- 

 cient in lime. Tens of thousands of farmers 

 have confirmed the results of the stations 

 that the application of lime is essential to 

 profitable crop production on their farms. 

 The confusion is due to some results of the 

 misuse of lime before the needs of soils 

 were understood, and to the variety of 

 forms in which lime comes to us and the 

 rather conflicting claims made for these 

 various forms. It is unfortunate and un- 

 necessary. 



The soil is a great chemical laboratory, 

 but exact knowledge of all its processes 

 doubtless would enrich the farmer's vo- 

 cabulary more than his pocketbook. We 

 are concerned in knowing that lime's field 

 of usefulness is broad in that it is an essen- 

 tial plant food and provides the active 

 means of keeping the feeding ground of 

 plants in sanitary condition. We want to 

 know how it comes about that our soils are 

 deficient in lime, and how we may deter- 

 mine the fact that they are deficient. We 

 wish to know the relative values of the 

 various forms of lime and how we may 

 choose in the interest of our soil and our 

 pocketbook. The time and method of 



