CHAPTER XIV 

 MAGNESIAN LIME 



Magnesium. As an element of plant 

 food, magnesium is as essential as calcium. 

 It leaches out of the soil less readily, and 

 there may be even less need of its applica- 

 tion as a plant food, though the need of 

 calcium applications for this purpose is 

 assumed to be small. In the correction of 

 soil acidity magnesium is more effective 

 than calcium, 84 pounds of the carbonate 

 being equal to 100 pounds of calcium car- 

 bonate. It is a curious fact, however, that 

 there is widespread fear of magnesium as a 

 soil amendment. This is not traceable to 

 any considerable experience by prac'tical 

 farmers that inspires caution in its use, al- 

 though immense quantities of magnesian 

 limestone and lime have been used. 

 Neither is it due to any weight of evidence 

 against it in the experience or teachings of 

 soil chemists and experiments. The facts of 

 the case appear to be as follows : 



I. An investigator found in his labora- 

 tory that a plant growing in a water solution 



