SPECIAL CROP DEMANDS 



free use of lime. In the case of neutral or 

 slightly acid ground it is good practice to 

 mix four tons of limestone per acre thor- 

 oughly with the soil. Such treatment gives 

 greater permanence to the seeding, enabling 

 the plants to compete successfully with the 

 wild grasses and other weeds that are the 

 chief obstacle to success in the humid 

 climate of our Mississippi valley and east- 

 ern states. When this amount of stone is 

 used, the finest grade may not be preferred 

 to material having a considerable percent- 

 age of slightly coarser grains. 



Red Clover. When land is in excellent 

 tilth, it may grow red clover satisfactorily 

 while showing a decided lime deficiency. 

 On the other hand, much slightly acid land 

 fails to grow clover, and an application of 

 lime is followed by heavy growths. Red 

 clover is most at home in calcareous soils, 

 and lack of lime is a leading cause of clover 

 failure in this country. Other causes may be 

 important ones in the absence of lime and 

 be overcome when it is present. 



Alslke Clover. Most legumes like lime, 

 and alsike clover is not an exception, but is 

 far more acid-resistant than the red. It is 

 less valuable, both for soil improvement 



87 



