IX.] GROUND LIME AND LIMESTONE 253 



soft to allow of their direct application to the land with 

 any prospect of their reduction to a fine state by the 

 action of the weather, but of late years, since many of 

 the lime works have established grinding plants, it has 

 been possible to obtain both limestone and chalk in a 

 finely ground condition. In certain parts of the country 

 precipitated carbonate of lime in a very fine state of 

 division is to be obtained from water works which 

 soften their hard calcareous water by the use of lime, 

 and this forms valuable material for all land in need of 

 lime. Ground quicklime is also manufactured and forms 

 a very convenient means of applying small quantities of 

 lime to the soil ; unfortunately the ground lime avail- 

 able is generally grey or cement lime, so that at its 

 higher price and with its lower proportion of pure lime 

 it is often more profitable to buy a larger quantity of 

 ordinary lime. When the practice of liming was more 

 general it was customary to apply very large amounts, 

 4 to 6 or 8 tons per acre (100 to 200 bushels) at long 

 intervals, but this is likely to act injuriously by causing 

 too rapid oxidation in the soil at first, and a better plan 

 is to put on I ton or so of ordinary lime every time the 

 turnip crop comes round in rotation, or 5 to 10 cwt. of 

 ground lime to each crop for which artificial manures 

 are applied. A heavy dressing of lime is also supposed 

 to affect the processes of nitrification detrimentally for 

 some time after its application. 



Lime, chalk, or ground limestone, in whatever form 

 it is used, should always be applied to the land as early 

 in the winter as may be convenient, on arable land 

 before ploughing. 



The question of whether lime is required as a regular 

 part of the routine of farming on a given soil can only 

 be decided by an analysis of the soil ; any soil contain- 

 ing less than i per cent, of calcium carbonate will be 



