GREEN-MANURES 



551 



amendment would thus be in very close contact with the de- 

 caying vegetable tissue. Ordinarily, however, the application 

 of lime at some point in the rotation is sufficient. 



Lime, besides its capacity to alleviate toxic residues, tends 

 to hasten organic decay. 1 This is a very important function 

 as the first stage of decomposition, during which soil and plant 

 activities may under certain conditions be detrimentally af- 

 fected, is markedly shortened. Such a promotion is indicated 

 in a green-manuring experiment at Cornell University. The 

 green-manures were seeded in the fall under two treatments, 

 limed and unlimed. The parts per million of nitrates in the 

 soil are given for two dates on the year succeeding, the green- 

 manures having been plowed under either in the fall or early 

 spring. The data are averages of three years. 



Table CXXVI 



INFLUENCE OF LIME ON THE NITRATE ACCUMULATION IN A SOIL 

 RECEIVING VARIOUS GREEN- MANURES. 2 



1 Lemmermann, O., et al., Untersuchung iiber die zerzetzung der Kohlen- 

 stoff YerMndungen Verscheidener Organischen Substanzen im Boden 

 Spezielle unter dem einfluss der Kalk; Landw. Jahrb., Bd. 41, S. 216- 

 257, 1911. 



2 Unpublished data. Dept. Soils, Cornell University. 



