Crops Most Benefited by Lime 



Alfalfa, clover, soy beans, cow peas, vetch, all root crops and tubers, 

 grasses, garden truck, barley, oats, buckwheat, corn, wheat and sorg- 

 hums require lime in substantial quantities. 



Wheeler states that lupines, millet, red top and blackberries are 

 injured by lime. ^^^ ^^ ^^^^ j^^ j^.^^ 



Make a small ball of dirt with a depression on one side. Pour in the 

 depression a few drops of hydrochloric acid. If lime is present, bubbles 

 will appear. jj^^ ^^ ^^^^ j^^ ^^.^ 



If the soil is acid, it indicates that lime is absent. Place a strip of blue 

 litmus paper in some moist soil. If the paper turns pink or red, it indi- 

 cates that the soil is acid. Pinkish tint would indicate only slightly 

 acid and bright red is an indication that the soil is decidedly acid. 



Neither of the above tests are very reliable if the soil is nearly neutral. 

 Excepting a chemical analysis, an actual demonstration is the most 

 reliable. The farmer should lime a strip two, three or four rods wide 

 through the center of the field and note the difference between the limed 

 and unlimed portion in the crops. 



Land on which sorrel thrives is usually sour. 



Amount of Lime Land Should Contain 



Land should contain from 0.4 to 0.5 per cent of lime. Soil containing 

 less than 0.3 per cent is apt to be very unproductive. 



How Much Lime to Apply 



The amount to apply depends entirely upon the condition of the soil, 

 both chemically and physically, and the kind of crops to be grown. The 

 reserve supply below the average depth of the furrow should also be 

 taken into consideration. Lime may be exhausted in the first five or 

 six inches, but an abundance may exist below. When that condition is 

 found, if the ground is plowed a little deeper and manure is added, it 

 may not be necessary to add commercial hme. 



It is better to apply a small amount of lime often than a large quan- 

 tity at one time. It is better to apply from 1500 to 2000 pounds each 

 year, for four years, than four tons at one time. If the soil is very sour, 

 heavy, and lifeless, it may be best to apply two tons the first year and 

 about the same the following year. If the soil is only sl^-^htly acid, one 

 application may be sufficient. 



The following table gives the amount of lime, according to Snyd^er, 

 removed in crops: 



20-bushel crop of wheat 8 pounds 



65-bushel crop of corn •_ 12 pounds 



30-bushel crop of peas 75 pounds 



15-bushel crop of flax 16 pounds 



2 tons of clover hay 75 pounds 



94 



