542 SOILS: PROPERTIES AND MANAGEMENT 



rather favorable to the use of carbonate of lime, a careful 

 analysis of them by Wheeler 1 raises sonic doubt as to 

 the legitimacy of this interpretation. He points out, for 

 instance, that in the Pennsylvania experiments excessive 

 quantities of lime were used, and that no farm manure 

 nor commercial fertilizers were applied to the plats be- 

 tween which comparisons were made. 



There is, unfortunately, a paucity of definite and con- 

 clusive data that may be applied to the solution of the 

 question as to the relative values of these different forms 

 of lime for use as soil amendments, but some information 

 has accumulated through experience and practice that 

 may be taken as a fairly safe guide in their use. It is 

 well known, for instance, that burned lime has a more 

 pronounced effect on soil granulation than has the car- 

 bonate, and may therefore be expected to be more bene- 

 ficial to heavy clay soils. On the other hand, burned 

 lime is not so desirable a form to apply to very sandy 

 soils, especially when they are likely to be dry, as there 

 is danger that organic matter will be destroyed. 



463. Sulfate of calcium. — Gypsum, in which form 

 calcium sulfate is usually applied to soils, has been used 

 for many years and was a popular soil amendment in 

 this country before the common commercial fertilizers 

 were used to any great extent. It frequently went by 

 the name of land plaster, and, as it was rather widely 

 distributed in nature and not difficult to obtain, it was 

 ground and largely used in many localities throughout 

 the eastern states. Its popularity has waned in recent 



1 Wheeler, H. J. Is the Recommendation that Only Ground 

 Limestone Should be Used for Agricultural Purposes' a Sound 

 and Rational One? National Lime Manufacturers' Assoc, 

 Bui. 4. 1912. 



