SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— M. 443 



Mr. H. T. Cranfiei.d. — Liming and soil fertility : is a planned scheme 

 desirable? (12.15). 



The problem of liming the soils of this country has attained prominence 

 recently by the decision of the Government to subsidise the purchase of 

 lime by farmers, as part of a scheme for increasing soil fertility. 



We have many thousands of acres of land w^hich are in urgent need of 

 lime, and, moreover, will require systematic liming if their crop-producing 

 powers are to be maintained. In Nottinghamshire alone the area of land 

 suffering from soil acidity is very considerable. 



Irf any campaign designed to stimulate increased liming of soils, many 

 important factors must be given due consideration. Indiscriminate liming 

 may lead to wastage and in many cases very disappointing results. Liming 

 alone may be ineffective unless accompanied by good farming and adequate 

 manuring. This applies equally to grassland as to arable land. Over- 

 liming must be avoided, having regard to losses by drainage and to the 

 possibility on some soils of certain deficiency diseases of crops appearing. 



It is urged that complete success of a liming campaign can be reached 

 only by the formulation and development of a scheme whereby all farmers in 

 lime-deficient areas will be strongly urged to seek expert advice before 

 arriving at any decision regarding the liming of their land. If such a 

 scheme were taken up wholeheartedly, the present county and provincial 

 advisory services would be inadequate to deal efficiently with the increased 

 demand on their services and an increase in personnel would be indicated. 

 The expenditure necessary would be small relative to the sum of money 

 which the Government has earmarked for liming during the next few 

 years. 



Afternoon. 



Excursion to Laxton ' open fields,' Kirklington Hall and Brackenhurst 

 Hall, Southwell. 



Saturday, September 4. 



Excursion to Lincolnshire, Kirton Agricultural Experimental Station, 

 Fleet, Spalding. Boston, including visit to Captain Wilson's farm at 

 Surfleet to see intensive vegetable cultivation and the Indore method of 

 making humus ; visit to a typical Fen farm ; visit to Kirton Experimental 

 Station. 



Monday, September 6. 



Mr. H. V. Taylor. — The development of horticulture in glasshouses and 

 frames (lo.o). 



Plants indigenous to a country are those suitable for production in the 

 climate enjoyed by that country, but where it was desired to grow other 

 plants it became necessary to construct suitable houses and frame structures 

 for their protection. When such production of plants in glasshouses and 

 frames started is not clear, but it was probably practised on the Continent 

 long before the system came to England. There can be no doubt, however, 

 that Sir Joseph Paxton was largely instrumental in popularising the building 

 of glasshouses, first by his erection of the Conservatory at Chatsworth and 



