Liming. 



341 



LIMING: 



WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE USES OF GROUND 



LIMESTONE. 



J. J. Griffith, B.Sc. 



Lecturer in Agricultural Chemistry , University College of Wales, 



Aberystwyth. 



Lime, when laid on in large quantities, has in this country 

 a wonderful ettect. . . . From my own experience I know 

 that no good crop can be expected under two hundred bushels of 

 hme per acre. . . . Upon peaty ground at least double the 

 quantity of Hme may be used. Indeed, as I have before men- 

 tioned, you can scarce lay on too much upon such land."* 



So wrote Thomas Johnes of Hafod, a distinguished Cardigan- 

 shire landlord, whose field expriments and various other in- 

 vestigations had a very marked beneficial influence upon the 

 practice of farming in Mid-Wales at the commencement of the 

 nineteenth century. 



Down to the middle of last century farmers relied almost 

 entirely upon lime and dung for maintaining and improving soil 

 fertiUty. The latter half of the century, however, witnessed a 

 great dechne in the use of lime. This was due to several 

 causes : — 



(1) Extensive liming and under-manuring often resulted in 

 soil exhaustion. 



(2) The erroneous belief that the use of artificial manures 

 did away with the need for liming. 



(3) Shortage of farming capital due to the agricultural 

 depression of the 'nineties. 



(4) The increasing scarcity and cost of labour. 



During the last 13 years the writer has analysed a large 

 number of soil samples obtained from various districts in Mid 

 and South Wales. The results of the analyses, considered in 

 conjunction with field observations, appear to support strongly 

 the substantial truth of Thomas Johnes 's conclusions. The 

 evidence in support of the view that the practice of liming in 

 Mid and South Wales should become much moie general may 

 be brieifly stated as follows : — 



*"A Canligunsliiro Landlord's Advice' to his Tenants," hy TlioinaK 

 Johnes, EK(juire, of Ilafod, 1800. 



