1909. 
THE PROBLEMS OF THE CHEAP LANDS. 
The Need of Lime. 
Part IV. 
ACTION UPON ORGANIC MATTER.—The 
popular view of this matter is that liming often pro¬ 
motes the rapid decomposition of organic material, 
such as green and barnyard manure, with the forma¬ 
tion of a rich humus, but that frequent heavy liming 
tends to a depletion of the humus supply, to such 
an extent that the soil’s mechanical condition and gen¬ 
eral fertility are seriously injured. Many investiga¬ 
tions show that while lime favors a rapid progress 
in the early stages of decay, in the later stages it has 
a conserving influence. One who has repeatedly 
passed from the light-colored non-calcareous soils 
of most of the eastern portions of the country, to 
the black calcareous soil of our prairies, cannot but 
notice the action of the lime carbonate in forming 
and conserving rich humus. Whether the results ob¬ 
tained from liming are due to one or all of the 
above-mentioned effects of lime on our soils, or 
whether to some tonic effect not understood, certain 
it is that it often produces large results on the soils 
under discussion. The writer recently purchased 
some of the cheap Northeastern Ohio land, paying 
$22 per acre for it. This was cold, wet and sour, 
producing little but rushes, wild grasses and poverty 
grass. After thorough draining, this was given an 
application of one ton of caustic (quick) lime per 
acre, all except a strip two rods wide through the 
middle of a 30-acre field. The result was a most 
marvelous growth of clover on all the field except 
the unlimed strip. This was Timothy and Red 
sorrel. Another example. Two years ago we planted 
our best field (30 acres) to apples. This was our 
best soil and we thought did not need lime, but for 
the experiment used lime between two rows of trees 
at the rate of one ton per acre. This was at the time 
of seeding with oats. The result was a markedly 
stronger growth of oats on the limed strip of about 
an acre. At harvest this strip gave us 512 pounds 
more of sheaves than the equal unlimed strip on 
either side, but the thrashing was disappointing, 
there being only five bushels increase of grain. But 
the clover—I wish I could make all see the results 
in the clover. It was not harvested, all being left 
on the field as a mulch for the trees, so I cannot 
give results in pounds, but it was the consensus of 
opinion of those who saw it that there was three 
times the growth on the limed strip as upon the rest 
of the field. Another victory for lime is that it has 
enabled us to grow Alfalfa successfully on this stub¬ 
born soil. Our success with Alfalfa has given us 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
7S1 
drated ' lime we buy one-third as much water as that one can hardly be said to have given lime a fair 
lime. To be exact, there is as much lime in one ton 
of quick, or caustic, lime as in 2,640 pounds of hy¬ 
drated lime, or in 3,570 pounds of the raw rock, or 
carbonate of lime; that is, of course, if all are made 
from the same quality of limestone. The fertiliz¬ 
ing lime referred to above has no advantage over 
ordinary lime. Lime is never a fertilizer in the 
sense that it will take the place of other forms of 
plant food. If commercial fertilizers are needed be¬ 
fore liming they are needed after just as truly. 
Herein is the danger. Because lime, helps to liber¬ 
ate the stores of plant food in the soil, many get the 
idea that lime alone is needed. But the plant food 
Hit : 
a Tr.tt 
ifiX - r'. 
LATB1 
IT PAYS TO INOCULATE ALFALFA. Fig. 431. 
in those compounds which are acted upon by lime 
are soon exhausted, and the crop-producing power 
of the soil may in the end be impaired. This is prob¬ 
ably the foundation of such proverbs as “Lime en¬ 
riches the father, but impoverishes the son,” and 
“Lime, and lime without manure, will make both 
trial, unless he has used at least one ton of caustic 
lime, or its equivalent, per acre. The indications 
are that with that amount future light applications 
will be required from time to time. We intend to 
make a light application once in the rotation, if 
needed, as seems quite likely from present indications. 
WHEN AND HOW APPLIED.—Our own prac¬ 
tice has been to apply shortly before seeding and 
work well into the soil in its preparation. This has 
uniformly given good results on our soil. At the 
Ohio Experiment Station, however, better results 
have been secured by making the application much 
farther in advance of seeding. Their best results 
have been obtained by applying the lime to the corn 
crop after the ground has been plowed. This is two 
seasons in advance of seeding, and permits the lime 
particles to become thoroughly mingled throughout 
the whole soil. This should give best results when 
we consider the intimate connection seemingly neces¬ 
sary between soil bacteria and the lime particles as 
referred to above. To apply caustic lime is an ex¬ 
ceedingly disagreeable job, unless one has a ma¬ 
chine especially adapted for its application. I will 
try to describe a homemade machine which does the 
work perfectly, and which can be made for a very 
few dollars. Make a V-shaped hopper ten feet long, 
live inches at the bottom, with 20-inch sides and top. 
Take two pieces of eaves-trough as long as .hopper, 
and cut slots in them 1x2 inches every six inches 
throughout their length. Nail one of them on for 
the bottom of the hopper. Place the other on as a 
false bottom, and secure it loosely by straps pass¬ 
ing underneath and fastening to the sides. Fasten 
a lever to the false bottom, with which to slide it 
upon the true bottom. The . object is to regulate the 
feed by opening or closing the holes. Get the 
wheels and shaft of an old mowing machine with 
ratchets in hubs. Lengthen the shaft to the re¬ 
quired length to fit hopper. Clamp four pieces of 
old buggy tire securely to shaft, so that they will 
stand out from it three-quarters of an inch. This 
will make a reel five inches in diameter and one 
inch shorter than inside of the hopper. Make a 
frame for hopper as for a roller, and put to¬ 
gether so that reel serves as a force feed. Any 
amount from 500 to 4,000 pounds can be put 
on with this distributor quickly, evenly and 
accurately. Fig. 430 is intended to show the ma¬ 
chine tipped back, showing interior of hopper 
with reel shaft. This has served as a model for a 
number of machines built in the neighborhood, all 
doing perfect work in the distribution of lime. The 
F. L. ALLEN. 
farm and farmer poor.” To guard against this dan- 
more courage "than’any other "results we’ have "had g ? r attenti ° n n ™ st be S iven t0 maintaining not only device is very inexpensive, and easily made with 
upon this so.il. These results are in line with fhe nitrogen ’ . phosphonc acid and potash, but especially material at hand on any farm 
results of thousands of trials of lime upon the cheap 
A NEW ENGLAND RYE FIELD. 
You give us so many interesting items, I send 
the use of commercial fertilizers, until lime came to tice in some districts to haul the lump lime on to you, for general distribution, the following, which 
the rescue. Then comes clover and an increased the field, and distribute it in small heaps to slake; is in the line of successful farming: F. A. Barnes, 
yield of other crops, for, as I once heard Alva Agee then at a convenient time it was spread over the a neighbor of mine, whose business consists of 
the organic matter by the use of farm manures and 
non-calcareous soils of the East. Clover failure ‘ 1 
has continued, even after draining, manuring and AMOUNT TO USE.—It was formerly the prac 
say. “to him that hath clover, all things 
are added.” It seems to me that experi¬ 
mentation has been carried far enough, 
and results obtained definite enough to war¬ 
rant the statement that it is useless to sow 
c’over on these soils without lime, and 
that it is folly to continue their cultiva¬ 
tion without clover. Lime is imperative to 
these soils. 
FORM OF LIME TO USE.—There is 
a general agreement among writers and 
experimentalists that lime is needed in the 
form of carbonate. Raw limestone is car¬ 
bonate of lime, and the raw rock, finely 
ground, performs all the functions of caus¬ 
tic lime, unless it be that of bettering the 
mechanical condition of the soil. Experi¬ 
ments have shown, however, that it re¬ 
quires practical’y twice as much of the 
ground rock as of caustic lime (fresh 
burned or quicklime) to produce the same 
results. The question then as to the form 
in which to use it is very much a matter of 
price. Where freight rates and wagon haul are 
not too great, the ground raw stone is cheaper. 
On the other hand, transportation charges often 
eat >up the difference in price between two 
tons of raw rock and one ton of caustic lime, 
making the caustic lime the cheaper form. If one 
object in using lime is to break up and improve 
the mechanical condition of tough clays, caustic 
bine should be used. Some manufacturers are placing 
on the market a “hydrated” lime, claiming for it su¬ 
perior “fertilizing” advantages. Better let it alone. 
Hydrated lime is simply slaked lime, and lime in 
slaking, as is well known, absorbs a large amount 
of water (about one-third its weight). So in “hy- 
VIRGINIA FARM HOUSE—ALL FROM THE FARM. Fig, 432. 
surface. Under this method as high as 300 bushels 
are reported to have been used to the acre. This 
would be an application of over 10 tons '(27 bushels 
per ton). The more common practice, however, was 
to apply from 50 to 100 bushels (two to four tons). 
Yet we do not read of great injury resulting from 
these heavy applications. However, it is probable 
that the time and manner of application would in¬ 
fluence the effect upon the succeeding crop. Such 
application, made immediately before seeding, would 
very likely prove injurious to the succeeding crop 
on some soils. The modern practice is to apply a 
much smaller amount, one ton or less, some users 
claiming that 1,000 pounds per acre is sufficient to 
meet the requirements of their soil. It seems, though. 
lumbering and farming, had a piece of 
land, measuring 1*4 acre, which he had 
planted to corn two years, and potatoes 
last year. This he plowed September 8, 
1908; sowed 2*4 bushels rye September 
21, and harrowed October 28 and 29 hauled 
on 27 loads of stable manure; November 
2 spread the same from heaps; November 
9 bushed it; June 17, 1909^ mowed with 
mowing machine; June 25 and 26baled the 
same on the lot, and delivered and sold 
five tons 100 pounds, for $20 per ton, and 
hauled 250 pounds home for own use. 
The work last Fall would have been closer 
together but for the fact that lumber con¬ 
tracts had to receive attention. The result, 
however, was quite satisfactory. 
Connecticut. chas. q. eldridge. 
R. N.-Y.—Some of our readers may not 
understand what “bushed” means. The 
manure was lumpy. Mr. Barnes took a 
heavy bush harrow, which is really a 
small brush heap dragged over the ground 
and went over the field to break up the lump of 
manure. At this time the rye was four to six inches 
high, but no harm was done. When you come to 
think of it, nearly $105 from 1*4 acre rye is good 
enough for most of us. 
Speaking of plant diseases, it seems that some of the 
States - which are encouraging forestry have imported a 
disease of pine on seedlings which came from Germany. 
This disease, we understand, also attacks currant and 
gooseberry. 
Tins is (he way one drought sufferer puts it: “Had I 
not turned a furrow this season I would have been as 
well off as I am.” No—because if you had not started 
and tried your best you would always have felt that you 
ought to have done so. 
