1 Mar., 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 155 
This answers the second question. Lime is no¢ a direct fertiliser. 
Lime should be applied a little time before planting a crop. It should not 
be ploughed in. It is of great value in destroying insects, worms, and fungi, 
and enables a farmer to grow root crops where formerly, for want of lime, such 
crops became diseased. 
After screening the slaked lime, you scatter it with a grain drill ora 
special lime spreader, then harrow it and incorporate it with the soil. As to 
how much to use, some people put on from 2 to 5 tons per acre at intervals of 
from five to ten years. Others puton half-a-ton annually. Lastly, this is worth 
remembering: Water-melons, peas and some other legumes, corn, and 
potatoes are injured by lime ; but sugar-cane, beetroot, onions, celery, lettuce,— 
parsnips, cabbage, maize, rockmelons, tobacco, and fruits are benefited by it. 
The PuHosrpHatrc Manurxes are—Phosphate of Lime, and also several 
varieties of fertiliser included under this name, such as Superphosphate of 
Lime, Basic Slag or Thomas’ Phosphate, Bone-meal, Bone-ash, Bone-black, and 
some Phosphatic Guanos. Superphosphate, when put on the land, acts in this 
way : The first shower of rain, or the moisture of the soil, dissolves the phos- 
phoric acid, and it soaks into the earth. There it meets our old friends Carbonate 
of Lime, Iron, and Alumina. These seize hold of it, and with them the 
phosphoric acid forms phosphate of lime, which is finer than the finest bonedust, 
and is distributed everywhere throughout the soil. Thus the root crops get an 
abundant supply of phosphoric acid. 
Questions on Lesson 14. 
1. Name the classes of Artificial Manures. 
2. What are Nitrogenous Manures? Which is the most important of 
these ? 
How does this fertiliser act ? 
Ts Salt really a direct-acting Manure ? 
Does Sulphate of Ammonia differ from Nitrate of Soda in its action ? 
What is Kainit? Whence is it obtained ? 
Explain the action of lime on soils—(a) chemically, (0) physically ? 
. Name some plants benefited or injured by the use of lime. 
How and in what quantities should lime be applied to the soil ? 
10. State what you know about Phosphatic Manures and their action. 
DTD HI g0 
15rn Lesson. 
SECOND. STAGE. 
Tn our last: lesson we considered the three principal artificial fertilisers. 
It is necessary that you should know the effect dia have on plants and soils. 
Tf you are acquainted with the ‘‘ FUNCTIONS ” that is, the duties and action of 
any substances applied to the soil as plant food—you will be better able to make 
use of them in proper proportions. For instance, I made a little experiment 
Jast September with a small plot of potatoes in my garden to show the effect of 
nitrate of soda on the plants. I applied the nitrate to three rows as soon as 
the plants were 6 inches high. The other three rows had been manured with 
well-rotted stable dung. I must tell you that I used more than twice as much 
nitrate as was necessary. The plants so treated showed the effect almost 
immediately. They grew rapidly, and the leaves were of a beautiful, healthy 
dark-green colour. As the season went on, the haulms increased in height 
until they fell over and lay on the ground. In November some of 
them were over 4 feet long. In due course I dug up the crop, and, 
although there were a large number of potatoes at each root, there was only 
one of marketable size; the rest were all about the size of a big marble. 
On the other hand, the plants which had received no top-dressing yielded 
a good ordinary crop of large tubers. Now, what had happened? 
The roots had seized upon the soluble nitrate, and they had conveyed it to 
