THE USE OF LIME IN AGRICULTURE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2297, 9 December 1889, Page 2

THE USE OF LIME IN AGRICULTURE.

The uae of lime judioloaaly applied for | agricultural purp >ses ia every year becoming moro aad more appreciated. I<. may be said to exorfc a three-fold inflaence as a fertilizer. It ia a ditaot source of plant food ; it unlooks and rondorß available the stores of inert food both mineral and organic, oontained In the soil ; and it ameliorates tbo texture 6f clays . As all crops require a certain amount of lime m order to oairy 'on and perfect their growth, a soil deficient m this mineral subßtance cau never bo a productive one, until the deficiency , ia made good, it is la its Becond charaoier perhaps that 'lime doeß its most important work. It decomposes all kinds of vegetable matter m the coll, and correots any acidity due to the presence of organic acids. It assiststo decompose certain salts whoae bases contribute to the food of plantsj and it aots m facilitating nitrification. In all these facts it may be Bald to digest and prepare general plant . food ; thptfgh.it does not m itself furnish more than one of the ingredients, which plants: require from the soil; It. also helps to retain certain soluble manures In the soil, and 'lt economises the uae of potaßhj .ceitaln cropp, Bnoh as roota and plover,* where potash is not abundant m the soil, having to dome extent the power of utilizing iimo In I a piaoe. When we add: that lima improvea tfce quality of grainy grassed, and other. oropß, tue fiaer graesedi on certain lands reiuaing to grow ucttil tho lead has. boon .linrj.d ; that it is the only known cure foc"fiuger and toe" m turnips ; tbat it hsHtens the maturity of ! crops; that it destroys insects and checks the growth of moss and weeds m the I coil, it will be seen hew various and Important is the work it performs. Oa the mdohaoioal texture of many soils, the .effjdtj of lime it also gtjat, It pulvor!z?s and lightens strong soTIB, »t once improving their drainsga, and 'rendering them euelir tilled. On petty soil it reduoos the (fxoeas of organic matter. It also smpr-jvea vhe bxtate of light coils, provided m overdose is not applied even whau tbay but oomala H;tlo vegetsjble mtiet} the avidity of tbo lime for moisture added to tho chomioal changes brDDght nbout by Tfc, having the iffeot of kcfoofilng their aosorpfcive and retentive powoia m v, ounß : dar»t>!e degree. The qa«Dtlty of lime applied need not be l«rge, but m»y vauy, eooordlog to oUoum etanoeo, from 3-05 to 5 per cant, by weight of the cultivated soil, On a aoll ten Inches doep applloitlon of 1 ton par aore would represent a dronsiug of 0-05 per oent; »nd 10 tons par &oce will equal 0 5 per cent, m aotuftl praokloe more than 5 or 6 tons per «oee is aeldora appHesj. This quantity may be required for strong land, or for land oonttuaiug much organio matter In an Inert state ; but for light land with little vegetable. nutter, oooailond dress • logs of from 1 to 2 tons per aore will, In most cases be found euffialent. .

A heavier dressing of lima (a rtqalred for a deep soil than for a shallow one, and deep tillage will call for larger applications than where the oultlvatlou Is shallower, A Bandy soil requires leas lime than a heavy oiay, and soils poor m vegetable nntier will ueed smaller dressioga of lime than Bolls that are rioh m organic matter. A small quantity of lime wiil have greater efi\iot on drained lands than • large dose on wet and andrained land. Green oropo will generally benefit more by lime than corn oropa. There are few soils In whloh some lime is no', already present, but the smaller this quantity, the better, as a rale, will the 801 l pay for an artificial application. The foim m which the lime exists In the soil Is, however, important. If In the form of sliloate, or even gypsum, It will pay better to add lime to the soil, than if the lime present had existed aa carbonate. It will also pay better to apply litno to land that has never been limed, than to land where It has been prevlouJ/ applied. The quantity of lime necessary » as well as the kind of lime that should be edded, will than be maoh Influenced by the composition and texture of the soil ; small dressings at frequent interuaia ace now the rale. Instead of applying 4 to 8 tons per acre onoe In fifteen or eighteen years as formerly, It la considered more economical on land whloh has been previously limed, to apply it every six or eight years m quantities not exceeding 1 to 2 tons per aore. If tha opposite oourse is adopted, there (a considerable waste and a gradually diminishing effect. A certain quantity of the lime is dissolved and removed by drainage waters, and the remainder In a few years sinks below; the cultivated depth; or chemical changes take place which render It effete. On arable land the p'ough for a season or two brings It back to the surface | but after a time it gets beyond the depth of a plough, aud is as maoh lout as if the land bud never been pqltlva'.cd. This strong tendency of lima to ain^ Into the aubaqlls ougljt to teaoh, us, when llm'.ng land, nqi to plough the lime Id, but to keep it aa near the-sarfioe as poseible. The land should be ploughed neat, then the lime spread and simply htrrowed m. The evidence aapplied some few years ago by the Scottish Chamber of Agriculture, went to show that the effect of limn Is most durable upon pastures that ard grazed ; that i; la at 3 longer upon good than bad land. On tho ume authority we are (old that a heavy dressing of limo endures froca seven to thirty years. This is very definite, but with the liability to to m«ny coDflbtlng iofluanoej, thoae extreme difficulties are easily accounted for.

To arabjo Innd tho Hrae should be applied daring the fallow year. It matters little whether this be done m ontumn or In early spring, oonvonlenoe for carting and opportunity for gettlDg the lime on the land will be the obie( guides hero- Tho lime slakes best »nd qa'ckegt when laid down m email heaps and slightly oovered with fine soil. This paves refilling and reoarting. If t^e l^eaps are put down 8 by lft yards apart, there will bo 48 or 49 heaps per acre, and $~owt hesps at thar rate would give a dressing of 24 ovft per acre. If tap heaps are plaoed five by six yard 8 apart, the dressing will be four times aB much, or 4 tana \Q t owt per a.ore.

Lime U applied to gratia land m the form of oorjQpoßt, except on old mossy land, and the application Bhoald be ma do In early winter, bo that the lime may grow Into the vegetable enrfaoe before spring growth commences. Tho lime may be previously eloked or a compost formed io the corner of the field. It should not be put ont on the land m small heaps, aa In the case of arable land, but eproad direct from the oart.«-<" Tho farmer,"

According to the " Union Bretonne " there is now a family of five generations of women viz., Elvie Tanguy, great.great.grarjd.motb.6r! 93 yoarp q! age j gen«este. and Annette (^uyader, greattgraqd-parente, 74 and7Byear.B of age } Mane Menu and Jeanne Mironnot grand-parents, 50 and 42 years of age, respectively ; Marie 1' Hortz, mother 23 yeara of ageand Mario lo fllat, aged ouejraonth., \l