IMPORTANCE OF LIME.

Shannon News, 27 March 1925, Page 3

IMPORTANCE OF LIME.

Lime itself is not a fertiliser, although it may have some indirect effect of this kind, but it acts as a necessary base for the maintenance of all the processes, bacterial, chemical and physical, on which the fertility of the soil depends. Lime may be restored by dressings of quick-lime (burnt lime) or ground chalk or limestone unburnt. The rate of application of ground chalk, also called carbonate of lime, should, however, be practically double that of quick-lime or ground lime, assuming approximately equal degrees of fineness. The amount of the dresisngs will, however, depend on the condition of the soil, which can only be determined by a special laboratory analysis, namely, the so-called “lime requirement” metnod. The use of lib. ground carbonate of lime or Jib. ground lime (quick-lime) to 1001 b. of soil, would be an adequate dressing for most ordinary soils and, even prowide a margin of safety. This corresponds approximately to 2lb. ground carbonate of lime, or lib. ground lime per square yard. In glass-house culture relatively high dressings as above, are necessitated by the intehs;ve production and larger losses. For outside areas average dressings would be more like two tons of ground carbonate of lime or one ton ground lime per acre.