LIME.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 156, 21 April 1877, Page 2

LIME.

LrME for many ages has been used as a manurial substance andin the reclamation of waste land: Ifc ent'era into the composition of the substanoe of plants and animals aa it does into their f00.d.; It, exists in, farmyard manure/and is most useful in the formation of composts, while it forms a constituent part of many, ajitifloial fertilizers, It is mixed up in the spring water we drink, forms a part of much of the stone witti which we, build our houses, is used in medicine and manufactures, and in many ways forming as it does a great part of the surface of our island. Some explanation of its judiqious use in agriculture must "therefore be not un, interesting to our farming readers. As plants contain various 0014 pounds of lime there must be some in the sqil in which they growj aq they cannot obtain it from the air, Kenoe it acts in the soil in the first place as plant food, and cannot be done without for that purpose. But some soils, being Calcareous, oontain it already in the form of comminuted limestone. It might therefore be concluded that in all such cases the

•application dfitfifePß?<Mte of calcium would be time 'and" labourthrown Mm}? ¥Kili^MK^vWal|ay a « „ the, case. v lu'a &»^by o experience present; in

not to be im*me*diatefyaViilablefonh'#ndurisjiift'efito£the'crop, and that-'forth(is purpose it is necessary'to apply it »** corftHtura of qujojc lime rt ,(oa)cium.qx|ide) ll oi;in.that.Qf caustic •^m6 T Mcium). ,w fhus it • advantageous actually to apply Hmo to limestone soils, \tf thing whictr ftt'firsk sight would appear preposterous. But other con*h aiderlibionsf tfr b8 presently-; touched i)e (I might ifde.tewuiaejrthisßPQJiit, besides; nqpjegsity, v p£ JinMfr > for . plant-food only.—ln any caae- theire Y. Mabrdtddfbfe at iletfstyl per odhttof pme ' in Uii x \

Y neglected or j f -PWpesly jyfttedjYJtbc vppganic matter* inritiorms certain' acid compbhrids" which Cannot afford riourish- , ■<.',: larm 'cfopi ■ biitr > » : otily IW ,i pi f d{ec'fc i 'Kinds of V^AVttfl^'w^l'^liwoompouhds act as poison on cultivated plants. - Now, all this time the elements of

■ nutrition not avail- r able, manner in com- - is 'waiifc&l to y dissolve these acids, and to promote. ljgWsandnmQre useful; coffibiriationS|, This something-is quick or caustic lime. jFrtfm/tits affinity for; ,e;*hff elemetits'bf *water7 rfdrhbnlrf acid,-; and, other it ,d)Baj?s licet tain*prbpbrtibris W-these, - to-itself and destroy the acidity and. : tibffv&ti of tffe land. a In Hhif f ase' it a^ c^ejmjcaUy,< causin&nejjir compounds to do formed in the soil. Sometiinespagain; the_ organic -TnatteFm the^o^ls : not % ln Jan iacid v 1 state, brit is'too plentiful in Ipraportion to thalniitief all matter. This is; particularly the case in peaty or •bdg : gy' v ''soirs;' i} iii c the organic- -, '•'' sively slow id ' decomposing^lthe' R , contains,preserving./it..for. 1 ian indefinite length, of. time. . In* Both acts,jJike a charm. Its very' presence helps ; tp- ; restore 1 io tlse' , haiance ; 6e6weeti line 4 mineral and

organic matter,.''whilft-its chemical effects are. more',tquiaMy 'perceptible' ClthanTwHeife'applied to sour land;-' It diminishes the"quantity of vegetable , matter inltne soil, and makes. : wpat vd .till v«<l T;0 s« t-i J •'£ ment of^the^l';crop.?i"on , 'the 'other hand; tfery'-little V- ma^/ter" l; re^laining , 'in the lifc&HUSi we^.nvery: Reasons De' ruinous to it to dressy it with

lime... AWOJi KU 7f . ! •^•'fftffre^ue'titty°nappeng in the subin "the soirftself that substances poisonous jjo'Jipltipar tioolarlyj tfyejoasejini (injnes or the metals/ iron, lead, and copper, compounds.! of uawhichl itap>e"gnate the

land. Now lime has the property • of combining With most of these subless compounds. Ihus, when it is impossiblfti(to"*oarry v.on<" subsoil or trench; ploughing m # iwm in the subsoil, by bgingiog* up a little at latime, and using large dressings, pf isfiimfe, ea'H <bad^'obiise|ae\i'c^s I?i icQayj. generally a be; rendered ferjile... In virgin soils, containing a largequantity: matter in „ ~'th9,fo.un>' and * iwdeepi tillage, .bjr exposing these stones: »* Jto'the actioii 6i 'the air, is'certainly * • Wy'tiseftfl., ,,( fiut , 'tliejr 1 :;d(sihtegra-'. # /.tiqn ; .byjthis e process. alone.jSijexoeedi a iJJgly' i limeiis J mixed' with <;* §od&' and;insolpble .liiflf. 6QJsp.B^R nt » s «;' ocfctigg*,' jn t !V,the. s'ton^';nauch,* more r.i?ftpidly., be * applied as quick-lime to have anysJTng lilse aTr—appreciable effeci. jtsis iappli'ed' in•; this 1 way fori i itheivnj.irposef < ' of* 'makjtigj * ; lihe miners &atter> j the soil available, it is absolutely | ncoessary *ttiat'* organib matter >'be Brripplie8 r ripplied f in K tie form of tdtfng/d'tf gaod fl cp'mpost ,I tb fi, fe f stor(i a proper balance'j 1 otherwise the land

will be quiokly impoverished, Qaije must, - however, be" taken never to ' together tor reasons which wejsjiall

presently enter-iipon. ; \ Besides acting as nourishment.to •TcWopgt W' fpnemMliy- 'ihe ; eoqsMtuenfcs of the soil, lime has also on it a mechanical effect. It is ,po.rous;j and on'this in- amount,' * though 'sreally* aprr *lighti'. "or, as !• My callpfi; 1 arglllaci*>^^hs..'.sQ^;a]?o B ,:,b i eneflted-;- ! by. it, ar.*W'/i|wat i'thfrr pnporfte f r- They .•cuftve"isft Httlef pdrou's r .th*at. when V SVsnoidvy upby evaporJ; .fttloH* into„the air**it will remain t,» setfrledi«fdr f »weeks' witlfddt' dfaih'ihg. porous. ■-■ rFor this purpose • ..,'lime- is better than sand. r lt works i * ifctf way • into 4 soil ! "quicker;',",and .combines ,bettQr.wifch tihe f heayy.clay. I *■ besides i?s ''ohemicaT action: it ;is stineripr aj a raeohanioal; agent in '■' opening theclay. liime from its specific gravity is' always iriolined -*to'Aiiik j irtto" the/ground', 'so that in a few years after ; being spread upon the surface most of it has got down Kinfa^the 1 "In 1 working through' it opensfand lightens the stiff clay.

wbicli it is s * apply lime|t6 land , i tnetftf'' 4A f - bn&,/^daSitrbn: l that' sjjould jhat rf w "quires draining. On suobrland lime

it corollary; to " "this", "dry weather should be chosen : Hfoi*'applying! lime to land!'! there ltfsuch a thing as over liming. Land may be reduced to such a state • >,by tljo frequent application; of large quantities of lime without a sufficient, counterbalancing dressing pf. dung that it never recovers its fertility. It becomes as light y and porous as ashes and as poor as a miser's 1 hearfe. Artificial manures which are sometimes resorted to : a#a'remedy ! ohljr'make the"iriattjer jWprsp... .Est. modus in rebus, and to the application of lime, as of every- • thing) aelse?. there» is ?a?limit beyond which it is not safe to venture, •~. In farmyard and stable dung, as well .as,in, Peroyiauguano,, there is a v gas called ammonia which gives the manure most of its value. It is therefore plain that none of this ammonia should be allowed to escape '£njj[ fly' away in shape of gjjsrinto the atmosphere. Now if we mix :qui6kl or- daustio 1: ljfciie with durig or ,j guano it drives but a considerable quantity of ommdnia, and some is driven out-by air-slaked lime;-' ! It is therefore v highly wasteful '• to bring lime contact; With short idling or guano, and consequently , the- two should never" (! be. *iapplied' i to the at the- 'sane time. r \ -Lime, hbw'3Ver;! may ba adv»ihtageously : em^ !

plpyec(' s ui t|ip formation of . composti* -heaps, as materials generally need for the ' purpose' ■ aire" not' gene-.. rally decayed tb develop any \ appreciable airiounlt of ammonia; . arid the lime hastens their decom-J position.-. .Ini the <foriri of cbnijjost «lime "iß'nuoftt ; jjjudioiousiy to lighfrfoils rather" than in itßunmixedstate. it, jLs required to act, as in the case of and. boggy land or heavy clays, the moreBe r thels'tlate of' ifcf ap- "■ plication, but on light land 'such' and'energetici action, is! toot usually .themosfciiadvisable. Of course the > ■■■ firsti 'dressing, : especially *in thcj'oase of newly' land, "should; be ,than,'itiie suceeding ones, but it is generally more Sdvisablp to} giye:, several' l lifter at 'comparatively short imteryals very heavy one at once, !>: lf. itjs wished.that, it. should producjei its chief) effect on'>a> particu-' lar crop it is better to apply it to. .the 1 'land the year s before than'to; waif for theVowing 'of the crop itself.' However, flax-appears- to be a crop. which not benefit by the appli- 1 cation'of lime,'differing' in thig respeot from most others, and especially from turnips, barley, and grass.' The quantityfoflimejj applied to land' varies according to tons U> the. statute acre. ... | .jiij'L ti't .>!;>(''•''« '.>",:.•;! >.—■}■•-'■'n':h:li;A ' ['■. A mixture qfkme-water and,milk,, ity/cases indigestion in ybungjistjock.^,prepared chalk is.; very -qsefulj in cases of diarrhoea in calces ;.and, lambs*; as ell ; ,. ' in horses and cattle.,., phosphate; of lime rendered Boiuble.by f the r yitriolic process is { well,known as one. ojf pur most useful artificial]manures,.)while gypsum is almost equally so for mixing with liquid manure. ThuSjthe sm^' : ai[e,of: great'assistance, farmer ip