GROUND LIMESTONE AS A FERTILISER.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1621, 23 November 1882, Page 3

GROUND LIMESTONE AS A FERTILISER.

The following letter from W. H. Jordan, Prof, of Agriculture in the Ponna. State College, to "J. C. F.," Alleghany Co., discusses the subject of ground limestone as a fertiliser, and •« ith his consent we publish it :—: — Two facts can be stated -which will probably help you in settling this matter of the use of ground limestone. First — Neither caustic lime (burnt) nor ground limestone is a fertiliser pioper. The latter is mainly carbonate of lime, and the toriner is mostly lime, the carbonic acid having been driven off by heat. It would be a rare ca,se where it would be necessary to add either lime or limestone to supply lime for the us? of plants. Both substances, if they are of benefit, are so because they libeiate material in the soil which plants take up in growth that had not previously been available. So you see that instead of adding any valuable plant food to the soil, lime really makes ie poorer in material for future growth. When you ndd to the soil barn-yard manure or commercial fertilisers, you are supplying just that material with which laud that is cropped needs replenishing. Secondly — Ground limestone can do nothing that cannot be accomplished by caustic lime. The only difference befrween the two is that the limestone contains carbonic acid which burned lime does not. The carbonic acid is not only of no use to plants when applied to the soil combined with lime, but rather the chances are greatly in favor of the lime doing more good without it. The decomposing clT'ccl of lime is principally what gives it value to the farmer, and if there is any difference in this respect, it ceitainly must be in favor of burned lime rather than the limestone. Tv our fertiliser e\peiiinents this year on the Central Experimental Farm, we applied lime to one plot, and ground limestone to another. The yield of oats per acic was exactly the same in the two cases, and but little more than were no fertilizer was applied. No difference could be &een between the plots on which the two substances were applied ; oOOlbs of each veto used on one-eighth of an acre. The experiment will be continued during a term of several years. If burned lime can be bought more cheaply than ground limestone, as I understand it can, I would piefer the burned lime by all means. And, let me add, that the only pioper use of lime is on land to which consideiable barn-yard manuie or other feitilizcr is applied. The use of lime without any true fertilizer has in numerous eases resulted in impoverished and broken down fields.

Ax exchange says that Professor SchifF, the Florentine vivisector, has used up more than fourteen thousand dogs in his experiments. Iron deposits on the coast of Tunis are expected to give a yield of between 100,000 and 150,000 tons a year.