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Amount Per Acre

Categories: APPLYING LIME

The amount of lime that should be applied to an acre

of land depends upon the degree of its acidity, the nature of the soil,

the cheapness of the lime, and the character of the crops to be grown.

The actual requirement for the moment could be determined by a chemical

test, but the application should carry to the soil an amount in excess

of immediate requirement. When clover has ceased to grow within recent

years, it is
a fair inference that the deficiency, if it exists, has

not become great. When sorrel and plantain have gained a strong

foothold, indicating that good grasses are unable to replace clover,

the degree of acidity probably is higher. The results of tests at

experiment stations and on farms show that 1000 pounds of pulverized

lime, or one ton of pulverized limestone, evenly distributed throughout

the surface soil, can restore clover to the crop-rotation on much land.

This is an application so light that a state of alkalinity cannot be

long retained. It is better to apply the equivalent of a ton of

stone-lime in the case of all heavy soils that have shown any acidity.

Where lime is low in price, 3000 pounds of stone-lime, or its

equivalent in any other form of lime, is advised, the belief being that

such an application will maintain good soil conditions through two

crop-rotations, or eight to ten years. This amount can be applied quite

successfully with a manure-spreader, and meets the convenience of the

man who burns his own lime and does not want to screen it for use in a

lime-spreader. The man who must buy his lime, and pay a freight charge

upon it, will find it better to use only a ton per acre. This advice

applies to heavy soils. A light, sandy soil should be given only a

small application, as otherwise physical condition may be injured. The

lime, used in excess, has an undue binding effect upon the sand. An

application of 1000 pounds of stone-lime per acre can be made with

safety.



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