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Forms Of Lime

Categories: APPLYING LIME

There is unnecessary confusion in the mind of the

public regarding the forms of lime that should be used. If amounts

greatly in excess of needs were being applied, the form would be a

matter of concern. There would arise the question of soil injury that

might result from the use of the lime in caustic form. Again, if

pulverized limestone were used, a very heavy application would bring up

the question of coarseness in o
der that waste by leaching might be

escaped. Most farms needing lime do not have cheap supplies, and the

consideration is to secure soil alkalinity at a cost that will not be

excessive. Freight rates and the cost of hauling to the fields, added

to first cost of the lime, limit applications on most farms to the

necessities of a single crop-rotation which includes clover, or, at the

most, to two crop-rotations. Under these circumstances it is best to

let cost of correction of soil acidity determine the form of lime to be

used.



The material that will render the soil friendly to clover for the least

money is the right one to select. We need to be concerned only with the

relative efficiencies of the various forms of lime, as measured in

terms of money. That which will most cheaply restore heavy clover

growths to the land is the form of lime to be desired. The contentions

of salesmen may well be disregarded as they produce confusion and delay

a work that is important to the farmer.



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