LIME AS A FERTILISER.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1685, 26 July 1887, Page 2

LIME AS A FERTILISER.

[By a Contributor.]

The general cotnplnint throughout the district is that our lochl grown wheat does not produce such white flour and brpad as wheat grown further aruth on stiffer soHb. Can yon, or any of the readers of the Star, give *n instance of the results of lime being laid on at the time of sowing or before? I have not seen nor heard of it being tried yet tor such a purpose on this const. I believe, if it was once tried, it would materially improve the quality of the grain and make superior flour. Hitherto lime has been very little used for manurial purposes iv this district, and it is generally admitted that our soil is deficient of this material. All plants contain more or loss of lime, and the absence of it in shown oftentimes by the growth of litcheo and moss on fruit trees, and the dying out of white clover after doing well for about three years (but returns again to a lesser degree after the land has regained by atmosphere influences some of the salts of lime which had lost). This is, no doubt, owing to the amount of vegetable fibre in our soil. I believe tbat a dressing of lime would be the best corrective we could give it, to subdue, break down, and render soluble to the roots of plants constituents that are more or less insoluble.but it should be used with compost or other manures, as it spoils tbe manure by liberating the ammonia in it. To fruit trees, lime is of special value for destroying root fungus, and supplying them with whit it is impossible to do without in some form or other. Apple tree wood contains over 60 per cent, of lime ; the pine from 30 to 40 of their weight ; tobacco from 80 to 50 in different localities ; cabbage leaves 20 per cent. ; the ashes of lucerne 48 per ceut., and clover 25 to 30; turnip tops 23 to 28; potato tuber 3, and potato tops 16 ; onion 25, brocoli heart 4, and brocoh leaves 26 per cent. ; lettuce 8, carrot root 10, carrot tops 32 per cent. Professor Johnson says a crop of beans, 25 bushels per acre, contains in those 25 bushels 36$lbs of iime, namely, 241bs in the seed and 341bs in the etems. 20 toos of turuips from (he same space of ground contain H6lbs of lime, 46Ibs in the bulbs and 72lbs in tbe leaves. Ii will be seen that lime is a necessary ingredient in all plants, either saocnlant or wooded plants, but tbe quantities differ a little in the plants, according to the amount derivable from tbe 6oil, and surroundings. Any crop that does notcontaia a large amount of lime in itself will be greatly benefited by its application in our soil, by rendering other components more assimilable to the roots of plants, and results are equally effectual as with a crop that contains more lime in its composition. Lime is also being claimed to have a beneficial effect in germinating seeds, old j spruce fir seeds, which would scarcely germinate at two years old, baying been i first damped and then mixed with newly slack lime, when three years old produced a fine healthy orop, and an average healthy crop was obtained when the seed was four years old thus treated. Tbere are other instances of lime quickeniDg the germination of seeds. Iv gardens where the soil has become inert by the humus it contains from long manuring a small dressing of lime will prove effectual, but it must be remembered that one good dressing of lime is sufficient for some time, an continued applications would only render tbe land poor without tbe ait) of natural or -artificial jnaimrea. Abont 50 bushels to tbe acre is considered a fair dressing. It should not be barie'd deeply in tbe soil. Use it as a* top dressing, or cover very lightly. The rains will take it down sufficiently; for all purposes.