IN ECONOMICAL WAY TO APPLY LIME.

Otago Witness, Issue 3415, 29 August 1919, Page 10

IN ECONOMICAL WAY TO APPLY LIME.

On most farms in New Zealand the supply of farmyard manure is quite inadequate to meet requirements, and in respect to lime the same remark applies. There may he enough lime in a soil viewed as a constituent of plant food, but there is probably insufficient to render other plant foods in th e soil available for growing crops, to say nothing about improving the texture or the physical condition of stiff lands. Carbonate of lime is the form of lime which is important in soils, and, although insoluble in water, it dissolves readily in water containing carbonic acid forming a soluble form of lime which is liable'to be washed out of land, and calls for constant renewal. The term "lime" is used in a loose manner in agriculture, and I may refer to the carbonate of lime (100), slaked lime (74), or burnt lime proper (56). The numbers represent the weights of the different substances which supply the same weight of lime. The burnt limes are sometimes referred to as "hot lime,'' and the carbonate as "mild lime " It is not a very material matter what form of "lime" is applied. It depends on various circumstances, and chiefly on the expense of carting and the initial costs. In the method of applying lime outlined by F. ,S- Clark in Hoard's Dairyman, there may not be full agreement. We recognise that some losses by volatilisation may occur, but in practice the writer was successful, and providing manure heap is kept compact and moistened, ammonia losses can be minimised. In the State of Illinois most lime is applied in the form of ground limestone. Probably the ideal method of application is to use a lime sower and apply the lime on freshly ploughed or harrowed ground to be harrowed in. It is not always convenient to turn to, and cart the lime when waiting in truck lots at -the railway station. The main thing is to get the lime on to the ground, and in the case of a dairy farm where: lime is applied for the sake of improving the young grass and increasing the amount of legumes in the hay, time is money. Bearing these facts in mind, the method adopted and found satisfactory may be explained. The crushed limestone 'as drawn from the truck is mixed with manure or piled up in an empty stall in the cow-byre. If possible, it is placed -,near the door through which the manure will pass on its way out of the barn. Ten tons of lime can'be stored in a small pile. This lime, our informant tells us, is used every day after clearing out the sheds to sprinkle in the bottom of the gutters and to sprinkle over the driveways. On the driveways the ground limestone tends to prevent cows and horses from slipping. It also covers the wet spots where liquid manure has leaked out on to the floor. In this way the byre is kept looking and smelling more sanitary. Each day when the byre is swept up, the lime applied the previous day is_ swept into the gutters. This together with the quantity applied directly in the gutters tends to absorb some of the liquid manure, although it must be admitted lime has no great absorbing power, but it helps to keep down odours and make the byre more neat. So, under this plan a considerable amount of lime goes out _ with every load of manure. In the particular case under consideration the idea was to apply lime at the rate of 1000 pounds per acre. To do this, it would be necessary to get about 100 pounds of lime on each load of manure (the manure spreader is set for 10 loads per acre). It is not feasible to use quite this amount of lime in the gutters and driveways, so the value of the lime pile near the exit is apparent. Every day as the load of manure goes by two or three bucketfuls of lime are thrown on top of the load. The amount used in gutters and driveways is computed, and an estimated amount of lime is added to make up the 100 pounds. The load now goes on to the field and is spread, the lime being distributed without extra- work even if with some slight loss of ammonia, but not necessarily so. The following season, if all has gone well, we find that in addition to having a neat sanitary byre all winter, that the necessary lime has been applied to the soil without any aonreeiable effort. It is considered that although the lime may not be spread i in the exact places desired, yet it is possible to cover systematically the entire crop

area. It is necessary, however, to bear in mind that from yard manure intended for use on the potato area must be left without any addition of lim e for fear it may promote the development of potato scab.