THE FARM.

Thames Star, Volume LX, Issue 16959, 4 December 1926, Page 10

THE FARM.

LIME AND SOILS. SYMPTOM OF NEED. PREVALENCE OF WEEDS. ,A writer in Farm Feeding says: “We know many of the immediate reasons why add soils are relatively infertile. A sufficiency of lime is, necessary for example to enable the soil to perform its natural function of “digesting” or ganic materials such, as the dung added to it. This is entirely a function of the soil bacteria, as is also the process of nitrogen fixation by the nodule bacteria of leguminous crops or by a/.oto bacter for other free-living nitrogen fixing bacteria. To 'all of these pro cesses of fundamental importance a supply of available lime is essential in farming practice. Then again, even with our so-called (artificial manure lime plays its part, not only in “fixing’’ such of them as can be retained by the sail, but also for combining with the mineral acids unavoidably introduced with these manures. The actual need of the crops for lime .as a food is relatively very small and many soils distinctly sour can probably meet in one way or another the needs of may crops in this respect. It is undoubtedly as a master key to all soil processes on which fertility depends that lime is of greatest importance and one of its main drainage in combination with the substances which, if retained in the soil, would be intensely harmful. The effects of an insufficicntcy of lime are apparent not only in diminished fertility, but also in diminished feeding value of the crops grown Both crops and stock suffer in quantity and quality. It is now an established fact that herbage grown on soils doff cient in Jime is itself deficient only in this substance, but in many other essentials as well. Our newer knowledge of nutrition speaks in no uncertain terms regarding the value of lime and what are termed generally minerals in the breeding and nutrition of all animals. Right from start to finish lime is of prime importance. It renders the soil more productive and easier to work, it limits or eliminates certain very troublesome weeds and plant diseases, and finally it enables greaer numbers of more prolific, healthy and flourishing stock to lie kept, On arable land the prevalence of certain weeds is typical of lack of lime. Spurry is almost symptomatic, since this weed will not grow on soil containing free lime. Occasionally, as at Woburn, intensely .acid soils will grow nothing else ,no matter what is sown or what care in cultivation is given.

The corresponding indicator weed for grassland is sheep’s sorrel, and for rougher land gorse or heather. Grass land is particularly susceptible to insidious change in character. As lime supplies nun short the character of the herbage changes. Clover and other succulent leguminous plants being the most pronounced lime lovers are crowded out and their places taken by such low-grade acid-tolerating grasses as Yorkshire fog. Again, on arable land difficulty in growing such crops as clover sainfoin,

and lucerne may be due to lack of lime. One form of so-called clover sickness arises in this way, while the turnip, kale and cabbage disease, known variously as “finger and toe,” or “anbury,” is found only on soils deficient in lime.

Generally speaking, soils which for no other obvious reason fail to respond sufficiently to generous manurial treatment, soils which are, in fact, unthrifty in the production of crops, pastures, and stock, are, since lime is of such fundamental importance likely to be found lacking in this essential ingredient.