LIME AND ITS USES.

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18849, 20 January 1933, Page 9

LIME AND ITS USES.

EFECTS ON THE SOIL. CONTINUAL IMPOVERISHMENT. There are spe'eial reasons why grassland requires dressings of lime. On dairy pastures, cows remove large quantities of calcium contained in the grass for Hie manufacture of milk, and flu's will eventually lead to the impoverishment of the soil. The same is. also true when young stock is reared, except that in this case the ■calcium is used for body-building purposes. When farmers 'consider the amount of l)iiHer and moa't that is exported cadi year, it can easily be seen that, on soils poor in lime content these soils will soon become reduced in lime content. A large amount of lime is also removed by drainage. It lias peon eslirna'ted that on the average II Mb of lime is removed annually per acre. This figure would approximate to yearly losses in Hawke S Bay. Tin) vegetation is, to some extent, an indication of the lime supply of I tic soil. If there are more worthies grasses Ilian good ones, and if plants such as rushes, sorrels and sour dock prosper, lime is probably needed. If clovers are present to any extent it can usually he taken that lime supplies are siitllcieiit. The vegetation. howe fN. is not a very reliable guide. I.ime coun'teracts aridity or sourness of the soil, and consequently in-

creases Its productivity. Many light upland soils are distinctly acid, owing to the original limestone having been washed out. Su’ch soils benefit from dressings of lime. Lime also improves “the texture of soils, particularly on clays. The fins clay particles are brought together into larger groups by the action of the lime, and the land Is thus made capable of earlier and Increased production. Where potash occurs in an insoluble form in the soil, ft Is believed that liming will 'cause these insoluble compounds to be split up into a soluble form which can be used by the plant. On the other band, ft is known that on -some soils lime actually reduces tiro amount of available potash.