Trotwood's Monthly, Vol. I, No. 1, October 1905Various
Science
Trotwood's Monthly, Vol. I, No. 1, October 1905
Various
Agriculture -- Southern States -- Periodicals; Horses -- Periodicals; Southern States -- Periodicals
Recently the writer made twelve tests or experiments with litmus paper.
The first ten of these experiments were made with blue litmus paper and
samples drawn from ten different fields, all of which have been under
cultivation for many years and have had liberal yearly applications
of acid fertilizers. The soils so tested are Alabama soils, and are
decidedly acid, as shown by the bits of blue litmus turning red on
coming in contact with them.
Everyone must know that it takes lime to neutralize the acids of acid
soils; but comparatively few farmers ever take the trouble to find out
whether or not their soils are acid, even after failing to get a catch
of clover three or four years in succession. All clovers positively
refuse to grow in acid soils. Inoculation will not do any good for
bacteria cannot exist and operate in such soils. Sweeten the soil and
nature will in most cases supply the bacteria.
Carbonate of lime enters into the frame of every plant and a lack of
it will cause soft stems and flabby leaves. It improves the chemical,
mechanical and biological condition of the soil. It flocculates very
light, sandy soils, making them compact and capable of retaining
moisture, while it prevents clayey soils from becoming pasty hard and
full of cracks by causing them to crumble when dry.
Lime is the great carrier into plants of other elements which go there
to form their organic compounds, during the elaboration of which,
organic acids are created, any and all of which would poison and kill
the plants were it not for the action of lime; so lime, in addition
to its all-importance as a salifiable base, becomes the great carrier
of all foods into plants where it is again of paramount importance as
a fixer of oxalic fermentation, thus having the natural and distinct
power to act where all other elements are useless.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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