Average yields reported were: Clover-2 tons (Iowa average about 1.3 tons) Alfalfa-4.1 tons (Iowa average less than 3 tons) Did Liming Pay? 74% reported "yes". 72% reported "no". 182% reported "don't know", "not sure'', 'not yet'', etc. The following are a few concrete examples of the value of limestone. Lime Helps Alfalfa. Liming is often required for the successful growth of sweet clover and alfalfa on the Marshall silt loam when this soil shows a lime requirement of about one ton per acre. Our cooperator at Avoca, John Sondergard, seeded alfalfa in 1920. The crop made a good start but later died out or grew sparsely on the slopes of the hill. A test showed these spots to be acid. On this farm our soil fertility plots have a fine stand of sweet clover where lime was applied. On the plots without lime the stand of clover is very poor. This is one of the crops which requires a sweet soil. In most cases it is not advisable to undertake to grow sweet clover on soils that are acid. Common red clover and alsike can stand more acidity than sweet clover or alfalfa. All of the field was Limestone in Eastern Iowa Makes a Stand of Alfalfa. A soil experiment field was located in 1917 on C. J. Shephard's farm 41⁄2 miles northeast of Muscatine. In August 1922, Mr. Shephard seeded the entire field in which the experimental plots are located, to alfalfa. limed except the check plots in the experiment area. of alfalfa was secured where the soil was limed but applied, only a few scattering plants could be found. frequently during 1923 by the county agent and the agricultural teacher of the Muscatine High School, for demonstration purposes. An excellent stand where no lime was This field was used Limestone Boosts Clover in Northeastern Iowa. In 1923 on the experimental fields located near Julien, in Dubuque county, and near Independence, in Buchanan county, all of the plots which received limestone had a good stand of red clover, while the plots which received no limestone had only a few clover plants on them. On these fields applications of lime meant the difference between a good stand of clover and a failure. Other experiment fields in the state have shown the same results, not only this year but in other years also. Several hundred carloads of limestone are now used in Iowa each year. The farmers in one county in northeastern Iowa bought and applied more than 2000 tons of limestone during the last six months of 1923. There is a growing demand for information on where to buy this material and how to apply it to the soil. Limestone may be bought from a group of 20 or 25 limestone quarry companies and in addition from a limited number of individuals or cooperative companies who are grinding limestone for use locally as a fertilizer. The Soils Department will gladly supply all applicants with a list of limestone quarry companies who have good material and sell to farmers. Ground limestone for soil improvement should be at least 75 per cent pure. It should be ground so fine that it will pass thru a one-fourth inch mesh screen, about 60 per cent or more being dust. WHEN AND HOW TO APPLY. Fall. The best time is in the fall when the roads and fields are in best condition for hauling and spreading and when the other farm work is not so pressing. Liming done in the fall is likely to give better results than that done just before seeding. Fall liming should not be practiced if the limed land is to be plowed before seeding. Winter.-Winter liming may be practiced if the limestone can be securea at that time. Ground limestone is generally shipped in open-top cars with no protection from rain or snow. If allowed to become wet and freeze in the car, considerable difficulty will be experienced in unloading. For this reason winter shipments are not to be recommended, generally. Limestone spread during the winter on rough or broken ground may wash off in the spring. Spring. Limestone may be applied in the spring and worked into the scil in preparing the land for seeding. If corn is to be followed by small grain and clover seeding, the liming may be done in the late spring after the land is plowed for corn. This gives the limestone a year in which to neutralize acidity before clover is seeded. Because of the rush of spring work and the poor condition of fields and roads for heavier hauling, spring liming is not as desirable as fall liming. Summer.-Summer applications of limestone are often necessary, as in the case of summer or fall seedings of alfalfa. Fall wheat that is to be seeded to clover the following spring should be limed before the wheat is sown, but not until after the land is plowed. Limestone may be spread during the summer between corn cultivations if the land is to be seeded the following year without plowing. Limestone should be applied especially for the legume crop. Corn and small grains are benefitted by liming indirectly because of increased fertility resulting from the improvement of the preceding, legume crop. On corn-stalk ground to be plowed before seeding, the limestone should be spread after plowing and worked into the soil by discing. On corn-stalk ground that will not be plowed before seeding the limestone may be spread at any time after the land is plowed for corn. On land to be put in fall wheat and seeded to clover in the spring the limestone should be spread and worked into the soil by discing before the grain is sown. Pastures and meadows may be top-dressed with limestone. If it is desired to thicken a stand of alfalfa by new seeding, limestone may be applied and worked into the soil previous to seeding Lime favors potato scab. For that reason it is not advisable to apply it before potatoes unless ground and seed are free from the disease. LIMESTONE MAY BE SPREAD IN DIFFERENT WAYS. Limestone Distributors: The most economical and convenient means of spreading ground limestone is with specially made distributors, either homemade or factorymade. These machines are designed to spread the material evenly, at known rates and at low cost per acre. The cost of such implements varies from about $10.00 to something over $100.00 depending on the make. Good homemade spreaders can be built for $10.00 to $50.00. Manure spreader: A manure spreader may be used to spread lime. A few inches of manure, wet straw or stack-bottom should be put in first to prevent the limestone from sifting through the bottom and the stone should then be evenly distribued over the load in the amount required. For example, if the manure spreader is set at four loads per acre and two tons of limestone are to be applied per acre, then 1000 pounds will be put on each load. Shovel: Spreading limestone with a shovel is very laborious and does not permit of even distribution. It is sometimes necessary to spread with a shovel or by hand on gardens, orchards or lawns where machinery cannot be used to advantage. WHERE TO BUY GROUND LIMESTONE. Ground limestone may be secured from the following companies: Bettendorf Stone Company, Davenport, Iowa Quarries at Bettendorf, Iowa On C. R. I. & P., C. M. & St. P., Burlington Quarry Co., Keokuk, Iowa Quarries at Montrose, Iowa C. B. & Q. On C. B. & Q. All through % inch mesh sieve. Dearborn's Sons, Stone City, Iowa Quarries at Decorah, Iowa On C. M. & St. P. 50% through 50 mesh sieve. Decorah Stone Products Co., Decorah, Iowa Quarries at Decorah, Iowa On C. M. & St. P. Dolese Bros. Company, 337 W. Madison St., Chicago, Illinois On C. R. I. & P., C. M. & St. P. All screenings are reground. Eagle Point Lime Works, Dubuque, Iowa Quarries at Dubuque, Iowa On C. M. & St. P., C. G. W., I. C., C. B. & Q. Hale Roberts Stone Co., Alden, Iowa Quarries at Alden, Iowa On C. & N. W. 65-75% dust. Hawkeye Quarries Co., Cedar Rapids, Iowa Quarries at Glory, Iowa, on W. C. F. & N. 1⁄2 inch to dust. Quarries at Stone City, Iowa on C. M. & St. P. 4 inch to dust. Keokuk Stone & Construction Co., Keokuk, Iowa Quarries at Keokuk, Iowa On C. B. & Q., C. R. I. & P. Linwood Stone & Cement Co., Davenport, Iowa Quarries at Linwood, Iowa On C. R. I. & P., C. M. & St. P. 4 inch to dust. Marquette Stone Products Co., Marquette, Iowa Quarries at Marquette, Iowa On C. M. & St. P., 1⁄2 inch to dust McManus Quarries Co., Keokuk, Iowa Quarries at Ballinger Station, Iowa On C. B. & Q., 14 inch to dust. Mount Pleasant Crushed Stone Co., Mount Pleasant, Iowa On C. B. & Q. Murphy Construction Co., Louisville, Nebr. Quarries at Louisville, Nebr. On C. B. & Q. 4 inch to dust. Northern Sugar Corporation, Mason City, Iowa Quarries at Mason City, Iowa On C. R. I. & P. Peru Stone & Cement Co., 308 West 5th St., Des Moines, Iowa On C. G. W. 4 inch to dust. Reinert Bros. Construction Co., St. Joseph, Mo. Quarries at St. Joseph, Mo. On C. G. W. River Products Co., Iowa City, Iowa Quarries at Coralville, Iowa On C. R. I. & P. 4 inch to dust. Shell Rock Limestone Co., Shell Rock, Iowa Quarries at Shell Rock, Iowa On C. R. I. & P. 4 inch to dust. Prices on limestone vary from 50¢ to $1.25 per ton in carload lots, f. o. b. the quarry. A carload varies from 40 to 60 tons. Freight rates should be considered in purchasing limestone, as freight charges add much to the cost of the material. Information on freight rates may usually be obtained through the dealers or local freight agents. The quality of the product should also be taken into consideration when ordering limestone. The higher grade materials are the most desirable and for best results the stone should consist of 60 to 70 per cent dust. LIMESTONE DISTRIBUTORS. Limestone distributors may be secured as follows: Firm. "Superior", "Farmer's Favorite "American Seeding Machine Company, Name of Distributor. These distributors cost from $50.00 to $100.00 or more, depending upon the make of the machine. LIMESTONE CRUSHERS. Limestone crushers are made by the following companies: Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co., Milwaukee, Wis. Day Pulverizing Co., Knoxville, Tenn. Gruendler Patent Crusher Co., St. Louis, Mo. Jeffery Mfg. Co., Columbus, Ohio. New Holland Machine Co., New Holland, Penn, Universal Crusher Co., Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Williams Patent Crusher and Pulverizing Co., St. Louis, Mo. |