Show more limestone for better crops proper use of lime very important to growth of legumes by L 13 miltan MIL bent Asso lata clato ln in soil experiment university of 0 i illinois service revival it revival of limestone spreading will pay extra dividends if farmers will use more legumes on the limed soil on an experiment field the fertility level of limed land was raised an extra CO 50 per cent through the use of I 1 legumes A more normal rate of limestone use 1 is 19 9 expected to be resumed this year as a result of the improvement in farm income during the depression years tonnage fell off of in addition to adding organic matter to limed soil and raising its general fertility level in that way a catch crop of clover or other legumes lessens leaching losses and cuts down erosion damage the direct benefit of limestone to grain crops Is relatively small full returns from liming cannot be had without the frequent fre and regular use of legumes in the cropping system this Is shown by results on the car linville experiment field in macoupin Ma coupin county illinois since 1921 a two year rotation of corn and wheat at has been grown on land which received five tons of limestone an acre prior to treatment this land was medium acid typical of the level soils of that section on one portion of the limed area sweet clover was seeded each year as a catch crop in the wheat and plowed down the following spring for corn an adjacent area although limed has been cropped with corn and wheat in the same way but without the use of sweet clover yields have averaged 22 bushels of wheat an acre and 47 bushels of corn in the rotation where sweet clover has been used as a catch crop in contrast wheat made only 13 bushels an acre and corn only 34 bushels in the rotation where no legumes were used in other words the clover improved the fertility level of the soil 50 per cent here Is evidence that the farmer who has gone to the trouble and expense of liming his soil Is cheating himself if he does not plan a regular rotation including clover which will save and make the most of his investment in limestone |