nt is not given to the land.

Where Clover is not Wanted.--The ability to grow heavy red clover is a
practical assurance that the soil's content of lime is sufficiently
high. When clover fails on account of a lime deficiency, the work of
applying lime may not be escaped by a shift in the farm scheme that
permits the elimination of clover. The clover failure is an index of a
condition that limits the yields of all staple crops. The lack of lime
checks the activity of bacteria whose office it is to prepare
plant-food for use. The stable manure or sods decompose less readily
and give smaller results. Soil poisons accumulate. Mineral plant-food
in the soils becomes available more slowly. Physical condition grows
worse.

The limitations of the value of manure and commercial fertilizers
applied to land that has a lime deficiency have illustration in an
experiment reported by the Cornell station:

The soil was once a fertile loam that had become very poor. A part was
given an application of lime, and similar land at its side was left
unlimed. The land without lime and fertilizer of any kind made a yield
of 1824 pounds of clover hay per acre. A complete fertilizer on the
unlimed land made the yield 2235 pounds, and 15 tons of manure on the
unlimed land made the yield 2091 pounds.

Where lime had been applied, the unfertilized land yielded 3852 pounds
per acre, the fertilized, 4085 pounds, and the manured, 4976 pounds.
The manure and fertilizer were nearly inactive in the acid soil. The
lime enabled the plants to obtain benefit from the plant-food.

Determining Lime Requirement.--It is wasteful to apply lime on land
that does not need it. As has been said, the man who can grow heavy
clover sods has assurance that the lime content of his soil is
satisfactory. This is a test that has as much practical value as the
analysis of a skillful chemist. The owner of such land may dismiss the
matter of liming from his attention so far as acidity is concerned,
though it is a reasonable expectation that a deficiency will appear at
some time in the future. Experience is the basis of such a forecast.
Just as coal was stored for the benefit of human beings, so was lime
placed in store as a supply for soils when their unstable content would
be gone.

The only ones that need be concerned with the question of lime for
soils are those who cannot secure good growths of the clovers and other
legumes. Putting aside past experience, they should