xt70cf9j513q https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt70cf9j513q/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 1936 journals kaes_circulars_247 English Lexington : The Service, 1913-1958. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 247 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 247 1936 2014 true xt70cf9j513q section xt70cf9j513q i t
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
Extension Division
THOMAS P. COOPER, Dean and Director
CIRCULAR NO. 247
(Revised)
BURNING LIMESTONE FOR AGRICULTURAL
USE.
Lexington, Ky.
October, 1936
Published in connection with the agricultural extension work carried on by co-oper-
ation of the College of Agriculture, University of Kentucky, with the U. S. Department oi
Agriculture, and distributed in furtherance of the work provided for in the Act of Con-
gress of May 8. 1914.

  
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CIRCULAR NO. 247
(Revised)
· Burning Limestone for Agricultural Use
By EARL G. WELCH
n Extension Agricultural Engineer
_ Where wood is plentiful limestone may be burned as cheaply as
Q it can be ground on the farm. This fact is shown by cost records.
When 15 cents per hour is allowed for labor and $1.00 per cord, for
wood, the cost of burning limestone does not exceed $2.00 per ton.
‘ Limestone may be burned in a limekiln or in a lime stack. lf only
_ a few tons of lime are needed and logs l2 inches in diameter or
latger are available, tl1e lime stack is more satisfactory than the kiln.
Where large logs cannot be obtained easily but a plentiful supply of
small wood is available, the kiln should be used. \1Vhen making
T an estimate of the amount of lime needed it should be kept in mind V
that one ton of fresh-burned lime is equivalent to two tons of _
ground limestone. Burned limestone weighs G6 pounds per bushel
J ot   pounds per cubic foot. _ A
  A pure limestone should be selected for burning. Preferably
I its neutralizing value, expressed as calcium carbonate. should not `
V be less than 90 percent. The })l`€S€1l(j€ of magnesium carbonate is
not objectionable, tho magnesian lime does not slake so rapidly as
high-calcium lime.
DIRECTIONS FOR. CONSTRUCTING A LIME STACK* V4
Foundation. Lay down green logs 2ll)()lll l foot in diameter and
I 16 feet long, with two-foot spaces between them, so as to make a
base l2 to 16 feet wide. Fill the two—foot spaces with dry wood for W
starting the hre. If full-length logs are not available, shorter_ logs
may be placed end to (;‘Il(l to make up tl1e necessary length. Green
logs are used in tl1e foundation only, because they will not burn
readily and will hold tl1e lime—stack off the ground so that a better
draft is obtained.
 €gé\0bdy Oéolatggsdixggegltlihnge Isitaglgsglézlscribed in this circular is based on informa-

 4 Ken/uc/cy Exlension. Circular No. 247
Second Layer. Lay well-seasoned logs as large as can be ob- i bum U
tained across the foundation logs. The thickness of this layer {A mmple
should be at least 2 feet. Place the logs as close together as possible, · lima
Leave a space 3 feet square in the center of this layer and fill it with   bumgd
well-dried wood. Leave a space 20 inches wide thru the l(i—foot IS mm
dimension of the stack for igniting the wood in the center. The ·_ \rVh
stack should burn from the center outward. _ _
f case in
Firsl S/one Ixzycr. On top of the second layer of logs. place l2 _ 
inches of stone (or stone equal to half the thickness of the logs be-  
neath) varying in size from l to (5 inches in diameter. Large stones i 
may be laid on the stack and broken. l 
/-1//erm:/e Luyer.s·. Alternate layers of logs and stone are added.
making each layer of wood about 6 inches less in thickness than the .
tier of wood beneath. Each layer of logs should be placed at. right ‘
angles to the preceding one. The covering of stone should not be ~
greater than one half the thickness of the logs beneath. lt is not `
necessary to leave spaces for dried wood between the logs above the
` second layer, altho some small pieces 3 to 4 inches in diameter
should be used. The stack may be 8 feet high. The stone should
be broken into smaller pieces as the height of the stack increases. ,
.l·`iri21g. In starting the fire the dry wood or kindling is ignited _A
in the two—foot spaces in the foundation and in the three—foot square
area at the center of the second layer. In order to permit uniform
burning of all parts of the stack, it is best to fire it when there is i
little or no wind. _
Genera] Direc/imzs. Each layer of wood above the foundation .
should be drawn in on each side about one foot, so that the finished y
stack resembles the illustration, Fig. l. lt is not necessary to cover i
the top or sides with earth, altho the stack llliiy be banked with 5 or
G inches of earth to a height of three feet on the sides. as a means
of conserving heat. The ends of the foundation logs should not be
covered. The use of seasoned logs. except for the foundation layer. i _
gives the best results. The cost. of preparation is about two-thirds mm U
the cost of burning a lime stack. The cost of blasting powder (li"] if
for quarrying is so little that enough should be used to reduce the (il me
stone to the proper sire for handling. as this method is cheaper than Wm I
using a hammer.
Eighteen tons of limestone will be contained in a limestatls Si;

 V 
Bllfllillg Limcslomr for Agricu/I11ru[ Usa 5
I l>11il1 10 1l1e (lll]lCl]SlOllS sl10w11 i11 the illus1rati0n 011 Page 2. \Vhe11
1;0111pletely burned, l8 1011s 0l` ll1]ICSL()I]€ l)l`()(lllCC 2ll)()lll 9 10115 0[
` lime. Experience i11clicz11es 111111 when llHl(iS[()ll€ is 1101 (j()lllI)l€l€l}'
. lnurned, [0r any l`€1lS()ll, l.l`OlTl 5 10 8 1011s 0f lime are l)l`()(lllC€(l l`l`()Ill
18 10ns 0f limes10ne.
I \1Vl1ere line (T()1ll is 2l\'1lll1ll)lC ill :1 l0w e0s1, :1s is fl`C(lLl€l]ll\' the
{ (-use in e0;1l—field z11’e21s 0l` lie111111‘ky, 1:011l may be used 11s fuel in uddi-
s
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Fig. 2. Front view of a limekiln.
li011 10 w00d. 13:11111 layer 0I` SL()llC Sl1()lll(l be 1t0vered with €ll<)llgll ,-I
10111 10 hide i1. Fine e0:1l muy 21ls0 be used 11s :1 (`()\'Cl`lllg l0r 1l1e 1011
0I`\l1C stack llllllf) i1 Sll()lll(l 1101 be used i11 s111:l1 il q11z111111y us 10 pre-
' \Clll free (lfillil.
PLANS FOR BUILDING AND BURNING A LIMEKILN
.\`i;¤· nf Kiln. The (llI1](’IlSl0HS. (`2l])ilClI`l€S and (lllilllllly 0f luel

 (i Kenlur/cy Extension. Cirrtzz./ar N0. 247 _
required to bum vzuiious sizes of kilns are given in the following uccmdil
table: i constru.
TTTTCT iiii 1 TTTTTTQTTTT  TTTT iTTTT"Q]`Q;“ i Sm<><>¤h
. € E- , _
    Length   width pi   ?gp,§gQg’ quired f are fori
Eyes 1 of pit ` Excavation i of Stone Cawggdof one bel
e·—·;~i·i~—~_‘*—‘—;*’é` ` the eye
1 15 ft. I 5 ft. l 30 10
2 15 ft. [ 9 ff}. I 60 20 ·
3 15 ft. Q 13 ft. 90 30
4 ‘ 15 ft.   17 ft. 120 40 T 5
    4 Hs
Excava/[on. As shown on the drawing, Fig. 3, the excavation
for the kiln should extend into zi hill I5 feet, having the top of the
bunk in the rear 6 feet to 10 feet above the bottom of the pit. The
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» Fig, 3. Plan of a limckiln. the gal
should
back and the sides should be made straight and l)€l‘l)€I"lCliClll2ll` I0 Spam ]
the level bottom. walls 0
Bziilding Iiycx. The foundations for the "eyes", or {ire boxes. Fill
are made by laying large, Hat limestones in the bottom of the pil buildir

 .  
Burning Limestone for Agricullurul Use 7
V according to the dimensions shown. After the foundations are laid,
Z construct the eyes, starting at the rear and Hnishing at the front.
_ Smooth, flat stones should be selected for this purpose. '1`he eyes
  are formed by extending each stone two or three inches over the
° one below, depending upon the thickness of the stone used, so that
the eye takes the form of an inverted V about 36 inches high. .·\
3 _ /2// 00/5/de /70/A
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Fig. 4. Plan for limekiln.
» llat stone about 6 inches thick and at least 2 feet long is laid across W
the gap at the top in place of using a keystone. All the _]OllllS
should be broken and occasionally a long stone placed across the
spans between the eyes, to tie them together. The stones in the
walls of the eyes should be kept level.
Filling the Kiln. After the eyes are completed, and before
building the outside walls, the pit should be hlled to the top of the

 8 Ken/tzr/cy ExIr¤n.s1`0n Circular No. 247 _ 
ground with broken stones. The heavier pieces should be placed  
directly over the eyes and the smaller ones at the top of the kiln. ·   
Continue to Hll the kiln with broken stone as the walls are built. i=
Building //1:* f’l’ul/s. The front should be built to a height of i
I0 feet. The side walls are built on the ground at the outside of
the pit, extending up the slope from the front wall. The front and
side walls should be level at the top and be tied together securely
at the corners. lf necessary, a back wall may be built. All the walls 1
should be 2 feet thick and absolutely plumb. V
PI(l.Yf(?)`1A}Ig` the Kiln. The outside of the walls should be plas- A
tered with wet clay and the top of the kiln covered with at least S
inches of wet clay or earth to prevent the escape of heat.
Firing. \Vell—seasoned cordwood is essential for Bring the kiln.
The stone should be seasoned for l2 to I4 hours with a slow fire _
when the firing is Hrst started. After seasoning, the fires should be
kept as hot as possible, so that the wood will be burned completely. _
· Ashes should not be allowed to accumulate. It is not necessary to
provide a flue, as sufficient draft is produced thru the rock and
earth. The kiln usually is considered sufliciently burned when a
crowbar driven into the top does not meet the usual resistance of ` 
the unburned stone. A sample of the burned stone taken from the ‘
top of the kiln should slake readily when placed in water. The
length of time required for firing depends to a large extent upon i
the quality of the wood and the ability of the fireman to keep a hot A
fire. The average kiln requires 7 days and 7 nights of continuous `
burning. s
PREPARATION FOR SPREADING LIME ·
lt is advisable to slake burned lime before spreading it. This
may be done by adding just enough water, gradually, to make it
slake and crumble out dry. lf too much water is added the lime
will be pasty. lt takes about 30 pounds or about four gallons of
water to completely slake 100 pounds of fresh-burned lime. How-
ever, a smaller quantity than this will crumble the lime so that it
can be spread. Burned linte will slake in time by absorbing water
l`rom the air. The unslaked burned lime may be placed in piles in
the field and spread with a shovel when it becomes slaked. See Ken-
tucky Extension Circular 59. Liming the Soil. Or
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