Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-04-12
POTASH As A MANURE FOR

NNNT WIS NAAN"h ~ W HlNntlL III
every crop, nay, in almost every plant,
particularly n white crops which
contained silica, sand or flint, in consid
quantity and most of all was IT
essential Tor wheat, as that plant con
tanned, OF all crops the largest percent.
aye Of silica. aud by potash alone could
silica be- taken Into solution, so as 10 be
absorbed aud circulated with the sap OF
The pant, and subsequently deposited
with IT'S tissue. Moreover, it had been
OF late years discovered that those soils
which yielded the most abundant wheat
crops always contained the larger quan
thy IF potash, and that CAY soils con-
1t naturally in considerable quan.
tlty, that Is, considerable in proportion
To the quantity required; for, il was well
worthy OF remark. that the quantity Of
potash contained in the wheat was by no
means sufficient for the solution of the
quantity OF 81 lea existing in the plant.
ind this led TO the belief that the potash
which conveyed the silica in solution to
he plant, was returned 10 the soil after
having deposited It's burden, and there
aga = acted the part of II solvent for a
fresh portion Of silica, again to be con
veyed 10 the crop. Wheat, unless sup.
Piled with a suliciency Of soluble silica
could MOI grow Strongly and healihily ;
hence the necessity for the presence of
potash, in order to its abundant SUNNY
out not potash alone, but potash, itself
IN alkalI, IN union with an acid 10 neu-
IraiIze ITS caustic properties, and form a
salt. Thu carbonate Of potash 1.-THE
pearlash of commerce )and nitrate of not
ash CnItre or S~alIpetre) were uselul aS
manure IN soils deficient of potash
he source whence these migqt be OBJ
tanned most cheaply by the agricultural
'st requiring potash and the value o.
"A c as a manure, was the next point for
co Aslderntion. w tn respect TO pearlash
or nltre, the price would probably OK.
blude them from general or extensive
use; Lut,li we Iook to the sources whence
they may be Obtained, we shall find
them Tor the most part, within the reach
oil all. The pearlaShes Of commerce are
iHed from wood ashes in such coun.
tries as Canada and Russia, ~abouGdinr
IN forest land. The ashes Of various
kinds OF trees, shrubs, and herbs, GER
quantities of this salt, varying from
'ess thai 10, as in the beech oak, and
elm,to about "a per cent ,as in the worm.
Herbs contain more than shrubs,
shrubs more than trees, while the leaves
an ! branches OF trees contain more than
he woody portions. Wood ashes. b
sides, contain varying quantities of sill
ca, phosphate and carbonate OF limo and
magnesIa, all highly useful for plants
containing matters which are the direct
food for plants, it might readily be sup
Eosed, lnasmuch as they are themselves
the ashes Of plants. Can potash be al
ways obtained in sufficient quantity by
these means? There are the hedge
COWS, bottoms, and woodland, unfort1-
nately too frequent upon the generality
oil farms, which 1t is desirable'to remove
as much as possible; by burning these
and mixing with the dung, or spreading
over the land without mixture, much
benefit might be derived. But another
question ariSes-is it econ mical to con.
sumo so much vegetable matter which
might be used as manure, if the seeds
were prevented from terminating, and
the substance broken up, as might lie eff.
iected by means uf lime on the draining
Of the farm yard? The one method or
the other, or in fact both, are at the op.
ton OF the agriculturist, as he may be
IN ant Of either, or may find each the
cheaper or more convenient Carbon
ate Of potash is de~liquescent (attracrs
molsture0 the same remark will, there
fore, apply to this salt as was made with
regard to those deIinquescent salts men
toned in the last lecture.
The superiority of ammonia over
nitric acid for the supply of nitrogen
plants is undoubted, and seems 10 be due
TO the greater facility with which il un
dergoes decomposition, forming the yari-
Gus heterogeneous products Of vegetables.
as gluten, albumen, &c. while the flcil
ny with which hydrogen, the other con
stltuent, unites with the universally
present, oxygen 10 form water, is an ad.
ditlonal cause ofits fertalizing effects.
Sulphate Of ammonia seemed the salt
Lest adapted for the use Of The farmer,
TO supply his crops with nitrogen. This
salt was now prepared by Mr.. Croll's
patent process for the publication OF
coal gas, and might be bought for about
dos. tho cwt., and would u ost likely be
come much cheaper, as an i~nexhaustible
supply might be procured by fitting I'D
Mr.. CrolPs apparatus at the various ga
works Throughout; the kingdoms.-Amsri
can AgricnLturiSt.
OPINIONS Or AN "OLD BOATMANn