The Florida agriculturist., 1879-01-29
300
Ashes and Other Potash
ManureS.

Wood ashes are well known as a
valuable fertilizer Every one knows
the remarkable effects which have
followed their application when they
have been used even IN moderate
quantities. The benefits have been
apparent for twenty years after one
liberal application. This marked eff
feet is supposed to be due to the pot
ash contained in them, but it is Gu
riously true that leached ashes, from
which all the potash has been dis
solved, also show remarkable effects
when used in large quantities as 30
to 100 bushels per acre. The effect
in this case is probably due to the
carbonate of lime contained IN the
leached ashes, which in some ways
furnish an effective substitute for the
potash, probably to the extent, that
one alkaline substance may substitute
another when vegetable matter con-
tanning nitrogen is to be acted npon.
This mode Of action will be referred
to hereafter. Potash i'll one form or
another is absolutely necessary to
the growth of plants. This SUBJ
stance is one of the three indispensa.
BILE constituents of any complete fer
tilizer, the others being phosphoric
acid and nitrogen. But now that
the supply of wood ashes is all but
exhausted, it is found that the yield
of crops has fallen off very MUCK,
and substitute must be found be-
fore this can be restored. When tim
Der was so plentiful that it was
burned on the ground as riddance
OF it, and the ashes were literally
strewn over the surface, which was
rich in decomposing vegetable mat
ter, there was then present, every
requisite for maximum crops. The
soil was then in what was called a
virgin condition, by which was meant
that 1t was rich in all that was need
ed for full fertility. There was abun-
dant phospholic acid and nitrogen
in the decomposed vegetable matter
or hunaass, that was in the soil, and
the potash in the ashes was not only
sufficient for several crops, but 1t
aided greatly in reducing the organ
ic matter i'll the soil to its mineral
elements, and in setting free, abuhd-
ant nitrogen from it also. Thus, in
itself valuable plant food, it was
also an effective provider of other
food substances, without which veg
citation could not attain its highest
vigor.
Having, then, exhausted the natural
supply of potash, and finding wood
ashes no longer available, agriculture
must either languish--which it is
really now doing-or it must depend
upon other sources from which to.
draw what 1t needs. Fortunately,
abundant supplies Of potash have be-
come available in recent years from
the German salt-mines, and various
kinds of potashsalts are now imported
from that country in large quantities
For a clear understanding, however,
of the most profitable manner of using
these potash salts, their character
should be fully known. We have
now in the market muriate, or chlor-
ide of potash, sulphate-of potash, and
various grades of potash salts, called
also. Kainit, or German salts; to.
gether with the commercial potash
which is the crude carbonate, made
from wood ashes. The market value
of the last mentioned, fixes that o.
each of the various potash..salts that
are used as fertilizers. Muriate Of
potash-so called high. grade-con
tains 80 to S5 per cent. of chloride o.
potassium and from so to so per cent
OF actual potash. This is the cheap
est and best form in which to pur
chase potash for fertilizing purposes
But. on account Of its strength in
q y s.-a- f. s+rN ...sN.'
,notash. as Mell.asAe Aen account OF thf