Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-03-10
from the Southern Planter and Farmer.l
Green FallOW Crops, Animal
NEanures and commercial
Fertilizer.
Continued fron. last ,cseh. ]

Potash, ~, sOud, %; u"S"0S", 1'O,
lime. 1875; phosphoric acid, SIS; sui
phuric acid, IA; silica, IL; chlorine,
OF. It's not to be wondered at that
substance so constituted should prove
to be q valuable manure and to at
tribute q cbiefpart Of its fertllizing Ell
feet to potash, is obviously hasty. In a.
fair sample Of wood ashes there is more
than halfas much phosphoric acid, and
more than seven times as much lime as
potash. In wood ashes potash exists
in q caushc form, and it therefore exer-
cises q powerful influence in Fastening
the decay cl organic matter, and thereby
copvcrtue Els constituents into plant
food but in the shape Of neutral salts,
this cacct is scarcely appreclable; in
deed. the sat.pc,re Is a well known
anhsopnc. Wcare Of opinion that on
soils composed largely Of clay there
can rarely be any use in the application
ofpotash rs q manure, because such
soils invariably contain already super
abundance Of it. We have referred to
the fact tlat many Of the mineral sub
stances entering into Tie composition Of
common rocks and soils, contain a
notable proportion Of this important
substancc Turning to Dana's Manual
Of MHaqloqy, we note the following
PROPORTIONS in q few familiar sub.
stances: Foldspar cOntainst 1895 per
CEN. Of potash, and mica, 90 per cent.
Some zoo,itcs also yield potash as
apopl,l.i.o.wslch contains 81 per cent.
Oft. and chabazite, which contains
o.5rer cent. rs feldspar is one of the
mos. aluu5au. and widely distributed
minerals which compose the earth, a
great por.icnof the potash IN arabic
soils is from that source. Mica also
Yields large quantities oft. In soils
resulting from the magnetism rocks and
in the l..lt, tertiary sands, potash may
often be deficient, but We believe, in the
clav soils, from the granite series Of
rocks. lich as tie are in feldspar and
mica, il IS scarcely useful as a manure
We arc Of the opinion that the potash
salts commonly added to the formul@
for manipulated fertilizers, are, to
great extent, useless whereas the
chlor,das seem 10 be very injurious to
the quality Of tobacco. An inspection
Of analytical tables will show to
what extent potash IS removed from
the u Ivy various crops. We give the
number Of pounds Of potash in one
thousand pounds Of each of the sub
stances named:
In 1000 pounds ofmeadow hay there
arc 1872 pounds Of Potash. In 1000
pounds ofhmotby there are 2Q.4 pounds
ofPo.ash. In 1000 pounds of red
clover there are 1870 pounds OF Potash.
In 1000 pounds Of potatoes there are
81 pounds oiPotash. In 1000 pounds
ofturn'ps there are 3.3 pounds Of Potash.
Inl.0O0 pounds Of wheat bran there are
l4.3 pounds Of Potash. In LOCO
pounds Of wheat flour there are 90
pounds Of Potash. In 1000 pounds Of
corn meal there are IL pounds Of
Potash. In LOCO wheat straw there are
&C. pounds Of Potash. In 1000 pounds
Of oat straw there are SO pounds Of
Potash. In 1000 pounds Of tobacco
leaves tlcre are 300 pounds of Potash.
In 1000 pounds Of wool, unwashed
there are 75O0pounds Of Potash.
Itwiii he seen that very Insignificant
quantities Of potash are withdrawn
from tho soil by the cultivation and
sale Of wheat, corn and other cereals,
where's largely more is taken away in
timothy Lay and in tobacco. Yet a
number Of our friends have informed us
that thay have used the German potash
salts q tested purity without any ap
precabl- benefit as a manure for to-
bacc0. Our personal experience in the
use Of potash as q manure, has not been
ereat.yet It tends TO confirm the eplnion
that q. does not payin most cases. 1t
has appeared 20 do more good on clover
than on any Thing else that we have
seen IL ap,l.ed to. We have tried 1t on
potatoes nil 10 benefit. We advise,
therefore, that any one intending to use
potash as a manure should try it on
small scale At first, and fit pays, them
60 largely Into lis use.
We pass, now, to the study Of
another oftho minerals found in the
ashes Of plants, and presumably, there
fore, under SOME circumstances useful |
as manure; substance closely allied |
10 potash in chemical character, and, as |
proYon by Dir. Lawcs and others, capa-
bic Of largely substituting that sub
stance ID grass and other plants; VIZ: |
soda. We shall pay very little atten-
ton to ihis substance, since. as prac
teal fact, It is found to be of very |
limitcd value as manure. 1t is true |
as stated, chat Mr.. Lawes has shown it |
to be capable Of substituting potash in
the leaves and stems Of grass, Though |
perhaps not IN the seed. 1t is also true
that many persons have experienced
benefit from the use Of chloride oil
sodium or common salt, yet soda has
not been found Of sufficient benefit 10
be largely employed in farming and IN |
estimating tie probable value of fertili-
zers, ifprcsent, 1t is not usually taken /
into the account. Soda naturally con-
stituies a par. ofmauy rocks and of all
arabic soils.
We have frequently heard farmers