The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-12-28
farm aud Garden.
Conducted by DIR. THOMAS POLLARD State
Commissioner of Agriculture.
Ground Bones and Ashes Mixed-Green
Sand Marl or (Eocenel Comnostinr

q
ii the bones are not ground fine. as the
ashes assist in decom posing the bone i
wetted. In place OF ashes, if not pro-
curaoie, KANT German potash salts) may
be substituted. But the kainit should
be analysed, as 1T should contain from %
to 20 per cent sulphate potash, which it
no doubt frequently fails to do. Kainit
usually sells for about $40 to $12 per
ton. Besides the potash it contains, it
has about 30 per cent of common salt.
which is some advantage in agriculture
particularly, it is believed by some, on the
wheat crop, and to possess some advan-
tage as destroyer of insect life. It is
strange how rapidly it kills the snail, but
whether it is generally so destructive to
insects, think we are not informed.
There is another form of potash. the
Green Sand Mari of New JERSEY" which
is coming in use outside of New JERSEY
and no doubt is an excellent fertilizer
1t is shipped from New Jersey to Penn
sylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and
some points in Virginia-besides being
extensively used in New Jersey. We
saw 1T IN the fall of 1880, exhibited at the
Pennsylvania State Fair, where it OBJ
tanned cash premium. The agents for
this mari claim for it about 81 per cent
OF phosphoric acid, and y per cent of
potash, with some lime, magnesia, and
silicic acid, the two first being principally
valuable. The shippers say they can de-
liver it in Richmond for So per ton, and
along the river and in vicinity of Norfolk
for less price. The testimonials in its
favor are very decided, and we believe
it will be very valuable to compost with
ground bone, or stable manure with
ground bone, or to use separately on the
worn. thin lands in Eastern Virginia.
Certain 1t is that it has proved great
renovator of lands in New Jersey. Prot.
w. b. Rogers, in his Reports on the Geol-
ogy of Virginia made to the Legislature
of Virginia from about 1910 to A, speaks
of the great value of this variety of mari
in connection with the green sand marls
OF Virginia, and quotes from his brother,
ID. ID. Rogers, (see Hand Book of Vir-
glnia, p. 7, Sd edition), who says in his
Report on the Geology of New jersey:
When we behold luxuriant harvest
gathered from fields where the soil was
nothing originally but sand, and find it all
due to the use of mineral sparsely dis
seminated in the sand beach, we must
look with exulting admiration upon the
benefits conferred upon vegetation by a
few scattered granules of this unique and
peculiar substance" These eocene or
green sand marls have been very profit
ably used in Tidewater Virginia, and
have been found greatly beneficial to
clover particularly, but they are nothing
like so rich in potash as those of New
Jersey, and have less Of phosphoric acid.
Those we have seen in Virginia are partly
carbonate line marls, containing not
more than moderate amount of potash.
A mixture of ground South Carolina
phosphate and kainit (called by DIR. st.
Julian Ravenel, cash Element'') has
been very proftably used on the coast
lands of South Carolina in the production
OF good growth of peas to be followed
by wheat, which even on those light lands
has been found, under this management,
to yield thirty or more bushels of wheat
to the acre. These compounds act with
particular efficacy on tobacco, and corn,
and Irish potatoes, and also on wheat,
unless where there is no clover fallow or
vegetable matter in the soil. Then some
ammonia will be necessary, and in cases
where ammonia is needed, composing
may proftably be practiced, using the
ground bone and potash in some of it's
forms, with all the farm pen, stable ma
nure, hog manure, and hen manure that
can be procured, mixed IN with rich dirt,
and some plaster to prevent escape Of
ammonia, but should DISSOLVED bone be
used, the plaster will not be necessary.
Where stable and other putrescent ma
nure cannot be gotten in sufficient guam
tity, then fish scrap or sulphate ammonia
or some other salt containing ammonia
may be used as a source of ammonia.
Returning to the subject of ground
bone and ashes, we give the following
found in the Country Gentleman, from
Judge Fullerton, successful farmer and
owner of a large farm in Virginia:
"You ask in behalf of your correspon-
dent K, Warrenton, o., for the expe-
rience Of others in the use Of a mixture
of bones and ashes, and cheerfully give
mine. saw this mixture recommended
some years SINCE in lecture by DIR. John
r. Nichols, of Boston, and / have used it
every year since with marked success.
In writing to a friend, DR.. Nichols said ::
1t will afford you the cheapest and best
fertilizer you have ever experimental
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