Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-11-20
Agricultural.
Common saIt (ChIoride Of sOdiurn) In
FERTILIZERS.


Common saIt (ChIoride Of sOdiun') In
Fertilizers.
We note with pleasure that the Oonneou-
cut experiment station, in its fertilizer anay-
ses, at last publishes the amount OF chlorine
found in the goods examined. The manu-
facturers will not like this, but the farmers
will. Chlorine comes mostly from common
salt, or chloride of sodium. II IL poisonous
or injurious to many plants. Low grade
potash salts contain a large admixture OF
common salt Hence fertilizers in which
these cheap forms Of potash are used contain
a considerable proportion of the deleterious
chlorine. Some crops are more sensitive to
chlorine than others. Tobacco is injured in
burn aud quality when MANFRED with fertil-
izers containing over two per cent. OF ohio
rine, according to the Connecticut station.
We doubt il the presence OF six 10 eight per
cent. of chlorine in potato fertilizer will
have any bad effect. But the less the amount
of chlorine in fertilizer, the better the quail
ity of potash salts and as a rule the more
plant food the buyer gets for his money.
--H0mestedd.
An excess OF chlorine will, doubtless, in
jure or kill vegetation, and so will an excess
Of potash or phosphoric acid, the two most
essential constituents of all complete fertil-
izers. The Connecticut station may find the
quality of tobacco on some soils (perhaps on
soils already having enough Of chlorine COM
pounds) injured by fertilizers having more
than two per cent. of chlorine, but we hardly
believe the Homestead finds anything in the
station reports to justify its use Of the words
poisonous" and "deleterious chlorine"
Both chlorine and sodium enter into the COM
position of most plants aud may therefore be
considered necessary to their full develop
ment. The last annual report of the Con-
necticut experiment station contains analyses
of eight samples of tobacco leaf, one from
Cuba, and others from various states the
amount of chlorine found in the pure ash Of
the leaves varied from l. 36 per cent. in the
lowest, to H.. 10 per cent In the highest. One
sample containing 10 10 per cent..of chlorine,
or next to the highest, was found among the
best in burning quality. The result of the
analyses did not sustain what the station re-
port speaks of as the motion" that appears
to have established itself that fertilizers con-
tanning chlorine, whether in the form Of COM
mon salt, muriate of potash or ksinite are
highly detrimental to the quality, especially
to the burning quality, of the tobacco" If
sailed fertilizers would keep tobacco from
burning, we heartily wish that all tobacco
fields we're fortified with salt.
Chlorine is dense gas p times heavier
than common air of course it is not found
in any fertilizer except in chemical combins-
ton with other elements, usually with sodi-
um forming chloride of sodium or common
salt, of which about three. fifths or co per
cent. is chlorine. 1t is found more in root
crops than in Others Two hundred bushels
of potatoes-a common product per acre
contain about "a lbs. of chlorine and sodium
in the form of common salt or in other COM
binations. We therefore take a little more
than an equal share in the doubt OF the
Homestead that the presence of or per
cent. of chlorine in potato fertilizer will
have any evident bad effect" though we do
not care to buy salt in fertilizers at $40 per
ton when it is worth less than $40. The use
of salt as fertilizer, in moderate quantities,
has been recommended by nearly all writer's
on agricultural chemistry. The German
che mist, Stockbardt, says Small quantities
of common salt are found in almost every
spring of water, in every soil, in every plant.
We find common salt every where
because IL IL indispensable 10 the ire OF AMI
mails and plants. Animals find it in the meat
and plants by which they are nourished
plants receive it from the soil and rain, and
it is well known that we can promote the fer.
Utility of our fields by the application OF salt. 4"
Liebig, in detailing the result of expert
ments in the use of ammonia, with and with.
out the addition of common salt, on field
of barley divided into eighteen plots, says
"The object was to investigate the action oil
the salts of ammonia alone, and with the ad
dition of common salt In every
case the crop was increased by the addition
of the common salt"
Jas. F. w. Johnston, in his TIME the bes
English authority in agricultural chemistry
says: "We know that plants require for theii
/ their sustenance and growth certain supply
of each of the constituents of common salt
which supply, in general, they must Obtain
from the soil. II the soil in any field con
tain naturally sufficient quantity of common
sailor of chlorine and soda in other stat
or combnation--it will be unnecessary Il
add this substance, or if added it will pro
duce no beneficial effect IT, on the othe
hand, the soil contain little, and has no nat
ural source of supply, the addition of sal
may cause a considerable increase OF tn,
crop"