Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1886-06-10
A GAEAT FERTILIZER.

The question of fertilization through
specially prepared manures is an i'm
portant one to the farmer. In their
use he must know something Of chem
istry, or at least its application in prac-
teal agriculture. A simple statement
of two substances in general use and
their solubility in water will serve as
a key to some important questions. In
this connection it must be remembered
that until substance becomes soluble
in water 1t is inert as a fertilizer Land
plaster (gypsum) is soluble in four
hundred parts of water. Salt is one OF
the most soluble substances. Hence
gypsum acts slowly, salt quickly.
Again, gypsum because not easily
soluble may continue to act Tor years;
salt, ii not soon taken up, will quickly
be leached out by rains.
Both gypsum and common salt are
cheap. Hense their universal use,
when transportation for long distances
does not cause them to become too ex-
pensive. Let us now see where the
special province of salt lies in agri-
culture. 1t conserves the moisture of
the soil, keeping it cool, and hence
acts as preventative of drought. 1t
acts unfsvorably upon fungus germs in
the soil, and hence in smut and rust,
or in the case of potato rot, acts as a
palliative, often as a preventative. 1t
assists the plant to take up silica, and
thus stiffens the straw, and in the same
connection assists the grain in plump
ing and rounding out its substance.
The principal use of salt is in the
transformations 1t causes in the soil by
rendering soluble materials locked up,
or in ether words insoluble, as, for in.
stance, insoluble compounds of am.
monia, potash and phosphoric acid, the
first and last the most costly in agri-
culture.
But even as cheap as is pure salt in
commerce, it is still comparatively
costly as a manure, and to show how
q slight variation of constituents may
increase its value, if given sample
contain two and half per cent Of
chloride of potassium in one hundred
parts, it is worth one dollar per ton
more than if this was absent, or con
sisted of chloride of sodium-the scien'
tific name of common salt.
Hence, the greater value of the re-
fuse salt-rusty salt--of salt works
This rust is caused by oxide OF iron,
one-halt of one per cent. rendering
pure salt unsaleable. This impure sal
is cheap, or about 80 per ton, at the
Michigan salt works, and hence avail
able all over the West, and especially
upon the great wheat fields OF the
| Northwest.
1t is not necessary TO go into elabo-
rate figures to show its value. They
are without number, made in actua
tests. We have tested it in the potato
crop with definitely good results. Foul
hundred pounds per acre raised
wheat crep ten bushels per acre il
England. At practical test in thu
region tributary TO st. Paul, Mimi.
where the average yield was twelve
bushels per acre, upon field OF sixty
acres, the average yield was raised tc
eighteen and two-thirds bushels pei
acre, the amount sown being two hun
dred pounds per acre. In other words
. less than one dollars worth OF sal
produced an increase of nearly sever
bushels per acre. The matter is wortl
} the attention of farmers everywher'
for experiment, and especially so t
cultivators of small grain Farm
Field and Stockman.