The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-02
The Question Box.

The Question Box.
Of this department of the NEWS
NJ '.I,.rtv to ask questions relating to
ar : and gardening, and replies will be
iali-- Isd all whenever it is practicable.
Sc. ..urications also upon all matters per-
loAii--''. the same subject are cordially
la'' az for this department. Address such
nv EDITOR. box 81. MilledgeVille, Ga.
constitutes Mineral Mauures.
IT,, snv vegetable or animal substance
,.r,ad the mineral matter that was con-
- in il is left as ash. The great bulk
's s,bs matter has gone off into the atmos-
u - so much smoke. the latter repre-
~. -, tbe carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and
,;,rogen. the elements that compose the or
D-' a;c rarts of vegetation. The ash repre-
g. The Inorganic or mineral matter, and
'".,,olIv composed of ten different sub
'..noos or elements. The quantity of ash
'.ar;es greatly in different substances.
One ton or 1900 pounds of oat straw, sun
a,iod on being burned. yields about 100
r,nnds of ash Is per cent?, and this ash Is
mn Of the different elements in about
tbs following proportions; Fifty pounds
' Iii q pounds potash, pounds lime, 5
Funds phosphoric acid, pounds magnesia,
9tl mounds sulphuric acid, IL pounds
;ron oxide. Silica is the chief element here
ord potash next 1t would require
az Unit 10000 pounds Of lint cot
on IN nroduce 100 pounds of ashes, about
sGnSunds of which would be potash, IL
.o5nds magnesia, 4 pounds phosphoric acid,
snonnds lime and barely half pound OF
silica and a very small proportion of the
other elements. Potash is the chief element
here. and magnesia next.
II would require about 1000 pounds Of
dry shelled corn Q25 bushels) to produce 100
mounds of ashes, about 81 pounds Of
Which would be phosphoric acid, nearly 81
pounds potash, about 10 pounds magnesia
and % bounds silica. Phosphoric acid il
the chief element in the ash of corn, potash
newt and magnesia third. These are suffi'
Gent illustrations to show that all plants dc
NOT REQUIRE the mineral elements in the
same proportion or have the same element
as dominant or chief ingredient OF the ash
Beet roots and tops show large percent
age of chloride Of soda that no other plant:
even approximate, and of all cultivated
plants tobacco has the largest per cent. OF
ash 1000 pounds of sun dried tobacco
Welding almost, if not fully, 200 pounds
Of ashes, about 20 per cent. Over roper cent
of this 200 pounds is lime. SIS per cent pot
ash an 30 per cent. magnesis.
While nearly all the ten mineral element!
are more or less essential to vegetation, i
has been demonstrated by numerous expert
ments that in the restoration of soils thai
have been run down by cultivation the ap
plication of only two or three of them il
called for, the rest being always in suffi
Gent supply for the needs of crops. Thu
two mineral elements that are usually ex
hausted first in the soil are potash and phos
phoric acid, and it is these two that mus
be restored to worn soils. OF the two phos
phoric acid is usually the most importan
to be supplied If either of these two ele
ments are altogether lacking in the soil
will be impossible to produce pro6tabl
crops.
And while our old lands are usually NOR
in need of phosphoric acid and potash thai
any other elements, it does not follow tina
they would not be greatly improved by be
ing supplied with one or two others. W
are constantly hearing of benefit being dc
rived from the application of salt to oil
lands, and salt contains neither potash no
phosphoric acid, but is composed chiefly Q
soda and chlorine
Again, we know that gypsum OF lane
plaster proves of great benefit to som
soils and some crops, and especial
clover and other leguminous plants, and, 0
some soils, wheat and other small grair
have been greatly benefited by an apple,
ton of landplaster. Landplaster is con
posed only Of lime and sulphuric acid
Even common lime has been found to es
ercise very marked effect upon some soil
especially for year or two. In the appl
cation Of lime to land, however, it is n
garded as merely supplying an amendment
that has the effect of hberating more freel
the other elements, rather than of being c
any value as supplying lime to tb
crops, for usually there is enough of lime i
all soils to answer the needs of the crops, s
lar as needed in the construction c
Tie plant. Lime hastens the decompos
tlon Of any vegetable matter in the soil, IN
causes 1t to yield up its nitrogen and potas
and phosphoric acid more promptly than
otherwise would. The action of landplaste
is altogether different from that of commo
hme 1t does not waste the ammonia of th
soil like the latter, but in a measure econo
mixes 1t and preserves it from waste. Linn
mas strong tendency to dispel 1t.
IN restoring the ash elements to soils, G
course there is nothing better for that pur
pose than the ashes itself, but as few farm
erS can make enough ashes to go over an
considerable part of their land they hay
70 resort to other materials, and so it TO
lows that we have to resort to kainit an
otner potash salts to supply potash, an
pnoSphate rock and bones to supply IL
necessary phosphoric acid.