The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-09-11
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
ARTICLE ON POTASH SALTS OF
VALUE TO FARMERS.
Benefits 10 Be Derived From Potash
Salts-An Easy Way to Test Cows
About Sheep-Farm Notes
and Household Hints
Value of German Potash Salts.


the following from the report made by
DR.. Maereker of the University of
Halle Germany, to the German agri-
cultural society. Where they think
that the doctors conclusions are not
| applicable to soil and climate of this
country. however it may be in the
moister climate and milder winters Of
his country, they note it.
Potash salts are profitable for use
upon peaty meadows and sandy soil if
they have normal supply of moisture,
and the increased yield by its use is
very large. It is also of great bene-
fit in changing the character of the
plants upon such soils, as the sour
grasses disappear, and timothy, rye
and orchard grass clover, etc., come
in. Upon some soils they do not show
the results the first year, when it may
be considered that there is also lack
of phosphoric acid. A good applica-
ton would be 400 to 500 pounds Kainit
with 400 pounds of the Thomas Stag.
These should be well mixed before
applying.
For grain crops apply in the fall as
early as possible as if applied too late
| it may remain upon the surface For
the Northern and Middle states we
should prefer application early in the
spring, as our spring rains would car
ry it down among the roots. The
proper amount is 440 pounds of Kainit
and 800 pounds of phosphate. There
is NO danger of its being washed out
by rains. The concentrated potash
salts have no advantage over the Kahn
it. In this most American parties
would not.agree with him. They pre-
fer the sulphate for some crops, but
not on grain crops, because of its free
ness from chlorine but in most cases
consider the muriate the cheapest
form. AS the muriate is about fifty or
fifty-two per cent. actual potash, while
the Kalnit IS from twelve to seventeen
or one-fourth as strong for low grade
and one-third for a high grade Kainit,
the prices here make the muriate the
cheapest fertilizer for the farmer, as
the freight from German mines to buy
ers is the same on both. Wherever
the doctor advises $50 pounds of Kahn
it it will be safe to substitute $50
pounds of eighty-fve per cent. muri-
ate.
Potash produces a darker color of
the leaves, a sitter straw and a heav-
ier,and healthier grain, and prolongs
the season of growth. 1T is not then
so desirable where earliness of crop is
an important matter to the grower.
Potash and phosphate combined are
almost sure to be profitable upon san dy
or sandy peat soil, but are not as sure
upon clay soil, unless potatoes and
beets are the principal crops grown.
Where green manuring is practiced
to furnish nitrogen. the potash and
phosphate are all that is needed, or
they are usually sufficient to grow the
green manurial crop, and when that
is plowed in all the elements of fertil-
tty are there. In some soils there is
a deficiency of lime, and when that is
added to the above great results may
be expected.
For the lupines the phosphate does
not seem to be needed, but 400 to 500
pounds of Kainit [12O to $50 Muriate7
clover and nearly all other leguminous
plants seem to be most benefited by
using the potash and phosphate COM
bined. The use of potash for potatoes
and beets proves very profitable, as
these crops require large amounts of
it. The amount of sugar and starch
would be increased by the use of the
sulphate of potash. For these crops
the most benefit is derived from a fall
application or from its use upon a pre-
vious crop. Where the potatoes are
to be used for starch making or the
beets for sugar making they will be
much improved by using the sulphate
of potash very freely.
In garden crops potash is of great
value in increasing the crop, but most
of them need heterogeneous fertilizer
used with the potash to hasten growth
and maturing. In a light sandy or
sandy loan soil this is most important,
unless nitrogen has been literally sup
piled in some other manner, by heavy
manuring or the blowing under of
green crops
Asparagus does well with the $50
pounds of Kainit and 500 pounds of
Chilli saltpetre per acre. I'VE would
advise 200 to 500 pounds of the muri-
ate of potash, a much heavier dressing
than the doctor recommends, and
would also increase the saltpetre or
nitrate of soda. In forestry potash
has been found to promote the growth
of young trees very much, and especi-
ally young pines upon sandy land.
Simple Method of Milk Testing.
We have tested our COWS for the
past twenty years by the following
method, and it never fails: We take
cows milk by itself, weigh it and
then weigh the cream and butter; keep
close watch of the temperature and all
the little things that might be against
successful Dreaming of the milk, so
as not to condemn a COW when unfav-
orable circumstances gave her a low
record. Be sure to get the time it
takes to stir or churn her cream into
butter, and closely examine its quail
ity; then you have exactly what each