The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1893-02-16
r. T. NEsBITT,
Commissioner,

OF the three great plant foods phos-
phoric acid, nitrogen and potash, the
farmer perhaps more OTTER has the
value of potash illustrate than that of
the others. The increased yield on
those spots in the field where old brush
or logs have been burned bear testi-
mony to its efficacy as fertilizer. The
| benefits derived may not be felt the first
year as it may not shave become thor
oughly enough mixed with the soil to
have supplied with it the other mate
rails necessary for plant growth.
In America, potash as a fertilizer, has
never been SO highly regarded as in
Europe. The reason for this is evident
from the large per cent of potash shown
In analysis of many of our soils as com
pared with those Of Europe, and the
further fact that our staple crops do
not require as large per cent. of this
ingredient as other crops more largely
cultivated in densely populated dis
tricts. The natural sources of potash
In the soil is from the disintegration of
feldspathic and micaceous rocks, and
for this reason the clay lands in the
safe formed by such disintegration are
not SO likely to require large applica-
ton of this element with other fertili-
ger material to render them fertile as
other lands in the formation of which
these rocks did not enter. Potash be-
ing very soluable is easily leached out
of the soil, and consequently in washed
clays, originally containing a large
quantity, little is to be found; and
much clay soil might be found to pro-
duce larger yield by greater applica-
ton of this element.
The agricultural potash of commerce
is principally the salts of potash or
kainit, imported from Strassfurth, Ger
many, and contains about 10 per cent.
of actual potash and muriate of potash.
which contains so per cent. of muriate
of or about so per cent actual potash.
Freed from combination, pure potash is
very caustic and absorbs water from
the air very rapidly in this state, the
cost would be increased and the diff
Guilty of handling very great. Another
radical objection to potash in its caustic
state, is, that it cannot be composted to
advantage, as its chemical action re-
leases the ammonia in the manure.
Among truckers and fruit growers
the value placed upon this ingredient of
our fertilizers as promoting the growth
of vegetables and fruits is evidenced by
the high per centage contained in spe-
SAd1 preparations maze Tor G0o1r use,
indeed the value of potash in these par
ticular branches of agriculture, is too
well recognized to admit of discussion,
and the fact of its use in combination
with phosphoric acid and nitrogen ex-
cludes further reference to the matter
in this article, the purpose of which is
TO discuss whether this ingredient
might not in some section of our state
be advantageously increased in our
commercial fertilizer and in making
compost In advice on the subject Of
fertilizing no empirical directions of
a general nature can be given, and ex-
pertinent alone can be relied uponto
accurately tell the demands Of the soil,
for this reason we would not be under
stood as advising a farmer to largely
Increase the quantity Of kainit he is ac
custom to use in his compost heap,
without first having tried such an in
crease on small part of field and no.
ted the effect ON the yield. 1t may be
that the land does not demand potash,
but is difficult in phosphoric acid or nj