Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-04-19

1t is well known by most of the agri-
cultural chemists that potash in the
form of muriate of potash, when ap-
piled as a fertilizer to the soil for pota-
toes, singly or mixed with other fer
tilizing constituents checks the starch
formations, and the potatoes grown
are Waxy instead of being mealy. The
use of muriateS OF chlOrideS also
check for formation of sugar in beetS
and injure the burning qualities of to-
bacco. The use of sulphates are also
injurious, but in a less degree. While
muriateS and sulphateS are plant
pofsOnS, nitrateS, carbonateS and
phOSphateS are plant nOurishers.
In wood ashes the potash is in the
form Of carbonate, and all farmers are
aware of the fine quality of the pOta
toes they raise when wood ashes are
used. Potash in the form of carbon
ate of potash costs too much to be
used for agricultural purposes, but
potash in the form of nitrate of potash
Fan be used to advantage, as in addi-
ton to the potash you have nitrogen
In its most soluble form. AS soda can
be used as a substitute for potash, and
Is lower in price than potash, it can
be used to great advantage in place of
it in the form of nitrate of soda. IF
only carbonate Of soda is wanted, it
can be bought in it's best form in soda
ash, called ammonia alkali" from the
process of it's manufacture
Corn as well as potatoes contains
large quantity of starch, and the use
of muriate of potash for this crop is as
Objectionable as it is for potatoes. On
sweet corn for canning purposes or
table use, the difference in sweetness
caused by the use of a muriate or
carbonate in fertilizing is very appar
ent, not only in its quality but the
quantity procured.
AS it has been denied by some who
have no knowledge of science and but
little practice in agriculture, that soda
can be used as a substitute for potash
as fertilizer, it can be easily demon
strated by every farmer for himself
at a trifiing cost by using the am
mOnia alkali in a dozen hills of corn
in comparison with dozen hills where
either nuriate or sulphate Of potash
is used. The resulting crop will tell
the story.
Glover like some of the weeds. is
hard to eXterminate if allowed to go
to seed. If the seed are plowed under
six or eight inches, they will remain
IN n md
grow readily when brought near the
surface by deep blowing. Where
clover has ever been one the land
clover plants will make their appear
ance every tine the land lies idle.
Old blue grass pastures and meadows
can be greatly improved by sowing
them, in February or early March, in
clover, at the rate of one peck of seed
to four acres of land. Glover in blue
grass pastures does not interfere with
the yield Of grass. but in most cases
the yield of grass seems to be greater
when the clover is in it, and the clover
is in no way hindered from growing.
If some of the clover in pastures
goes to seed each year there will be
more or less clover every year, but if
graZed close enough to prevent seed
ing it will be necessary to SOW clover
every two years. 1t is on cid meadows
that n little clover makes Il wonderful
show. The two crops seem to be an
aid to each other. The yield of each is
increased by the presence of the
other. When we consider it is no trOu-
Ale outside Of sowing the seed to get
c+o nf oil in oil
wonder is nearly all meadows do not
have some clover in them
Red clover, when fed alone to work
stock, may be in many ways objection
able, but when fed in connection with
timothy hay we cannot see that any
objection can be made to it. Much
of the prejudice against clover as food
for work stock comes from letting
stock have too much. But no particu-
larly bad results have been noticed
from giving work horses all they can
eat Of timothy and clover equalled
mixed. 1t should not be forgotten that
meadows with clover in them should
be cut as soon as the clover is ready
for the machine. If clover is allowed
to get dead-ripe it's nutritive qualities
are in a measure lost Timothy loses
nothing, save little in weight, from
being early harvested
Mr. A. Girard, when he succeeded
in growing 700 bushels of potatoes tC
the acre, that is, several times more
than the average French yield, wrote
a book to tell how he did it. First, ht
twelve to sixteen inches, and dressed
it with a liberal quantity of stable
manure, following with about 9O(
pounds mixed fertilizer (one-half ricl
super-phosphate, three parts sulphat,
of potash and two parts nitrate O.
soda4 per acre. The tubers selected
for planting weighed from eighty tt
12O grams. If compelled to use large
size he selected those weighing 2Ot
grams and cut them in three pieces, al
ways cutting in the direction of th
greatest length. He would not us
tubers exceeding 800 grams Shout
the tubers available weigh less tina
eighty grams, he would plant enoug
to have the weight equal to eighty
100 grams. The rows are twenty-fou
t11I, 70