The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-12-15
FOR TOBACCO GROWERS.

Directrc Of the Maryland Agricultural Expert
ment station.l
correspondence of the Progressive Farmer.
Tnere is no plant that is 80 suscepti
BILE to improvement or to injury by
fertilization as tobacco; and none of
the t7Ttihzing materials have so marked
an Influence in these respects as do the
sources Of potash.
Tobacco growers have paid but little
Gtten5ion to the effects of fertiIi z 2rs on
the quality of the product. and it is not
uncommon to find that even the manu-
tectUTers Of fertilizers have but little
knowledge upon these points. The de
terlc tion in the quality Of tobacco in
scme sections and the resulting low
price is no doubt, in large measure,
due 10 the prevailing Ignorance Of both
the manufacturer and user as to the
etf3c s Of different fertilizing elements
upon Che quality Of the product. Again
we find that farmers and fertilizer
manufacturers often recognize the fact
that certain elements produce harmful
resul~ '1poQ tobacco and have their
tobacco fer6iI zsr formulated accord
ingly but then they entirely ignore this
fact "a preparing fertllzr for other
crops which are to be grown on land
that mas tobacco included in its rota-
tion; presumlng, probably, that the
harmful results are only temporary
ou1 vzr:lI 6i,onDoo- 1yiEb tho o%bopor~1>c
grown, but the truth is that the other
crops increase rather than lessen the
harmful IF 9cts of those elements.
Chlorine is the most harmful ele
ment, entering into the growth of
plants, that tobacco comes IN contact
with, from the fact that the more Of it
there is present IN fertilizer or in the
soil the more, within certain limits,
will the crop take up. Chlorine, when
either in the soil or fertil z9r, cannot
0e neutralzad or have it's harmful
effects lessened by applying other ma
GeTlal, but whenever present it is sure
to exert it's influence. Chlorine exerts
it's bad influence by making the leaf
burn badly-not holding fire we'll, pro
duciI < a dark, brittle ash, and also
producing an eff fl tvor aud aroma.
Lime and magnesia do not have so
direct an effect upon the burning quail
ity and they are easily masked by
other elements, but they most always
have q tendency TO make the bacco
rjpen unevenly and conseq q1ently it
cures badly.
The other elements found in potash
fertilizers either produce no effect or
exert a beneficial iLf Ience upon to-
bacco.
The following potash fertilizers
should be applied to tobacco or used in
tobacco gro ing sections:
Muriate of potash is a salt formed by
the combination of chlorine and potash
and it comes upon our markets in a
pretty nearly pure condition. Il con
tains more chlorine than any other
potash fergilizer, and therefore should
never form a part of fertilizer to be
applied to tobacco or used III a tobacco
growing section on land that may
some time be planted in tobacco.
K9init is q mixture OF potash and
magnesia, potash and m8gnesia sui
pilates, and considerable common salt
(sodium chloride] and because OF the
large amount of chiorides (chlorine)
which it contains it should never be
applied to tobacco or land that is to be
planted in tobacco at some future time
Low grade sulphate of potash (sul
pilates of potash and magnesia or
double manure salt) contains a small
per cent. of chlorine but large per
cent of magnesia, sulphate and Conse
quently should not be used in tobacco
fertilizers, though infinitely better
than any of the previously named pot
ash salts.
Wood ashes some times COZ tain con
siderable chlorine and the lime which
they contain in some cases, will exert
detrimental influence, therefore, not
withstanding the fact that the potash
is in the very valuable form of the car
Donate, their use for tobacco cannot be
recommended.
The following potash fertilizers are
recommended for tobacco and for use
in tobacco sections:
High grade sulphate of potash exerts
a beneficial effect upon the quality and
quantity of tobacco to which it has
been applied. 1t contains only a trace
of any detrimental element. 1t fur
nishes the potash in a concentrated
form, containing so per cent. actual
r,otash K 9 o. IL is the cheanest