The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-04-13
commercial Fertilizers and Their Is.
in Nerth Carolina.

robocco stem ashes contain frora
40 % ner cent of potash, and from
= TO i Der cent Of aciU,
which are in combinations Wen suleca
Tor m~anurial purposes. Coco topae,o
stem ashes would be worth from sio'-
10 $40 per ton.
rbona OF. Potash.-To q consid-
nr,h,a eytent this form Of potash hes
,a,,,aced cotton seed hull ashes ah"
o,nar potassic materials as 6 source
az potash for fertiliZli1g the if'si
trades of tobacco: especially - .h0
so with the tobacco rover o. ~
,,ac4icut Carbonate OF potash Is q
manufactured product OF d VIII
character, Wnlcn III
be stored in tightly closed packa5es
1,nti, ready to use. as it takes up mos
ture when exposed TO the air ana as
snnaes a sticky consistency. 1t usu-
5uy contains from GA to ST per cent.
With an average. Of about &c per cent
of potash. which is largely in the forH
Of carbonate OF potash. Ihe perceI'-
ace of chlorine in this material varies
from atrace TO one per cent.
Availability and Suitability OF Diner
cnt Form OF Potash 10
Crops.
Form of Occurrence IS not sucn q
1et efrnining factor in a~vallablllty "'tlL
acid and nitrogen, as az
,oanurial form of this constituent are
quite readily soluble in water n are
considered to be only Si!ghtly uiitet-
ent in availability. When 1t comes -
the consideration Of the influence ~
erted upon the growth of crops ny
differcnt forms Of potash it IS found
70 be quite marked in many cases.
With sugar beetS tobacco and pota-
toes it has been found repeatedly that
products are obtained Of a higher
Grade, if potash compounds are used
in the growth that contain little or no
chlorine. such as SulDhate OF potash,
carbonate of potash and ashes. Wnen
= potash material containing chlorine
is used in manuring tobacco and po-
tatoes. the burning quality OF the to-
bacco is materially lowered ana the
Grade of the tuher Of the potato Is re-
duced. Again it has been found that
Kainit is decidedly the best source
from which to derive potash Tor cot
ton ON land which is subject to rust
However, for most general farm
trops like corn wheat. oats,
vetch, alfalfa, etc. it makes very ut
rle difference what the carrier OF pot
ash msay be. In cases like TINS, II VIII
be best to use the material that sup
piles the notash at the least cost per
pound at the farm
Source OF Nitrogen.
nitrogen IS 1Oui VI ' III
expensive thar the other two constlt-
.lants OF. commercial fertilizers, and
at the same time the one that IS IN
least Quantities in soil and most labte
to boss therefrom. each year, for fer
tilizing from $4,000 eo TO
s5,GO0.0Uo are spent by the FARMERS
Of the state for this costly eleHent OF
plant rood, when there are o,ooo ,ooo
pounds Of it above every acre which,
jf +olaI1 of the Ia1np ii cost farmers
in mixed fertilizers, would be worth
about 10000 900. Ordinary plants
like cotton, corn, wheat, oats, pota-
toes. rye, grasses, vegetables, etc, are
unable to assimilate any OF this sap
ply ali around them, but legumes
such as cowpeas, the clovers, Vetcnes.
alfalfa, beans, etc. are enabled
through the Intervention of micrO-or-
@anisms contained in the nodules on
ther roots Of these plants to utilize TINS
tremendous store OF nitrogen oil
around them in the atmosphere.
Nitrogen occurs in three forms; as
nitrate, as ammoniate. and as Organic
matter. The material commonly utli
jzed for carriers Of nitrogen are NJ
tfate OF soda. nitrate of potash, sui
phatc Of ammonia. cotton seed meal
cotton seed, dried blood, tanl1age,
fish b~y-DrOducts etc. 1t is pretty gen
orally accepted hat ordinary crops
can only use nitrogen that is IN the
nitrate form. The nitrogen Of animal
and vegetable materials. or that conl
Dlned as ammonia used for fertlllzlne
purposes, have to be changed into nj
rates. after addition to the soil
through the Intervention Of. bacteria
before they are of any use in plan
growth. This process now as nitri.
ffcation.@ is one of the most importan1
that takes place in the soil.
Nitrate Nitrogen.
Nitrogen as nitrate. is found com
N 11ac %oin H. IN kho fort,- Of tifrnfo Of so,