Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1913-03-25
POTASH At CARLSBAD

ten in response to an inquiry from
Francis G. Tracy of Carlsbad. As
the information which il contains is
of general interest to many residents
of New Mexico. it is issued as reg
ular press bulletin.
Replying to your favor Of March
S in regard to the per cent Of potash
contained in the soils and waters in
the vicinity of Carlsbad, | will say
that all the analyses show an aver
age of about 4 per cent acid solu-
bic potash (K20) in the soil and
about Is. parts per million in the
water This would show the soil Ia
depth of one foot on one acre To
contain: 1850 equals number of
square feet per acre, plus 80 equals
per cubic foot of soil) equals 1920
400. multiplied by Il per cent (K2O),
equals l5.6Sl.6 mounds K2O per acre.
The lS.4 parts per million of pot
ash found in the water would be
equivalent To adding IS pounds with
each acre foot of water added in ir-
rigalion. The 1861 pounds present
in the soil is of course not all in an
available form. but all of that in the
water is readily available and IS
pounds of K20 is equivalent to the
application of three to four hundred
pounds of kainit.
For this reason il seems To me that
the soil and water should furnish ~
abundant source of potash.
\ calculation of the amount ol
phosphoric a"id in the soil show
2.144 pounds but of course all of tins
i not in an available form. The wa
ter contains ne phosphorir acid. The
percentage of phosphoric acid in the
soil amounts 10 an average of .O1 per
cent. This Is less than that found
in fertile soils, aud would indicate
shortage of this element.
Nitrogen, like phosphoric acid, Is
often deficient in New Mexico soils.
If We are To- Judge from chemical an
alNses
An application of these two sub
stances in the soil in an available
form has usually resulted in an in
creased crop in the field experiments
conducted by the experiment station.
We de- not believe that there is u
shortage of any other forms of plant
food in most New Mexico soils.
In view of the uneven distribution
of the plant food in the soil, and the
consequent possible error resulting in
>ampllng, it Is never safe To draw
conclusions from a single or possibly
even several analyses. 1t is safer To
draw conclusions from a large mum
her of analycS of soils similar in orr
giN Most of the soils in the Pecos
Valley are ~rdimentary, and origin
ate from similar rock formations.
When such i the ease. conclusions
drawn from large number of an
alyScs of PecoS Valley soils, espe-
rially when these are substantiated
by field experiments. are of far more
value in Judging of the fertility of n
single farm in this area than would
he an isolated single analyst, from
the farm.
To fix definite amounts of plant
food which soils must have to be-
fertile, l. impossible. We can tell
how much i removed by each crop,
but more must be- present in an avail
able form than j. necessary for one
crop. ~ the rootlct~ from the most
vigorous feeding crop can not secur,
the food held by every soil grain
An excess must be- present in form
available To- the plant. 4 large eN.
cess oi all plant food except nitrogen
and PHOSPHORUS i found in nearl,
all New Mexico soils. 1t Is even DOS
>Ible {" have too much plant food
When this Is the ease We say We hav,
alkali.-R. +. Hare. State College
New Mexico.