The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-20
NEW ENGLAND'S POTASH.

There is enough available potash in
New England to supply the agricultural
needs OF this country for many con-
turtles. These many deposits will aver
age from to II per cent. potash. The
balance of the rock carrying this potash
is all necessary for plant growth.
All that is needed to bring this potash
to the farmer is to mine the rock and
pulvcri2e it finely, not less than 200
mesh. and the entire contents of tho
rock when mixed with the soil Will be-
come available for plant life as fast as
any form cf vegetation can consume it
with the application Of varying amounts
for different crops, as some crops
require more potash than others.
The Agricultural Department at
Washington has made experiments with
this rock for the last fifteen years and
has demonstrated the solubility and
availability of the potash when used
as above ana has produced equally as
good crops with THU form Of potash
as they have been able to produce with
the German potash salts that are sup
posed to be Immediately water soluble.
The writer has made personal eNami-
nation OF about 100 of these deposits n
New England and has also made many
practical and scientific t'sts on growing
crops in comparison with the German
potash, proving without "a question that
! this source OF potash was superior in
every way to the German product.
There have been several scientific
theorists OF late who nave claimed
| patented processes Whereby they could
extract the potash from this rock so
| that 1t could be supplied to the farmer
lively pure state.
About four years ago one of the best
/ known OF these scientists and gcntle-
man who had wide experience at the
! head of one Of the Agricultural Depart
ment bureaus at Washington. and who
| had also made many tests wirh this
I raw rock ground very fine, visited tho
writer and explained his process for
| the extraction Of the potash from this
rock. knowing OF the gentlcmans tests
and experiments while in the employ
Of the Department at Washington. no
was asked the following question:
professor. Is II not a well known
| fact that the entire potash content OF
this rock when ground to 200 mesh
fneness and mixed with the soil be-
comes soluble and available for plant
life within three years from the time
of its application to the so!l?'
His reply was, Yes, It is a fact, and
from my past experiments have
demonstrated 1t thoroughly, but tho
average farmer does not believe 4 10 DO
so and life Is too short for me 70 at
tempt To educate him They have been
told that they must have Immediately
water soluble potash salts and educated
lalong these lines 80 many years uTt.
they firmly believe thcr" j. no other way
To- obtain this much sought plant food"
For the last seVenty-Nve years. up -
about five years ago, practically all ~
the farmers in this country and most of
the agricultural scientific theorists knew
positively that all the soil needed was
phosphOrc acid, nitruGeu and potash
but recently we hear of a great many
lothor plant food clements that lncrcase
the crop yield and build up the soil to a
healthier and more productive condition
than was ever thought possible, and
many of them are now being used 10y
the practical agiiculturIst with marked
success.
The Wisconsin Agricultural College
after many experiments has discov.
cred that sulphate of iron is "A wonder.
full soil restorer and crop producer
, France has also discovered that sui.
phate of iron in many cases applied al
the rate of 400 pounds to the acre in
creases production from 80 to 100 per
cent.
Magncsia has recently been claimed
by many practical agriculturists to be- a
plant food of great Importance. 1t is
rapidly becoming "A well known fact that
all plants must have at least twelve
mineral elements in sufficient quantity
If a maximum crop is to be harvested