The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-10-30
EDITORIALS WORTH READING
THE POTASH. PROBLEM.
Southern Rivalist.)

One Of the immediate effects of the
European war was the stopping of all
potash shipments from Germany. AS
the only active potash mines in the
world are in that country, the entire
commercial supply of this material so
Indispensable to the industries and ag.
riculture was Immediately cut off.
The question of meeting the de.
mands of the next seasons crops for
indispensable potash is, therefore, a
vital one The real facts involved are
of great Importance and should be
clearly understood
Imported Supplies in possession of
manufacturers will meet the usual de-
mands for mixed fertilizers containing
up to or 6 per cent of potash. There
will be little or no potash salts avail
able for home mixing or separate use.
Most of the fruit and truck grades of
fertilizers running over per cent pot
ash will be withdrawn from the mar
ket 81.
Domestic Supplies-The> various
farm-produced manures all contain
potash and their use will doubtless be
increased. There are three sources
of commercial potash in America the
output of which is comparatively insig-
nifcant, but which become doubly i'm
portant under present conditions.
First. wood ashes usually sold as Ca
madam hardwood ashes. These average
about 5 per cent Of potash, and be-
cause of the caus alkalies present
can not be use lzer mixtures.
Second, nit: obtained as
a residue waste of tobacco
factories. l. supply Is extremely
limited. saltpeter is also nitrate Of
potash. 1t contains about IS per cent
Of potash andjl3 per cont of nitrogen.
The supply is small and the cost usual.
Y prohibits its use in connection
with German potash salts. Under
present conditions 1t is proable that
Its limited use as fertilixer will be-
come practical ~
Third, potash from seaweed ash.
This Is q new industry confined to our
Southern Pacific coast The output
can hardly supply the demand Of con.
tiguous territory. }''s+ .'ro .
4 Substitutes---The merest novice In
knowledge Of plant foods knows that
no practical substitution of one essen
tial for another is possible. Crops
must secure the potash, lime, nitrogen
and each of their other constituent
materials from some source, and crop
production stops whenever the avail
able supply of single one of these
substances Is exhausted.
Notwithstanding this fundamental
truth there have recently appeared
many proposals for the substitution of
some other plant food for potash. One
Of these suggestions illustrates them
all. 1t was recently reported that
Florida phosphate mines were working
double time to supply the increased
demand for phosphate as substitute
for potash. All such propositions are
either the result Of utter ignorance or
are wilful attempts to deceive for per-
sonal gain.
Observation-Disclosures Of
this nature are based on the fact that
most soils contain considerable Quanti-
ties Of potash locked UP In their rock
constituents. The object of these OK.
pedients is to release these insoluble
forms Of potash and make them avail
able TO crops. es- r.. e,
The most common suggestion OF this
nature Is that the decaying organic
matter of vegetation and animal ma
nures act to render soil potash avail
able. 1t is an established fact that
the action. of these materials in lib
Grating soil potash is insignificant