The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1914-11-27
Fla
POTASH SHORTAGE

Various suggestions have been
made in regard to the step 10 be
taken by farmers il reference to the
shortage Of Potas hin their fertilizers,
caused by the greatly reduced ship
ments OF Potash from Germany
since the first Of August. Most Of
the Fertilizer Companies have en-
deavored to smake the Potash on
hand 90 as far as possible by selling
for the present brands Of complete
fertilizers containing only 2 or ) per
cent Of Potash and Withholding from
sale brands containing larger amount.
The suggestion that some or all Of
the Potash be replaced yphosphoric
acid is absurd. for every school boy
knows that one plant food cannot
take the place OF another. There
are some indirect fertilizers, such as
lime, gypsum and salt that can re-
lease limited amount Of Potash
from some soils that contain hydrated
silieates Of Alumina and Potash.
But # these soils have already been
treated with lime or have received
repeated dressings Of the usual forms
Of fertilizer containing soluble phos-
phate with its accompanyinggypsum
| then the Potash in the Potash in
the hydrated silibates has to large
extent already been replaced and
the use of more lime or gypsum or
salt could not be expected to release
much additional Potash. Ground
limestone or oyster shells act too
slowly to be used as Potash releasers.
The residue Of soda left in the
soil by nitrate Of soda is more effec-
tive in releasing Potash than is gyp-
sum and hence goods. in which the
aiprogen is largely in the form oi
nitrate Of soda, may have a specia
value in the present emergency.
It is often stated that decaying or
qanic matter releases Potash from
the soil but there seems to be M
direct evidence Of this. On thu
contrary, Or. S. Peacock states il
the American Fertilizer Of Septem
n Der S, 1914, Several thorough,
e competent researches have showI
g organic matter has little on convert
}, ing inert mineral plant food in tn
i soil into available FORM"
e In any soil the amount Of Potas
5 capable Of being released BY thes
: indirect means is very small fraC
a ton Of the total Potash in the sol
J most Of which exists in form aboI
d as soluble as window glass. Ther
Ie is no known profitable method f
h rendering this inert Potash of tn
Of soil available fast enough to provid
E. for profitable crops. Whatever TEN
2 porary expedients we may emplo
n in the present emergency, we mu
r. keep in mind that the Potash thl
h removed from the semi-availab
E sell reserves must later be replace
III if we are to maintain the soils pr
a. ductiveness.
er There is danger in the stateme
nd that farmers have been using an e
~ cess Of Potgsh. Crops use on t
of average about two and one-half tim
or as much Potash as phosphoTic aci
"a while the average fertilizer sold co
by tains only half as much Potash
phosphoric acid; yet no one ciaiI
rs that we are using too much PHI
Of phoric acid. The Potash remaini
ng from previous fertilization is praC
tn cally nothing except in the limit
tes areas where a ton or more Of fer
". izer has been used per acre on tru
to crops. Very rarely is half as mu
der Potash applied to the wheat. oa
md corn or cotton crop as the crop
US, moves.
ina The Potash min es are 50 MN