Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-09-10
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1914
The Potash Famine and
the Way Out.

The worlds supply of potash is
obtained from Germany, and with
this source of supply now cut off by
the European war, there will inevi-
tably be a famine of this material as
soon as the present stocks are eX-
hausted. According to the Wall
Street Journal, the price has already
advanced from &c to l5c per 10.
Potash is essential to plant growth
and is one of the three constituents
of a complete fertilizer; the other
two being phosphorus and nitrogen.
Enormous quantities are used an
nually by the farmers of this country
and this famine bids fair to be a
serious matter to our agricultural
interests. There is, however, a way
out available to the large proportion
of farmers. Almost all soils contain
potash; most contain enough for all
present plant requirements, while
some contain large excess beyond
these requirements. AS rule, how
ever, the potash is in insoluble com
binations which render it unavail-
able, or at least, only very slowly
available to plants. If the store OF
potash in the soil could be made
available as needed, it would be
many years before the average farmer
would have to worry about the price
of potash fertilizer and the source OF
his supply. Fortunately, an agent
is at hand to accomplish this result.
Lime, in addition to its valuable
action in neutralizing soil acidity and
supplying the needed calcium for
plant growth, has the property OF
rendering soluble and available to
plant life, the store of inert potash in
the soil. To lesser extent it also
renders more readily available the
soil stores of phosphorus. The fol-
lowing quotations from some repre-
sentative authorities will serve to
establish these points,
H. f. Jenkins and E. NJ. East,
Bulletin 1853, Connecticut Agricul-
tural Experiment Station The
element calcium is necessary con-
stituent of plants; but as almost all
soils contain it in sufficient amounts
for their needs, the action of lime Is
not like that of direct fertilizer.
Indirectly, however, it is an agent by
which insoluble potash is changed to
a form available as plant food" II.
J. Patterson, Bulletin 10, Maryland
Agricultural College:-"Lime has
not only the effect of aiding in the
forming of unions of potash which
will be held in the soil, but it also
has the ability to liberate potash from
combinations which are locked up
and unavailable to plants. This is
particularly remarked when lime is
applied to land containing fragments
of felGspar." w. B. Elicit, Bulletin
1877, Virginia Agricultural Expert
ment SYSTEMATICALLY all soils,
especially clay soils, contain more or
less of the plant food potash in an
insoluble form, 50 that plants cannot
use it. Lime acts upon this insoluble
potash and liberates it,. making it
available for the growth of plants, or
as it might be put, paiatable" to
the plants. Most of the experiments
conducted show that caustic lime will
act quicker and better in making
potash available, if that is the chief
object sought by lining, than any
other form Of lime. Lime also helps
to unlock phosphoric acid that is in
combination with iron and aluminium,
and 50 is insoluble. Most Virginia
soils, and especially the Piedmont
soils, are rich in iron compounds.
A chemical analysis may show one OF
these soils to be rich in phosphoric
acid, yet a field experiment may
show that this same soil is benefited
more by an application of phosphoric
acid than any other plant food. This
is because much of the phosphoric
acid in the soil is in combination
with the iron, and hence cannot be
used by the plants. Lime acts upon
the iron compounds. making some OF
the phosphoric acid available. " BIZ.
Hite, Circular 6, West Virginia Elk
pertinent Statipn:-"Lime makes
plant food available. Potash is