The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-09-25
Remedies for
Potash Shortage

Various suggestions have been
taken by farmers in reference to the
shortage of potash in their fertil-
izers, caused by the greatly reduced
shipments of potash from Germany
since the first of August Most of
the fertilizer companies have en-
deavored to make the potash on
hand go as far as possible by selling
for the present brands OF complete
fertilizers containing only or 3
per cent of potash and withholding
amounts.
The suggestion that some or all OF
the potash be replaced by phosphoric
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 a limited amount of potash
from some soils that contain hyd-
rated silicates Of alumina and pot
ash. But il those soils have already
been treated with lime or have re-
ceived repeated dressings OF the
usual forms OF fertilizers containing
soluble phosphate with its accom-
panying gypsum, then the potash in
the hypdated silicates has to a 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 eff
fective / nreleasing potash than is
gypsum and hence goods, in which
the nitrogen is largely in the form
of nitrate of soda, may have a spe-
cial value in the present emergency
1t is often stated that decaying
organic matter releases potash from
the soil but there seems to be no
direct evidence of this. On4he con-
trary, DR.. S. Peacock states in the
American Fertilizer of September 5,
1914, Several thoroughly compe-
tent researches have shown that de-
caying organic matter has little eff
feet on converting inert mineral
plant food in the soil into available
form"
In any soil the amount Of potash
capable OF being released by these
indirect means is a very small frac-
tion of the total potash in the soil.
most Of which exists in a form about
as soluble as window glass. There
is no known profitable method for
rendering this inert potash OF the
soil aailable fast enough to provide
for profitable crops. WHICHEVER tenn
porary eXpedients we MAJ employ in
the present emergency, We must keep
in mind that the potash thus re-
moved from the semi-available soil
reserves must later be replaced if
we are to maintain the soils pro-
ductiveness.
There is hanger in the statement
that farmers have been using an ex
cess or potash. Crops use on the
average about two and one-half
times as much potash as phosphoric
ac'd, while the average fertilizer
sold contains only half as much pot
ash as phosphoric acid; yet no one
claims that we are using too much
phosphoric acid. The potash re-
naming from previous fertilization
is practically nothing except in the
limited areas where a ton or more
OF fertilizer has been used per acre
on truck crops. Very rarely is half
as much potash applied to the wheat.
oats, corn or cotton crop as the crop
removes
The potash mines are so numer-
Gus and the stocks on hand so large
that supplies can be promptly sent
forward ,as soon as European condi-
tions permit freight shipments to be
resumed.