The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1916-01-27
PLENTY OF POTASH
In THIS COUNTRY
Ample Supply Available in New
England States
SAYS GEoLoGIsT McGRILLIs
Also An Inexhaustible Quantlty
in Middle and Southern States
Known to Agricultural Colleges
Tested by the Government

Cambridge, Mass.-Why is pot
ash selling at $4,000 per ton
when there is enough of it avail
able in the New England States
to supply the whole world for
many centuriesY Who is it that
is keeping this fact from becom-
ing generally known and what is
the reason? Our State Agrlcul-
tural Colleges well know of this
easily available potash supply
They are also well aware, or
should be, of its extreme cheap
ness and solubility for agricul-
tural purposes, for many OF them
made tests as far back as 1889
and proved without question
the value of this enormous potash
supply at our very door.
The Agricultural Department
at Washington has made very ex-
tensive tests and found that this
.silicate of potash is soluble in
the soil and as easily and quickly
available for plant life as the Ger
man Potash Salts. These tests
are all scientifically described in
Bulletin 104, Bureau of Plant In
dustry, Agricultural Department,
Washington, d. G. entitled "The
use of Feldspathic Rocks as Fer
tilizers.'
In most of the Middle and a
large number of the Southern
States there is an inexhaustible
supply of potash feldspar that
will run from six to fifteen per
cent. potash. In the State of
Georgia large deposits of potash
feldspar can be found in Chero-
kee, Lumpkin, Rabun and several
other counties. In North Caro-
lima, deposits can be found in
Alexandra, Buncombe, Hickory,
Clay Cleveland, CASTOR, Haywood,
Mitchell and many other counties
in unlimited quantities.
Professor Allerton S. Cushman,
formerly with the United States
Agricultural Department, states
in the Bulletin above mentioned
that the potash in these fields
pathic rocks, when ground 200
mesh fine and mixed with the
soil, becomes soluble and avail
able for plant life very rapidly.
There is scarcely a county in all
New England that has not many
large deposits of feldspar rock
which will analyze from six to
twelve and fifteen percent potash.
The cost of quarrying and pulver-
izing on fairly large scale
should not exceed $500 to $500
per ton.
| would advise every farmer in |
this country to send to the Bureau
of Plant Industry, Agricultural |
Department, Washington, d. c., |
and secure copy of Bulletin 1O4,
if he has any desire to obtain
supply of potash almost for the
which is without a ques-
ton soluble and available when
pulverized as above stated. If
he is unable to obtain this valua-
bic bulletin, owing to its being
out of print, | would suggest that
he make a request through the
Congressman from his District
that another edition be printed
Immediately by the Government
for distribution.
The old doctrine claiming that
plant food must be either water
soluble or soluble in dilute
acids before being mixed with
the soil in order to become quick
y available, has long since been
exploded. 1t was always a de-
usion The bacteria of the soil
10 not function or thrive proper
y except in the presence
IF an over-abundance of morgan
C plant food and liberal amount
If humus.-W. N. McGRILLIS,
Ieologist.