Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-03-14

Ground Feidspar Not Recommended.
Wide publicity has recently been given
to statement advocating the use Of
ground feldspar ~ . substitute for pot.
ash salts and referring to q. 8. Depart
ment Of Agriculture Bulletin No. 104 ~
authority for the proposed practice.
Bulletin No. 104, entitled "The Use OF
Feldspathic Rocks 40 Fertilizer" was
published In 1907. This bulletin dis
Guessed the use Of finely ground feldspsr
as q possible substitute for potash for
fertili1er purposes, and was based upon
. series Of experiments conducted by
the Department. The results reached
were inconclusive, "a the following quo
tation from the bulletin itself will show {:
"a careful reading of the foregoing
made that ground feldspar is IN efficient
substitute under all circumstances for
potash salts. -. The question Is
still open, and systematic and long con-
tinued experimentation is the only pos
sible method of obtaining conclusive In
formation on the subject. -. At the
present stage Of the investigation II
would be extremely unwise for anyone
to attempt to nee ground rock except on
an experimental scale that would not en-
tail great financial loss. -. 1t is ex-
tremely unlikely that ground rock will
ever entirely displaoe the use of potash
salts, for its availability must inevitably
depend upon many modifying conditions,
such az the nature Of the soil, the
amount of moisture present, the char
acter OF the other fertilizers used, and
the varying root action OF different
crops"
Investigations made since the publica-
tion of this bulletin have failed to show
that ground feldspar is OF any general
value for fertilizer purposes. The pot
ash content In feldspatbic rocks 10 In q
highly insoluble form and to be made
available for fertilizer purposes must
undergo chemical treatment at high tenn
peratures. In general, 1t may be said
that most soils contain q considerable
amount OF potash In this insoluble form
derived from the disintegration of sill
cate rocks, of which feldspar is ono. The
application Of ground feldspar, there
fore, In most instances means merely the
addition Of an Ingredient already pres
ent in the soil In considerable quantity.
Many processes for rendering the potash
in feldspar available have been proposed,
but to be ecommeroially successful uuder
normal conditions Q market must be
found for the by-product, and up to the
present time no satisfactory solution of
this problem has been reached.
There are numerous substances the
application Of which to soils will, under
certain circumstances and with particu
lar soils, bring about increased crop
yields. Ground feldspar may be includ-
ed In this class. However, the cases
where increased yields result from the
application of these substances are so
rare and the conditions under which In.
creased yields may be expected are 80
little understood that their use as ferti
lizer material in general cannot be REQ
commended.
The Department has recently received
many requests for copies of Bulletin 104
and many inquiries with reference to the
use of feldspar as q fertilizer. The
farmers of the country should be warned
that the Department does not recon-
mend such q practice and that the ex-
penditure of money for ground feldspar
as substitute for potash for fertilizer
purposes will probably not result In any
commensurate increase in crop yields.