The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1916-03-10
Gronnd fcldspar SeI Recommended
As n Fertilizer,

As Fertilizer.
Vide publicity has recently been
given to statement advocating the
use Of ground feldspar as a substitute
for potash salts and referring TO [. )
Department OF Agriculture Bulletin
No. l04 as authority Tor ahe proposed
practice.
bulletin 40. I0l. entitled The use
Of Feldspatnic R0eks a. Fertilizer.
WAS published in I'm. This bulletin
discussed the uze 81 timely ground
feIdsnar as a possible substitute for
potash for fertilizer purposes. and
Vas based upon series of expert
ments conducted h The Department
The results reached Nefe ineonclusiYe
n The following quotation from Tie
bulletin itself will shoH.
\ careful reading of the foregoing
pages will show thai no claim Ia
been made that ground feldspar Is ~
efficient substitute under all clreum=
ataness for potash zHlIs.
The question Is still open. and sya-
tematIe and long continued expert
mentation Is the only possible method
of obtaining conclusive information
on The subject Al The
present stage of The investigation !.
would be extremely unslse for anyone
10 attempt to use ground rock except
On m experimental scale that would
not entail great financial loss.
T. IL Is extremely unlikely thal
ground rock viii esef entirely d.
place the use OF potash salts. for IL
availability must inevitably depend
upon many modifying conditions such
aH The nature OF tie HoIl. the amount
Of moisture present. The character n
the other fertilizers used. and tn
varying root action u different crops
Investigations made since the pub.
lleation OF this bulletin have failed Il
show that ground feldspaT Is of any
general value for fertilizer purposes
The potash content In feldspalhIo
rocks Is In 4 highly lnsoluble form
aud To be made available for fertiII.
Izer purposes must undergo chemical
treatment at high temperatures. n
general. II may be aid that most soil
contain n considerable amount of pot.
aah In this insolubIe form derived
from the disintegratIon OF sIlIeata
rocks. of which feldanar Is one. Ths
application OF ground feldspar. there.
fons. IN most instances means merely
the addition OF an ingredient already
present In the soil IN considerable
quantity Many processes for render.
Ing tho potash In feldapar avallabl.
haYe been proposed. hut 10 be CONNER.
Gully successful under normal con.
dIIIons a market must be found ToI
tie hyproduct. and ~ IN the present
TIM no satisfactory solution of tn
problem has been reached
There are numerous substances til
application Of which 10 soils will. IN.
der certain circumstances and witt
particular soils, bring about increased
crop Yields. Ground feldspar may b
included IN this flaHz However. tht
easeE where Increased yields result
from the application If these sub.
stances are so rare and the conditions
under which increased yields may b
expected are so little understood tina
their use as fertilizer materials Il
general cannot be recommended.
The Department las recently re.
eelYed many requests for copies d
Bulletin 1914 and many inquiries witt
reference TO the use Of feldspar a. :
fertilizer. The farmers Of the countrs
should be warned that the Department
does not recommend such a praetIe.
and that the expenditure of money foi
ground feldspar a. substitute foi
potash for fertilizer purposes vii
! probably not result IN any common
EuTate Increase In crop yields.