The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-07-16
The Potash Question
Mr.. Dabbs Comments on Reports
From Darlington County

To tho Editor of The Daily Item:
am surprised at this sentence in
the report of potash damage III oar-
lington county: AT meeting OF cot
ton farmers in New Orleans about
two months ago an effort was made to
get the government not to put
heavy tariff upon German potash.
This effort was killed by the agency
of the men interested in American
potash.
am also surprised at the state
ment lit was shown that one part OF
field where the potash had been
spread has suffered greatly while IN
another part where German KANT or
; other forms Of potash were used e'c.
The point to my inquiry is: VINO hao
German kainit in 1919 after or
years when it had not been import
ed? And what other forms ol pot
ash were used?
am also curious TO know Whit
Mr. Williamson means by SAVING
Where rs pounds per acre OF kzo
was used where 40 or 80 pounds Oh
K2O was used" etc. and where small
or quantities of K2O We're used the Ell
feet is not noticeable" Kainit had
y pounds K2O in 100 pounds OF
bulk therefore if one used 40 pounds
Of K2O he had about the equivalent
of 333 ID pounds kainit. II he used
80 pounds of K2O he had equal to 400
pounds kainit If % pounds K2O ne
used equal to 625 pounds kajnit.
If he used IS pounds K2O it took
about 200 pounds of the high grade
domestic potash or 800 to 400 pounds
Of the lower grade. say that running
10 to 25 per cent Of K2O. I used last
year 100 pounds of Searles Lake pot
ash "a to 256 per cent K2O per acre
and saw no harm, but good l am
using this year some Of the last year
purchase at 100 pounds per acre
Some Of this years 19 per cent k2O
100 pounds per care and 3S per cent
K2O at 80 pounds per acre. ] see lio
bad results ] tried to use what would
give me the same K2O as $50 to 20O
pounds of KANT. ! have some cotton
in separate fields from Ia mile to
three miles apart that look AS bad
as cotton can look. Where the three
different grades of potash we're used
but on the same rows in two fields,
and right by these bad spots l have
rs good cotton as there is in this sec
ton. Therefore without more light
than was given at New Orleans or in
the article Of DR.. Summers I am
from Missouri" SO much for that
To go back to the statement about
the New Orleans meeting. If it re-
fers to the meetings in New Orleans
I heard about potash was that the do
nestle potash had some poison TO
plant life in it. / questioned this
statement. The gentleman who read
il said it had been proved by 1--WE
years tests questioned Lhat
statement and stated that American
potash had not been discovered until
we had exhausted our supplies Of
German potash, ard that there could
not have been any five year tests. J.
demanded the source of the gentle
mans information. He failed to give
it. asked DR.. Watkins, assistant di-
rector of extension work in this State
what he knew about it. His reply
was Il never heard of it before" ]
then stated that the gentleman had
made an admirable report and I con-
graduated his committee on their in
dustry, but that l must insist on his
reference to American potash beng
stricken from the report, if he want
ed his report adopted Inanjmously
After some rapid fire discussion he
agreed to my opposition. | believe If
he had not done so the convention
would have stricken that from the re-
port. What | did was without con-
su!tation with anybody / have no in
tereSt in American potash further than
to be glad that we have q supply OF II.
am willing to pay more for it to de
velop the home supply until such
time as we can trade in the German
supply without giving aid and comfort
to the enemy. When they and we
have ratified the peace treaty and
they show their good faith by carrying
out the provisions Of the treaty. I anl
willing to trade them cotton seed OIL
and cotton for KANT and ammonlate
of potash But until then | repeat
what ] said in Washington and N9W
Orleans Not one pound of cotton or
cotton seed products to Germany. Ii |
never sell any more. That was call
ed in Washington by one Of the dele
gates "D-d poor business and may
be thought by some in New Orleans,
but both meetings strongly indorsed
the position I took.
am opposed to any tariff on Ger
man potash I do not want merely
TO ask "the government not to put
heavy tariff on German potash
believe the government should pay to
the men who have developed our do
mestic potash whatever will protect
them against loss in supplying us %lth
potash until trade becomes normal
again. and to show our citizenS that
should it be necessary they can so out
and develop our natural resources to
make us Independent Of another
country. But do not believe 1t is