The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-07-10
COMPLAINTS AS TO
AMERICAN POTASH
USE ON DARLINGTON COTTON
AND TOBACCO ALARMING.
State Chemists Report
Samples of American Product Now
Being Examined in the
State Laboratory.

lamltOuS condition IN a large portion
of Darlington county which I visit
ed" said DR.. A. c. Summers, State
chemist, on his return to Columbia
today from an inspection tour of the
Pee Dee section, where he<wa sent
by B. Harris, commissioner of agri-
culture, commerce and industries.
The Investigation conducted by the
State chemist was the result of let
ter received by Commissioner Harris
from Bright Williamson, banker of
Darlington, in which complaint was
made that applications of American
potash to the soil in his section had
ruined growing crops of tobacco and
cotton.
Mr.. Williamson, who is a farmer
himself, had made preliminary ex-
animation to ascertain the cause of
large tracts of tobacco and cotton
plants dying. "The result of the use
of domestic potash on tobacco and
cotton showing up now is most alarm
Ing" said Mr.. Williamson's letter.
where Is pounds per acre of K2O
(the chemical formula for potash)
was used On tobacco there is practi-
cal1y none, and the effect is serious
on cotton. Where forty to fifty
pounds of K2O was used, there IS
generally about one-half stand of to-
bacco. Where smaller quantities Of
K2O was used, the effect is not so
noticeable"
According to the statement of DR..
Summers, Mr.. Williamson put the
matter conservatively. He said that
the loss in Darlington county alone
will run into thousands of dollars,
and while other counties of the State
have not reported, the chemist is of
the opinion that the loss in them IS
proportionate. Through the efforts
OF J. M. Napier, county demonstration
agent, and Mr.. Williamson, there has
been IAN effort to report all the DAM
aged fields. In other counties, said
Dr.. Summers, individual cases have
been brought to the attention OF the
department of agriculture.
American potash, said DR.. Sum-
mers, has been sold throughout the
South, but reports Of damage done
to the growing crops so far has bean
confined to South Carolina. Howev-
er, the department of agriculture is
in possession of Information to the
effect that tobacco in North Carolina
counties has been damaged to some
extent. In the absence of chemical
analysis of the samples Of American
potash secured by br. Summers, it is
believed that there is an overplus of
borax in the fertilizer. The samples
are now at the State laboratory and
the components of the potash will be
known the first Of next week.
DR.. Summers said that the major
ity of the shipments of the alleged
defective fertilizer has been traced
to a Charleston firm of jobbers.
ST endorse the statement OF Mr..
Williamson" said DR.. Summers, that
the evidence of the poisonous and dis
astrous results of the used potash is
positive, overwhelming and spectacu-
lar. It cannot be alleged that the
widespread destruction Of plant life
is due to too much moisture, for by
g. process of elimination, it was
shown that one part of a field where
potash had been spread had suffered
greatly, while in another part where
German kainit or other forms of pot
sash were used the plant life was
healthy and the ar ount Of moisture
over the entire territory was the
same.
stI never witnessed such ruin in
the fields from causes other than the
most Obstructive hail storms" con-
tinued DR.. Summers. One farmer had
lost all Of his tobacco planted on one
piece of land and he then plowed it
and planted cotton. The cotton ger
minated and grew very well until the
roots came in contact with the pot
ash in the soil and then the plants
died. This farmer is now>sowing COW
peas to see if that crop will produce.
ct think that the poison will be
eradicated from the soil in the course
OF a year. I observed that where
there had been heavy rains since the
putting down of the potash the pols-
on seemed to have leeched out to
some extent. We are making expert
ments in our laboratories and will