The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-07-10
DARLINGTON CROPS
RUINED By POTASH.
Cotton and Tobacco Fields Laid
Waste.

The State:
Il found a calamitous condition IN
large section of Darlington Coun-
ty which | visited" said Dr.. A. c.
Summers Saturday upon his return
from trip of inspection which he
made as State chemist at the request
of Commissioner Harris. 1t has been
reported to the State department OF
agriculture that large number oi
farmers in Darlington county haG
suffered because of the purchase and
use of the socalled American potash,
and the department was urged b.
Bright Williamson to make some in
vestigation.
Mr.. Williamson, who is banker
and plants extensively himself, had
made a preliminary investigation TO
see if there were any cause for SO
many different fields of tobacco and
cotton dying and whitening. In his
letter informing the department Mr..
Williamson said, "the result of the
use of domestic potash on tobacco
and cotton showing up now is mos
alarming. Where rs pounds per acre
of K2O was used on tobacco there
is practically noner and the effect is
serious on cotton. Where 40 to so
pounds of K20 was used there is gen
orally about one half stand of tobac-
co. Where smaller quantities of K2O
were used, the effect is not notice
able"
DR.. Summers states that Mr.. Will
hanson presented the matter con-
servatively. The loss in Darlington
county alone, will run up into the
hundreds of thousands. Other coun-
ties in the state have not reported
and they may not be affected as Sc
riously, but in Darlington, through
the activity of j. M. Napier and Mr..
Williamson an effort has been made
to locate all of the fields affected.
There have been individual cases re-
ported from other counties.
DR.. Summers endorses the state
ment of Mr.. Williamson that 1.-The
evidence of the poisonous and disas-
trous results of the use of potash is
positive, overwhelming and spectacu-
lar" 1t can not be alleged that the
widespread destruction, for by a pro-
cess of elimination it was shown that
one part of a field where the potash
had been spread has suffered great
ly while in another part where Ger
man kainit or other forms of potash
were used the plant life was health
" and the amount of moisture over
the entire community was the same.
Il never witnessed such ruin in the
fields from causes other than the most
destructive hail storms said DR..
"One farmer had lost all
of his tobacco planting on one piece
of land and he then plowed it and
planted cotton. The cotton terminated
and grew very we'll until the roots
came in contact with the potash in
the soil and the plants died. This
farmer is trying cowpeas to see If that
crop will produce.
II think that the poison will be
eradicated from the soil in the course
of year. observed that where there
had been heavy rains since the put
ting down of the potash that the
poison seemed to have leeched out
to some extent. We are making eX-
periments in our laboratories and
will know by Monday more of the
chemical nature of this American pot
ash.
"At a meeting of the cotton farm
ers 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 in
terested in American potash. 4 meet
ing Of Southern commissioners OF