The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-07-15
Such is Declaration of DIR. A. G..
Summers, Who is Inves-
tigating.
HIT DARLINGTON COUNTY
81 Found a CalamitOus Condition
in a Large Section" DIR. Sum-
mers Says-Loss Many Thou
sands.

a large section Of Darlington county
which 1 visited" says DR.. A. C. Sum-
mers upon his return from a trip of
inspection which he made as state
chemist at the request of Commits
sioner Harris. 1t had been reported
to the state department of agricul-
ture that a large number of farmers
in Darlington county had suffered be-
cause of the purchase and use of the
socalled American potash, and the de-
partment was urged by Bright Will
hanson to make some investigation.
Mr.. Williamson, who is a banker
and plants extensively himself, and
made a preliminary investigation to
see II 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 most
alarming. Where rs pounds per acre
of K20 was used on tobacco there is
practically none, and the effect is seri-
Gus on cotton. Where 40 to SO pounds
of K20 was used there is generally
about one-half stand of tobacco.
Where smaller quantities of K20 were
used. the effect is not noticeable"
DR.. Summers state that Mr.. Will
liamon presented the matter con-
servatively. The loss in Darlington
county alone will run up into the hun
dreds OF thousands. Other counties in
the state have not reported and they
may not be affected as seriously, 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 reported from other
counties.
DR.. Summers endorsed the state
ment Of Mr.. Williamson that 1.-The evil
dence of the poisonous and disastrous
results of the use of potash is posi-
tive. overwhelming and. spectacular"
1t can not be alleged that the wide
spread destruction OF plant life is due
to too much moisture, for by a pro-
cess Of elimination It was shown that
one part of a field where the potash
had been spread has suffered greatly
while in another part where German
kainit or other forms OF potash were
used the plant life was healthy and
the amount of moisture over the en-
tire community was the same.
81 never witnessed such ruin in the
fields from causes other than the most
detructive hail storms" said Dr. Sum-
mers. "One farmer had lost all of
his tobacco planting on one piece OF
land and he then plowed II and plant
ed cotton. The cotton germinated
and grew very well until the roots
came in contact with the potash in the
soil and then the plants died. This
farmer is trying cowpeas to see If that
crop will produce.
81 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
putting down of the potash that the
poison seemed to have leeched out to
some extent. We are making expert
ments in our laboratories and will
know by Monday more of the chemi-
cal nature of this American potash.
"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 |
kpon German potash. This effort was
killed by the agency Of the men in
terested in American potash. A meet |
ing of Southern commissioners of
agriculture will be held in Washing
Won at an early date to protest against
a heavy duty upon German potash.
Our farmers must have potash, and IL
the domestic brand is poison to the
soil we must find a corrective or be
permitted to buy the German potash
(Which we can not do at the prohib-
five prices proposed.)"
DIR. Summers declared that the ap-
pearance OF some OF the fields in
county was really pitiful