Connecticut western news., 1920-02-26
Beware of Borax

Borax has many valuable uses b. fertilization of the soil, apparent. is, not oneof them. The injurious effects of borax in fertilizers came strongly to the attention of the gov ernment and state authorities the past summer when certain potato farmers in Maine suffered a serious setback to their crops that seemed traceable to the fertilizers used.
 Investigation revealed that injury was due to an excess of borax in com mercial fertilizers. Scarcity of po- tash during the war led to the devel- opment of American sources to re- place the German potash formerly inn ported in great quantities. Two of these American sources have been found to carry borax in sufficient ann ount to endanger plant life.
 Little if any of this difficulty was reported from Connecticut during the past year but Maine especially and some other states, suffered consider ably. The United States Department of Agriculture is out with warn ing to farmers against this danger. The extension service of Connecti- cut Agricultural College is taking steps to acquaint the farmers of the state of the potash situation.
 The U. s. Department of Agricul- ture makes the following statement of interest to all farmers who use com mercial fertilizers carrying a consid- erable amount of potash:
 In order to protect the people of the United States and to conserve the food supply, the department, on Oct Der 24, 19d9, addressed letter to all brokers, fertilizer manufacturers and dry mixers, who are under license under the Control Act of August 10, 1917, stating that the department would not permit more than. two pounds per ton of anhydrous borax in mixed fertilizers, unless the pres ence of an excess of this amount is plainly indicated on the container. It was further stated that the pur- pose of this regulation was to insure that no fertilizer application which would add more than two pounds of borax to the acre would be made by farmers without their knowledge.
 The Secretary of Agriculture, on December 6, 1919, issued formal or- der prohibiting the sale of mixed fer tilizer containing borax in excess of one-tenth of one per cent, unless the containers are so labeled as to show the per centage present.
 This action was designed to protect the farmer in the use of as much as ton of fertilizer per acre, applied in the drill, or to give him notice that the material contained borax. If the fertilizer contains more than two pounds of borax per ton, it is thought that it may be safely used, provided proper attention is given to the meth cd of application and the amount ap- piled per acre. If it contains O.2 per cent of borax, 1000 pounds per acre may be used in the drill with out exceeding the limit of tolerance. If it contains 0.4 per cent. 500 pounds in the drill would not exceed the apL parent limit of safety.
 If on the other hand the fertilizer | is broadcasted and contains 0.5 per cent. borax then ton may be ap- jlied without exceeding the limit of 10 pounds per acre of anhydrous bo- rax, the indicated limit of safety for this mode of application. If it con- tains 10 per cent. of borax then an application of 1000 pounds per acre broadcast coud be made without ex- ceeding the indicated limit of safety for this method.