Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-01-14

sng 1nr mn1e injury from the
0D annuut ON ID same kind Of
cr0DD Ohm did the other
To 0uuble with the Indizna fer
tdiasr w1s t-7csd to N Amsricsn Do
IAN ootAined frum Searies Lake.
GAfssnniA- Bsc4use II the war, be-
49, = - desirable to have an
Aa1a supply of potaah and be-
- anar1a8 Lake is the only real
cuAhae source Of American Do
- 0ns Tar found 1t was well nigh
nry To use p0fash from this
ne IA 18s fertilizer or go without
MUCH potash IN them. After looking
'osef Inc Indiana troubles and study
~ Izae results OF the federal depart
0nI on AEriculturs's experiments
Iln norAx IN stable manure the pu-
n9u az soils OF that deparsmeut IN
NaVate istters to fertilizer MAKERS
Ia TINT II would appsur as tao1,rt,
potash salts containing bora r,uld
ne used safely IL the actual burax
GAG NOT ezcssd 20 pounds N one ton.
AZ u well known Some half dozen
cunpan1es use this kind of potash
ssals 10 greater or Iess extent in
1eo terulizers sold in Maine FOR
inc isis potato planting. The cum
p1"s whose goods g1ve the most
CUunle depended entirely unon
Searies Lake potash and the -esur,-
n'e injury. though by no mems uni
iofzniy SO, was N general in nro-
port1oo to the percentage Of rr,tas,,
found In their goods and the sYnnu,,t
T.
oIner companies. who used Sea-.les
LAKE POTASH as only q partial source.
the ioas Of crop while very sermons
IN some instances IN other csses IN
otner soil gave little or no inJ,1rv So
mucn 80 thar some of these COM
pa0les huve been more or Iess dis
posed to Try to find some other reg
son tnan the borax ID their goods n
account for the failures.
ine MAINE Agricultural Expert
msnf Station has IN its greenhouse
POTATOES and beans growing on 1+,es.
ierfiiizers that contained r7;-he,
Small amounts of borax oue In tins,
iact that Searies Lake potash WIS
only nSa0 as a part source of the
potash In the mixed goods. The soil
Used was a rich garden soil. The
1er1iiizer was npplied at the same
rate II Is applied III the field taking
INTO consideration the size of the
pofs. In some the fertilizer was ap-
plec as II Is with the planter-ei-
lner above or below the seed-piec
with little mixing with the soil. in
others Il was Intimately mixed with
the upper inches Of soil and with
others II wis mixed with the soil
ABOVE or Just below the seed piece.
In sume pots water was applied free
~ SO that the soil WIS constantly
moist to the touch and sight. In
Otners the water WIS spHriug,v
given and the sDiI kept as drt rs
possible and still make plAut growth.
There were OF course check expert
msnts where fertilizer containing no
boron and no fertilizer were used.
With potatoes The various kinds of
trouble found il the field last sum
mer' have been duplicated to some
extent Regardless d how the fer
tilizer was applied or of how rnois.
the soil was kept some form of in
was found To be present on cehr,1ic:lI
analysis of the fertilizer used. In
the greenhouse one type OF injury
was found certain to appear sooner
or later. The first Indication OF this
was q slight browning OF the tips
Of the terminal leaflets Of the lower
and older leaves, followed by death
and drying cut Of the margins with
out much browning or yellowing
Eventually this would appear IN
VARYING degree on the younger leaves
higher up on the plant, and the lower
and m0re Severely affected leaves
would turn yellow and drop off.
In severe cases this would result
IN the death Of the entire plant The
check plants and those in pots con-
tanning q fertilizer Of the same per
cenIages Of nitrogen, phOsphoric aclE
and potash as LIE fertilizers men
toned above, but showing no tEacss
of boron, are vigorous and healthy
and show none CT the symptoms Of
injury described. But Perhaps il
was something else than boraz in the
fertilizers that caused the trouble
Possible. but the dead and dying
leaves were found TO contain oron
and the leaves Oh the healthy plants
gruwn without fertilizer or with "a
fertilizer containing nc borzx, show
no boron when tested II ike manner.
With beans where the fertilizer
WIS applied At the rate Of 3OG
pounds per acre. the goods carrying
borHx either prevented termination
or CAUSED the plants 70 be so I'm
healthy. that they developed little Or
no green IN the leaves. The leaves
are white with a yellow tinge and
the growth OF the plant practically
stops with the first two sets Of
leaves. The checks germi1aIed well
and produced vigorous. rapidly
growing, normal plants
The Federal Department Of Agr-
culture is saying this year that two
pounds OF burax per TIM or per acre
may be safely used. But the wise
grower IN Maine win get his fertl-
lzer Tor 1920 with the least possible
TRACES Of borax II II And he VIII
also get rom the station or the Stats
Department Of Agriculture 6irec-
tons and thoroughly sample as soon
as the fertilizer Is received and store
IN air tight containers. such as clean
glaas Fruit Jars. samples OF the goods
he usae N 192a. So that If he has any
disaster to his crop that he thinks is
III