AGRICULTURE AND RURAL ECONOMY. 369 



ly, the large part of the potash salts brought into this coun- 

 try are of low grades, which contain but little of potassium 

 compounds, and a good deal of common salt and magnesium 

 compounds, which have but little agricultural value, and par- 

 ticularly chloride of magnesium, which may be injurious to 

 crops. The Leopoldshall Kainit, so largely sold in our mar- 

 kets, belongs to this class. This usually contains about 23 

 per cent, of sulphate of potash, the rest being ballast, on 

 which cost of freight and handling must be paid. It is but 

 little used in Germany. A great part of the product of the 

 mines is said, upon good authority, to be got rid of by ex- 

 portation to this country. For the evil a serious one of 

 importing and using so much of the low-grade potash salts, 

 both sellers and users are responsible. Importers and deal- 

 ers naturally handle and encourage the sale of the wares on 

 which the margins of the profit are the largest ; and being 

 able to get the heaviest percentages on these poor goods, 

 and to dispose of more of them than they could of the bet- 

 ter grades, they buy, advertise, recommend, and sell them. 

 A great many farmers say, "Potash salts are potash salts," 

 and take those that can be had at the lowest price, regard- 

 less of quality. As long as they will buy low-grade potash 

 salts and other fertilizers because they are " cheap," they 

 must expect to get poor wares at dear rates, and have poor 

 success in using them. 



The writer believes the following to be the more impor- 

 tant conclusions to be drawn from chemical considerations 

 and practical experience concerning the use of German pot- 

 ash salts as fertilizers. They are taken, with some modi- 

 fications, from the American Agriculturist, Dec, 1877. De- 

 tails of experiments and analyses upon which they are based 

 (which limited space here excludes) may be found in " Lect- 

 ure on Potash in Agriculture " and Report of Connecticut 

 Agricultural Experiment Station, in Report of Connecticut 

 Board of Agriculture for 1876. 



Experience concerning the use of the German potash salts 

 as fertilizers : 



1. Potassium, the basis of potash compounds, is indispen- 

 sable to the growth of all our cultivated plants. It has at 

 least one specific office in the nutrition of the plant that of 

 aiding in the formation of carbohydrates (starch). It also 



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