318 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Their views are well supported by the known mutual physi- 

 cal and chemical re-action of the majority of soils on potash- 

 salts and their usual saline admixtures. 



Sample No. I. was collected at the store of G. C. Clark of 

 Northampton, Mass. : it has been sold at fourteen dollars per 

 ton. No. II. was obtained from a party in New Haven, 

 Conn. Both substances are refuse salines from the manu- 

 facture of nitric acid by means of Chili saltpetre, or crude 

 sodium nitrate and sulphuric acid. Their strong acid re- 

 action renders them valuable as absorbers of ammonia in 

 stables : they are, therefore, best applied either as admixtures 

 to liquid barnyard-manure, or periodically scattered over 

 manure or compost heaps to prevent the loss of nitrogen. 

 Deprived of their acid re-action, they may serve, on account 

 of their large amount of sulphuric acid, as an efficient addi- 

 tion to manures for the production of leguminous crops. 



Refuse Salt from Saltpetre-Works. 

 (Messrs. Bagg & Batchelder, Springfield, Mass.) 



Moisture lost at 100° C. . 

 Chloride of sodium .... 

 Chloride of potassium 

 The latter is eqiuil to potassium oxide 



Per cent. 



2.46 

 60.61 

 80.39 

 19.20 



Valuation per ton of two thousand pounds : — 



384 pounds of potassium oxide at 4.5 cents per pomid, $17.28. 



Refuse salines like the above are no doubt quite valuable 

 as special fertilizers for the production of forage-crops as well 

 as of grain-crops like barley, rye, or buckwheat. The}^ ought, 

 however, not to be used for the growing of tobacco, or sugar- 

 bearing plants, on account of their large amount of chlorine. 



