Plant-Food and Use of Fertilizers. 



157 



SOURCES OF POTASH. 



Ashes (cotton-seed hull) 



Ashes (wood, leached) 



Ashes (wood, unleached) 



Carnallite 



Kainlte 



Krugite 



Muriate of potash 



Nitrate of potash 



Sulphate of potash (low-grade)_-. 

 •Sulphate of potash (high-grade).. 

 Sulphate of potash and magnesia 



Sylvinlte 



Tobacco waste 



Per cent pot- 

 ash (KoO) 



15 to 25 

 1 to 3 



4 to 10 

 12 to 14 

 12 to 1« 



8 to 10 

 48 to 52 

 43 to 45 

 25 to 30 

 48 to 53 

 25 to 30 

 15 to 20 



5 to 8 



Pounds potash 



in one ton of 



material 



300 to 



20 to 



80 to 

 240 to 

 240 to 

 IfiO to 

 960 to 1020 

 8()0 to 900 

 500 to fiOO 

 9(» to lom 

 500 to (iOO 

 300 to 400 

 100 to 160 



500 

 60 

 200 

 280 

 320 

 200 



Becomes 

 available 



Immediatelv 



Gradually 



Cotton-seed Hull Ashes are obtained in some of the Southern States where the 

 cotton-seed hulls are used as fuel in some of the mills These ashes, which con- 

 tain little or no chloride when obtainable, are especially desirable for such 

 crops as tobacco. 



Wood Ashes are obtainable wherever wood is burned in large quantities. 

 The potash contained in them is water-soluble and easily leaches out. Wood 

 ashes are excellent as fertilizer and none should be allowed to go to waste. 



Carnallite is obtained from the potash mines of Germany. It consists largely 

 of chlorides of potash and magnesium. The crude material also contains small 

 quantities of the sulphates of potash and magnesium. 



Kainite is also obtained from Germany. It is rather complex, consisting 

 largely of sulphates and chlorides of potash and magnesium. It usually contains 

 common salt and gypsum. 



Krugite comes from Germany. The crude material consists largely of sul- 

 phates of potash, magnesium and calcium. 



Muriate of Pota^sh as obtained commercially is one of the products of the 

 German potash mines which has been partially purified. It is used very exten- 

 sively as a fertilizer. 



Nitrate of Potash. — The natural source of this material is lidia. It is very 

 valuable as a fertilizer, but the demands for it in manufacturing operations almost 

 preclude its use in agriculture. 



Sulphate of Potash. — Both high and low grades are sold in large quantities 

 as fertilizer. Potash in the form of sulphate usually costs more than when bought 

 in the form of muriate. These sulphates of potash are obtained from Germany. 



Sulphates of Potash and Magnesia, sometimes called double potash salts, 

 as the name indicates, consists largely of sulphates of potash and magnesia. 

 These double salts are obtained in Germany and are used in considerable quantities 

 as fertilizers. 



Sylvinite. — This is rather a low grade of potash coming from Germany. The 

 potash in this substance exists mostly as sulphate and chloride. It also con- 

 tains large quantities of sodium chloride and some compounds of magnesium. 



Tobacco Waste is obtained from certain factories and when ground fur- 

 nishes a small amount of fertilizer material. The ash from tobacco waste is ex- 

 ceedingly rich in potash, often containing 50 per cent — it is, however, unwise to 

 burn the waste, for in so doing its nitrogen and insecticidal value is destroyed. 



FARM MANURES, ASHES AND STRAW. 



Many of the Oregon farmers little realize the value of the waste materials 

 which accumulate on the farm. All the waste materials upon the farm contain 

 one or more of the essential elements of plant-food. These plant-foods have certain 

 commercial values which have been adopted by many of the leading experi- 



