416 Abstract Report of Agricultural Discussions. 



whicli has been published by Dr. Frank : I found rather more potash, 

 but also a larger proportion of chloride of magnesium than is given in 

 Dr. Frank's analysis. Hence it is possible that the salts which wo 

 had last year for experimental purposes were not so dry as they 

 unquestionably arc when prepared like the sample which Dr. Frank 

 analyzed. 



When I saw these salt-mines, I also paid a visit to the potash-works, 

 and I was not a little surprised to find no less than 14 separate esta- 

 blishments in active operation, making potash as fast as they could 

 from these skim-salts. Among them I found one belonging to a manu- 

 factm'cr from Glasgow, who was competing mth the German manu- 

 facturers, I was told, quite successfully. In the neighbouring Duchy 

 of Anhalt a similar deposit of salt occurs, and there we have already 

 six potash works in full o])eration. Stassfurth alone produced about 

 250 tons of crude potash-salts daily. I have not been told what 

 quantity is fiu-nishcd by the mines of Anhalt, but there can be no ques- 

 tion that the deposit there is very large, and that it will bo rendered 

 available as soon as there is really a demand for potash in agricul- 

 ture; and that demand will sxircly be made as soon as it can bo 

 shown to the farmer that he can realise a profit by its use as a manm-e. 



In visiting several agriculturists of eminence in the neighbourhood 

 of these salt-mines — and there are some very largo faiTners in the 

 vicinity of Magdeburg, cultivating their thousands of acres, chiefly for 

 the purpose of supplying beetroot to the sugar manufactories abounding 

 in tlic district — I was very anxious to ascertain with what degree of 

 practical success these potash-salts have been applied ; but I failed to 

 get anything like definite rcsidts. Some were highly pleased with 

 them ; others had obtained no residt ; others, again, thought they 

 might have done good. Indeed, as in the case of many other imtried 

 manm'ing substances, I met with a variety of oinnions, but on the whole 

 they were favom-able. I resolved then to try some of the potash- 

 salts on a larger scale this year ; and I hope, on a futm-e occasion, 

 to have to report to the Society on some experiments which I think 

 will be more successful than those which were undertaken last year by 

 myscK, by Mr. Frcre, and by several of my friends, but failed in 

 consequence of the dryness of the season. I hold in my hand a paper 

 which gives the results of the application of potash to beetroot ; also 

 the results of the application of potash iu conjunction with superphos- 

 phate, and the results of the application of guano, and a variety of other 

 manm-es. The inference which the manufacturer draws from these 

 results is, that sulphate of potash has produced a highly favourable 

 effect, even when used in so small a quantity as 2 cwt. per acre. In 

 looking over the results, however, with a critical eye, I cannot draw 

 the same inference from them. There were two experiments without 

 manure in which the variations of the soil on the two plots were 

 greater than the excess produced by the apj)lication of sulphate of 

 potash over the unmanured portion producing the smallest quantity of 

 roots. I draw the natm-al inference, that the variations of the soil 

 in the different parts of the field might account for the excess attributed 

 to the application of siilphate of potash. I am, however, still deeply 



