136 TOBACCO LEAF. 



Chili, and is often called Chili saltpeter. It is clarified 

 before shipment, and is very uniform in composition, 

 containing about sixteen per cent of nitrogen. It is a 

 combination of nitric acid with soda. 



The use of nitrate of soda upon tobacco has not 

 become general as yet, and possibly its large percentage 

 of soda may have some qualifying influence on the crop ; 

 more extended experiments are necessary to determine 

 this point. A small quantity of it, however, can be used 

 with safety, and, like sulphate of ammonia, it has great 

 value in giving the young plants a vigorous growth. It 

 has been customary to apply half the nitrate at time of 

 planting, or at first cultivating, and the balance at sec- 

 ond cultivating. At Poquonock the application all at 

 once, between rows, at first cultivating, gave best 

 results. 



POTASH FERTILIZATION. 



The Necessity of Potash cannot be too strongly 

 reiterated. We have shown in Chapter V that tobacco 

 draws more heavily upon the soil's potash than upon any 

 other single element. It also requires a larger amount 

 of potash than does any other crop. Tobacco is a potash 

 feeder to a remarkable extent. It is equally important 

 to note that analyses of soils and practical experience 

 unite in proving that in many localities where tobacco is 

 grown, the land is deficient in potash. This is quite 

 generally true of all tobacco lands that have not been 

 well manured. It is also true of many other soils. 

 Every farmer can readily test his own soil for potash, by 

 planting tobacco or potatoes in plots without any 

 potash, and with potash in varying quantities, moderate 

 amounts of nitrogen and phosphoric acid being fur- 

 nished in all the plots. If it appears that the absence of 

 potash reduces the crop, and that its presence increases 

 the yield, the imperative necessity of potash is proved. 



