15 



Wood Ashes. — With one exception the ashes sold in the State this season 

 have been handled by John Joynt of Lucknow, Ontario, Can. They have been 

 purchased by the local farmer as a potash source at a cost of $5 per unit of 

 total potash. Canada ashes therefore proved to be an expensive source of 

 potash, since this element has been freely purchased during the season for .$3 

 or less per unit in water soluble form. It is true that the average wood ashes 

 contain in addition to potash 1.5 per cent of phosphoric acid and about .30 

 per cent of lime, and when used on soil inclined to be acid the lime is likely 

 to be of as much value as the same amount of calcium oxide from fine ground 

 limestone or from most other sources. If one is purchasing this material as a 

 potash source, he would be justified in computing the value of the phosphoric 

 acid and lime at the same figure at which they could be bought in available 

 form from other sources. 



Mention should be made of two or three carloads of ashes that were found 

 late in the season at South Deerfield. These appeared to be an average grade 

 of ash, but tested very low^ in total potash and high in moisture and insoluble 

 matter. As these ashes were of very much lower grade than anything that 

 had previously been registered by Mr. Joynt, their sale was allowed to continue 

 only after a lower grade of ashes had been registered and after the average com- 

 position of the product had been posted in a conspicuous place on the door 

 of the bin which contained it. Ashes should always be bought on a specific 

 statement of the guaranteed potash, phosphoric acid and lime they contain. 



Apatite and Sulphide of Barium (Barium-Phosphate). — Three grades 

 of this product have been found on the market. Grade A is supposed to be fine 

 ground phosphate rock with the addition of barium sulphide. The product was 

 guaranteed 28 per cent total phosphoric acid. Grade B was said to be apatite 

 and barium sulphide, guaranteed 16 per cent total phosphoric acid; while Grade 

 C was said to consist of apatite and barium sulphide with a 14 per cent total 

 phosphoric acid guarantee. All of these products should be classed with the 

 raw mineral rock phosphates. Results of experiments to date with mixtures 

 of apatite and barium sulphide do not indicate that the presence of the barium 

 sulphide enhances the value of the products as a source of available plant food. 



Lime Potash. — Although two brands of lime potash were registered in the 

 Massachusetts markets, none was actually sold. Because of its low content of 

 potash it is not satisfactory for use in home mixtures nor economical as a pot- 

 ash source, especially when the more concentrated potash salts are available. 



At this writing, rumors are current that relatively large stocks of potash 

 Lave accumulated in various parts of the country, and the forecast is made 

 that potash will be much lower in price for 1921 than it has been for a number 

 of years. 



