94 FERTILITY AND FERTILIZER HINTS 



the action of the organisms that promote nitrification. Most 

 soils are benefited by an appHcation of wood ashes. Grasses and 

 legumes especially do well when wood ashes are applied as a top 

 dressing. 



2. Tobacco Stems. — Wherever cigars, cigarettes, smoking and 

 chewing tobacco are manufactured there are considerable wastes 

 of stems and stalks collected. This material was formerly thrown 

 away or burned. The burning of tobacco wastes caused the 

 nitrogen to be lost. To-day these wastes are saved and used as 

 fertilizer.* Tobacco stems contain 2.5 per cent, of nitrogen, 0.6 

 per cent, of phosphoric acid and 8 per cent, of potash. Tobacco 

 stalks carry 3.5 per cent, of nitrogen, 0.4 per cent, of phosphoric 

 acid and 4 per cent, of potash. 



3. Cotton-seed Hull Ashes. — A few years ago, before the value 

 of cotton-seed hulls as a feed for live-stock was known, it was 

 the custom to burn these hulls in the furnaces of the gins of the 

 Cotton Belt, and dispose of the ashes for fertilizing purposes. 

 In those days considerable cotton-seed hull ashes was to be found 

 on our markets, but to-day it is rarely used. This product contains 

 on the average, 24 per cent, of potash and 8.7 per cent, of phos- 

 phoric acid.* 



4. Carbonate of Potash. — This fertilizer is used to some ex- 

 tent by the tobacco growers of the Connecticut Valley. 



It usually carries 63 to 65 per cent, of potash and is very 

 alkaline. It is a white substance and soluble in water. It takes 

 on moisture readily and for this reason it is usually put up in 

 casks.* 



5. Beet Molasses. — The molasses obtained from the manufac- 

 ture of sugar from the sugar-beet is quite rich in potash which 

 gives this product its bitter taste thus making it unpalatable for 

 human consumption. Beet molasses contains from 10 to 15 per 

 cent, of ash of which 7.5 to 12.25 P"^ cent, is in the form of 

 potash salts. 



Amount of Potash in Soils.— Soils generally contain from o.i 

 tc 0.5 per cent, of jwtash, which is equivalent to 3,500 to 18,000 

 pounds of potash per acre to a depth of one foot. Most of this 



