PART I. 



THE WAY TO USE POTASH, 



As one object of this pamphlet is to describe the results obtained 

 from potash salts upon various crops, some account of their use and 

 method of applying them may be given. The better the farmer under- 

 stands the principles of potash fertilization the better will be his results. 

 Therefore, the following important suggestions are offered: 



1. PHOSPHORIC ACID AND NITROGEN. AS WELL AS POTASH 



ARE ESSENTIAL TO PLANT GROWTH. 



The three substances required to be given to plants to sustain their 

 life and to induce a healthy and vigorous growth are: Potash, Phos- 

 phoric Acid and Nitrogen; and sometimes lime is needed. All three 

 substances have their part to perform, and neither one can take the 

 place of the other. Thus, fertilization with potash alone does not pay, 

 except in rare instances, and so with the other substances when used 

 by themselves. 



2. SOILS AS WELL AS PLANTS DIFFER IN THEIR NEEDS FOR 



POTASH. 



As every experienced farmer knows, some soils contain more of one 

 kind of plant-food than of another. The great advantage is in finding 

 out just what the soil lacks in the way of plant-food, and what form 

 and what quantity of fertilizers should be supplied to make up the 

 deficiency. 



It would be easy to compound a fertilizer suited for certain crops, if 

 all soils contained the elements of fertility — that is, potash, phosphoric 

 acid and nitrogen — in the same quantity and in the same form, but 

 these conditions are seldom found on any farm; hence the practical 

 farmer must study the conditions of his soil and compound his fertilizer 

 in such a way as to raise the largest crops at the lowest cost. 



3. LEGUMINOUS PLANTS DRAW NITROGEN FROM THE AIR. 



The leguminous plants are such as beans, peas, clover and vetches. 

 The characteristic of these plants is that they draw nitrogen from the 



