IDEAL FERTILIZERS 41 



Chapter VIII 



Effect of the Different Elements 



All forms of nitrogen are legally reckoned as ammo- 

 nia, phosphorus as phosphoric acid, and potassium as 

 potash. I fear an account of the exact difference in these 

 forms would be tedious, so in speaking of these elements 

 I will simply call them by their trade names and not 

 make nice distinctions for the sake of being chemically 

 exact. 



Ammonia promotes growth ; phosphoric acid, general 

 development and fruiting, and potash hardens the plant 

 and gives to the fruit color, flavor and firmness of tex- 

 ture. All three are important in all plant functions, 

 either being a constituent of or intimately associated 

 with the protoplasm, which is the jelly-like substance 

 just within the^ cell walls the real living part of the 

 plant. 



Ammonia forms about sixteen per cent, of the proto- 

 plasm and "regulates the growth of the \vhole plant," 

 while "without phosphorus, protoplasm could not exist," 

 and potash influences the "formation and activity of pro- 

 toplasm." 



Ammonia is also a "prominent constituent of chloro- 

 phyl," the substance which gives the green color to 

 plants, and which is so active in the "digestion" of plant 

 food elements. 



