52 WILSON & TOOMER FERTILIZER COMPANY 



at the growers' command. It furnishes phosphoric acid 

 in a certainly available form and has no deleterious 

 effects. This statement is backed by scientists. It 

 really would be well for growers to recognize the value 

 of their own state product rather than to be led by 

 interested people to lay to this material ills that be- 

 fall their groves. It has been seen the phosphate has 

 a slight sweetening tendency, and the only way sul- 

 phate of lime has an acid tendency is by combining 

 with soil compounds to form sulphate of potash. When 

 the plant uses the potash the sulphuric radical is left 

 to unite with another base. This is easily supplied 

 by crushed limestone for less than a twenty-fifth of 

 what the potash would cost. I have previously ex- 

 plained that were this base not supplied the sulphuric 

 radical would take the base from weaker acids and the 

 resulting acidity would not be free sulphuric acid. I 

 have gone into detail about superphosphate because there 

 is so much wrong information being circulated. 



Thomas Phosphate Powder (Basic Slag) is inorganic, 

 carrying phosphoric acid, about one-third of which is 

 available though not water soluble. The rest of the phos- 

 phoric acid may become available if the soil is acid or 

 very rich in humus. There is about thirty to thirty-five 

 per cent, of calcium, most of which is combined with 

 phosphoric acid and silica. This will act with mag- 

 nesia, but less than five per cent, is basic lime until the 

 phosphoric acid is used by the plant. The iron content, 

 as show r n above, is of no value. The magnesia would be 



