172 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



ing muriate instead of sulfate may be simply apparent and 

 not actual ; because, if you depend on muriate, you will find 

 that it will be necessary to buy lime to make up for that 

 which washes out of the soil as a result of the use of the 

 muriate. The sulfate does not have this effect to anywhere 

 near the same extent. It seems to be possible to use this 

 year after year, for a long series of years ; I cannot say how 

 long. It seems to be possible to continue to use this for a 

 long series of years without its being necessary to lime the 

 land. 



In connection with the series of plots I have just spoken 

 of, where muriate and sulfate were used alternately for a 

 long series of years, we had clover a few years ago. Clover 

 occupied six different plots. We had three different kinds 

 of clover, two plots of each kind ; on one plot of each kind we 

 used muriate and on the other sulfate. The difference in the 

 clover was remarkable. The clover was sown in the latter 

 part of July, in the summer of 1897. You will remember 

 that this was a very wet summer. The clover came up well 

 and grew apparently equally well on all plots during the 

 late summer and fall. But in the spring there was a most 

 astonishing difference in the condition of the clover on the 

 muriate and on the sulfate. On the sulfate the plants were 

 all alive and vigorous and the crop was magnificent, but on 

 the muriate a large share of the plants were dead. This was 

 true with all three kinds of clover. It was so many times 

 repeated that we could not doubt that it was some peculiar 

 influence of the muriate of potash that produced this result. 

 We have since shown by another field that that influence 

 appeared to be that to which I have called attention. The 

 lime had been washed out of the soil, as a result of the con- 

 tinued use of the muriate. By liming the land we brought 

 it into condition to raise clover again. If you have not had 

 good results from the continued use of muriate of potash, it 

 probably is because your land needs more lime. 



Many of you buy mixed fertilizers. You should inquire, 

 when you })urchase, what is the source of potash. If the 

 juanufacturcr or seller says nothing about it, you may con- 

 clude it is muriate, because he will naturally take the cheap- 

 est form, 



