POTASSIC MANURES. 297 



TABLE XCIV.-ANALYSIS OF FIRST BOREHOLE SAMPLE OF 



STASSFURT POTASH SALTS. 



Per cent. 



Magnesium sulphate 4-01 



chloride 19-43 



Potassium „ . • . • • • .2-24 



Common salt ......•• •5'o2 



31-89 



The poor content of this product in common salt caused a deep de- 

 jection which seemed likely to put an end to the researches. But 

 as far back as 1848 Prof. Marchand of Leipsic asserted that the 

 bed of salt ought to be pure and that the magnesium salts must 

 come from the upper beds of the deposits. They commenced 

 to dig the first pit (Yon der Heydt) on 4 December, 1851, and the 

 second (Von Manteuffel) on 31 January 1852. In 1856 they reached 

 the exploitable bed at 333 metres (1092 feet) depth. 



In 1858 the government of the Duchy of Anhalt likewise 

 caused two pits to be excavated for the working of salt. A very 

 pure bed of rock salt was found 300 metres (984 feet) in thickness. 

 But after a few years it was seen that the bed of rock salt was far 

 from representing the chief value of the mine. It was observed in 

 fact that the saline beds which covered the common salt and from 

 which the magnesium salts came which had been found in the 

 depths of the bed formed enormous deposits, and contained an im- 

 portant proportion of potassium chloride. This product, which they 

 did not know what to do with in the beginning, was destined to be- 

 come a source of richness to agriculture. In 1854 a deposit of 

 potash salts consisting of pure potassic chloride mixed with a little 

 common salt was also discovered at Kaluse in Galicia. In 1869 a 

 factory was built for its exploitation, but after a few years the crude 

 salts brought to the surface only contained 1 per cent of potassium 

 chloride. At the present time they there exploit a deposit of kainit 

 (see under this heading) which is much more extensive than that 

 of Stassfurt. In 1870 boring operations were conducted by Baron 

 Douglas at about 3 km. (say 2 miles) from Stassfurt, which ended 

 in discovering new deposits of potash salts, the working of which 

 was soon begun. Carnallite, extracted from the mine and treated 

 in the factory constructed on the working pit, is distinguished by 

 its great purity. The enterprise was soon taken up by a limited 

 liability company (Alkali werke Westerregeln), which continues to 

 work it on a vast scale. Another exploitation of ptotash salts is that 

 of New Stassfurt. It is interesting on account of the kainit which 

 it supplies to the farmer. At Stassfurt itself the pit Ludwig II, 

 which had been abandoned for a long time, has been reopened for 

 the extraction of carnallite. There are still found a little further 



