50 N. H. AGR. EXPERIMENT STATION. [Bulletin 142 



weeks. Then the solutions were filtered off and analyzed for 

 potassium. In this case the solutions from the treated samples 

 contained more potassium than the solutions from the untreated 

 samples. The results appear in the table below. 



Table. IX. — Eff'ed of adding Lime and Gypsum to Feldspar in 



Water. 



Total grams of potassium Amount dissolved by actloa 



Treatment. dissolved. Average. of lime and g5psum. 



Lime 0102 ) 



Lime 0130 [ 0126 .0070 



Lime 0140) 



Gvpsum 0063 ) 



Gypsum 0067[ 0076 .0010 



Gypsum 0098 ) 



Nothing 0059) 



Nothing 0053 { 0056 .0000 



Nothing 0059) 



Column one shows the treatment; column two the amount of 

 potassium dissolved; and column three the amount dissolved by 

 the action of the lime or gypsum. Column three is obtained by 

 subtracting the amount dissolved in the solutions of the un- 

 treated samples from the amount dissolved in the solutions of the 

 treated samples. 



The soils contain a greater or less quantity of feldspathic min- 

 erals, but the effect of lime on these did not produce an increase 

 in the amount of water soluble. The inconsistency of the two 

 series of results was more troublesome because of the fact that 

 the lime more than doubled the solubility of the potassium in 

 the feldspars. 



In order to determine if the clay in the soil formed the dis- 

 turbing factor the following experiments were made: A mix- 

 ture of equal portions of feldspar and pure clay was treated 

 with lime and stirred with water. After about ten weeks the 

 solution from this mixture was analyzed. The potassium in 

 solution was found to be just about the same as in the solu- 

 tion from the untreated feldspar. The results follow. 



