FERTILIZERS 



acid than clay or garden loam. It is always 

 better to apply it with care, watch results, 

 and keep a record for reference. A good 

 gardener must know the needs of his soil as 

 well as the varieties of plants best suited for 

 his location. 



Potash is often lacking in sandy and muck 

 soils. In fact there are few soils that do not 

 need it, especially where such crops as turnips, 

 carrots, parsnips, and radish are grown. This 

 element is the skeleton or fiber builder of the 

 plant. There are four principal sources from 

 which it may be secured, muriate and sulphate 

 of potash, kainit, containing about twelve per 

 cent potash, and wood ashes, containing from 

 four to six per cent potash. The muriate of 

 potash is considered the best for fruit crops 

 and for general purposes in the vegetable gar- 

 den but the sulphate of potash has long been 

 considered the most desirable for potatoes. 

 Unleached wood ashes are doubtless the 

 cheapest and easiest source of potash to secure 

 and may be applied freely to the soil without 



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