FERTILIZERS 4$ 



wise. The best authorities agree that potash in- 

 creases the sweetness of fruit and their shipping 

 quality. (19). 



Plants, undoubtedly, begin their growth in the 

 spring on the food that was stored in their tissues 

 the previous fall. Potash is largely the source of 

 this stored food, and is consequently necessary to 

 the full growth and health of the tree. 



It is generally admitted, however, that applica- 

 tions of potash are unnecessary in most California 

 soils. Many cases are reported in which heavy 

 applications of wood ashes gave no appreciable 

 results. If the land in question has been continuously 

 cropped many years, as in a fifteen or twenty years' 

 old orchard, the potash question should be carefully 

 investigated. 



72. Besides its effect on the plant as potash or 

 potassium, increasing the starches and sugars, the 

 use of potash salts has another indirect fertilizing 

 effect similar to that of lime and common salt, by 

 causing the soil to yield more quickly, its natural 

 and other plant foods. Potash salts while neutral, 

 may increase the alkalinity of the soil and thus 

 foster and encourage the work of nitrifying and 

 other bacteria which transform decayed organic 

 matter into useful forms. Carbon is one of the result- 

 ant products, so that the carbonic acid which soil 

 moisture carries, may be increased thus making it 

 a better solvent of many other plant foods. This 

 increased alkalinity of the soil may therefore increase 

 the formation of the nitrates and more vigorous 

 growth will result. Potassium as such, did not pro- 

 duce this result, which was due rather to the added 



