22 FERTILIZERS. 



Sulphate of potash 23.38 



Sulphate of magnesia 16.76 



Chloride of magnesia 13.59 



Common salt 32.11 



Moisture . 13.40 . 



Insoluble matter . .73 



There is as much sulphuric acid in kainite as in sul- 

 phate of lime, which is but another name for plaster or 

 gypsum, all three being names of the same mineral. In 

 some instances kainite has given better results on re- 

 claimed meadows than muriate or sulphate of potash. On 

 sandy soil, in Germany, five hundred to eight hundred 

 pounds of kainite, with marl or lime, produced excellent 

 crops of pease for fodder, and gave, without additional 

 manure, a fine after-crop of grain or potatoes. In the 

 South the good effects of kainite has been much more 

 marked in dry seasons. Manuring with kainite only is 

 not wise ; for the salts composing kainite are powerful 

 digestive agents, and, though producing good crops as 

 long as the soil contains any plant-food to be dissolved, 

 may utterly fail afterwards, leaving the soil in far worse 

 condition than at first. 



Kainite applied to meadows or grass appeared to check 

 the growth of the rougher grasses : it did best in combina- 

 tion with superphosphates and ammonia. It is the general 

 opinion of leading agriculturists, that all the varieties of Ger- 

 man potash do better if applied in the fall ; and particularly 

 is this true of those having soda or magnesia in their com- 

 position, as do all varieties of kainite and most of the 

 muriates. Potatoes have done well when kainite has been 

 applied the fall previous, but have at times been injured 

 by the application of it at the time of planting. That the 

 mischief done is mostly or wholly due to the presence of 

 salt in the kainite, is shown by the effect of any manure 



