124 MANUFACTURE OF FERTILIZING MATERIALS 



is improved by a few turns of the wrist, by 

 throwing the salt in the fire for instance, which 

 causes the ash to fuse and gives it a vitreous 

 appearance. 



When the sunflower harvest is finished the 

 stems are burnt. The purchase of ashes is fin- 

 ished in September, while the manufacture of 

 potash lasts five to six months. The price of the 

 ashes up to now have been 35 copecks, but owing 

 to competition it has risen to 40 and 60 copecks 

 per pood. The manufacture of potash is con- 

 ducted in a very primitive fashion; it consists 

 in lixiviating the ashes, methodically concentrat- 

 ing the lye, and in calcining the product. The 

 product is packed in casks of 30 to 40 poods. 

 The analysis of potash from Kuban gave, water, 

 1.74 per cent; carbonate of potash, 89 per cent; 

 carbonate of soda, 5.0 per cent; sulphate of pot- 

 ash, 2.01; -potassium chloride, 6.51 per cent; 

 insoluble by difference, 0.74 per cent; the usual 

 potassium carbonate content is 90 to 91. It is 

 dealt with on a basis of 90 per cent with 2 per 

 cent margin at least. Three-fourths of the pot- 

 ash is exported to Hamburg, London and New 

 York City. 



Upon the same principle as that dealt with 

 and described in the manufacture of potash 

 from the sunflower, potash could be manufactured 

 from the seaweed known as kelp. For a long 

 time it has been used and known in the crude 

 state as an excellent dressing for land. Experi- 



