248 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



insist upon getting an article which contains enough of sulphuric 

 acid to warrant the character of the potash they bought." 



This communication leaves no doubt about the question who 

 will be considered responsible hereafter for not furnishing to 

 the fanners the articles desired by them. The issue at stake 

 is not whether the dealers consider the chloride of potassium 

 as good and efficient in the end as the sulphate of potassa, 

 but that the purchaser gets what he wants and pays for. 

 Nobody denies the great agricultural value of both the artifi- 

 cial and native kainit ; yet, however valuable the accumulated 

 practical experience of European agriculturists regarding the 

 action of these potash-salts deservedly ought to be considered, 

 it does not relieve us from the task to study carefully their 

 successful modes of operation upon our soil, and under the 

 influence of different climatical conditions. In view of the 

 daily increasing evidence, that the peculiar form in which the 

 potassium is applied, as well as the character of its associated 

 compounds, not unfrequently exerts a more or less favor- 

 able influence on the crops raised under their treatment, it 

 becomes very desirable that a fair chance should be secured, 

 particularly in our present still limited state of experience at 

 home, to experiment with potash-salts of a reliable, definite 

 character. 



Ashes of the Hulls of Cotton-seeds. 



Potassium oxide, 21.30 percent. 



Sodium oxide, 7.80 " 



Calcium oxide, . . ' 10.58 " 



Magnesium oxide, ........ 3.90 " 



Sesquioxide of iron, 1.50 " 



Phosphoric acid, 9.86 " 



Moisture, 9.20 



Insoluble in acids, 13.20 " 



This valuable ash was sent on for an examination by parties . 

 outside of the State, with the information that it was offered 

 for sale at New Orleans, La., at from $15 to $20 per ton of 

 2,000 pounds. Now and then cargoes of similar articles are 

 sent to our Northern seaport cities, where an ash, like the 

 above described one, if guaranteed, is worth nearly twice the 

 amount mentioned. 



