THE „(.„ 



GARDEN YARD ^°^ 



of lime, which, although insoluble, readily be- 

 comes available as plant food in the soil. 



Potassium occurs in various forms of com- 

 bination, one of the most common being muriate 

 of potash; another form is sulphate of potash. 

 Kainit is another fertilizer which contains 

 potassium, and wood ashes contain a small 

 percentage. In all of these the potassium is 

 generally spoken of as potash and the first two 

 are said to contain the equivalent of 50 per cent, 

 potash. Kainit usually contains 12 to 14 per 

 cent. Wood ashes may contain about 3 to 6 

 per cent. Kainit and muriate of potash have 

 an acid effect upon the soil, and it is wise to 

 apply them some time before the crop is to be 

 sown, even the fall previous, if the soil retains 

 plant food fairly well. 



The conamonest kind of calcium is quick- 

 lime or lump lime. When this is "air- 

 slaked" it becomes what is called carbonate of 

 lime. Fifty-six pounds of lump lime contain 

 the same amount of calcium as 100 pounds of 

 air-slaked lime, and in using these it makes very 

 little difference whether we apply the quick- 

 lime or the air-slaked, provided we apply equal 

 amounts of calcium and that the particles are 

 equally small in both cases. In other words, 

 56 pounds of quick-lime or 100 pounds of air- 



