POTASH AS A FERTILIZER. 



Most soils derived from granitic rocks have in 

 them a lot of potash. Most soils in the glaciated 

 area of eastern and central America seems to be 

 quite well supplied with potash. Some sandy soils 

 are deficient, and peaty lands, where once old pond 

 bottoms were, are especially deficient. To grow al- 

 falfa on peat or to grow com there one must use 

 potash. 



Testing ivith Potash. — As a rule on ordinary up- 

 land clays and clay loams potash seems not to be 

 lacking. Very often where it is applied to such 

 soils no result can be seen. It is wise for each farm- 

 er to make test of this ma;tter for himself. Let him 

 procure a few hundred pounds of muriate of potash 

 and apply it in strips over his fields, marking the 

 ends of the strips so that he can see the result, if 

 there is any. About 200 lbs. per acre of muriate of 

 potash is a moderately heavy application. 



Wood Ashes. — ^Wood ashes may contain 8% of 

 potash and 2% of phosphoris acid. There is also 

 some lime in them and other minerals in small 

 amounts. Wood ashes have an especially good ac- 

 tion on alfalfa. It is an interesting truth that no one 

 has yet been able to compound a fertilizer that would 

 have the same effect as wood ashes, though the ingre- 

 dients were so mingled that chemically the two mate- 

 rials were nearly identical. Nature has done some- 



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