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 corn there one must use 
potash. 
Testing with 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 matter 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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