74 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER 



of wood ashes, gypsum and salt — using four 

 bushels of leached ashes, one bushel of gyp- 

 sum and half a gallon of salt. The applica- 

 tion was made soon after the tops began .to 

 make their appearance above the surface of the 

 ground. Only a part of the lot was treated 

 with these fertilizers, while in all other res- 

 pects the whole was cultivated alike. The 

 part to which the fertilizing mixture was ap- 

 plied, produced not only a more abundant crop 

 than the other, but .potatoes of much better 

 quality. 



This led me to tr 



similar treatment of 



the greater part of my little crop in 1853. 

 The preparation in this case was varied, by 

 using a gallon of salt instead of half a gallon. 

 The application, too, was somewhat modified. 

 To one portion, it was applied directly to the 

 tubers when planted ; to another portion it was 

 applied on tho surface after the tops had 

 appeared above ground. The result this year 

 was more satisfactory than it had been the year 

 previous, although the season was unfavorable. 

 There was, however, no perceptible difference 

 between those having the fertilizers applied at 

 the time of planting and those having it 

 subsequently applied on the surface of the 

 ground. 



Such, was the effect of this mode of treat- 

 ment upon the growth and quality of the po- 

 tatoes, that I resolved to subject to a chemical 

 examination, specimens cultivated both with 

 and without the application of these fertilizers. 

 This was prevented, by unavoidable circum- 

 stances, until recently. 



In the spring of the current year, (1854,) I 

 prepared for potatoes two small plots of ground, 

 both alike in character and fertility, but both 

 of a stiff clay soil, unfavorable to a good crop. 

 After the ground had been broken up, trenches 

 were opened 2| feet apart, and about 3 or 4 

 inches deep. The potato tubers were drilled 

 in the bottom, and the trenches then filled up 

 with a mixture of broken straw and stable ma- 

 nure. Over this the mixture of ashes, plaster 

 and salt was applied on one of the portions of 

 ground, at the rate of about twelve bushels per 

 acre; while it was entirely withheld from the 

 other portion. The subsequent cultivation was 

 the same in both cases. The resulting crop 

 was about as one to five in favor of that to 

 which the mineral fertilizers were applied. 



I deem it unnecessary to give farther details, 

 as to the mode of cultivation, results in quan- 

 tity, &c. as the object kept chiefly in view was 

 a chemical investigation. This investigation 

 is not yet as fully carried out as I desire, and 

 intend* it shall be; but I have thought that the 

 results, as far as attained, might possess some 



interest in the mind of the intelligent agricul- 

 turist, and probably lead directly to more 

 extended and more accurate practical experi- 

 ments. ' 



Specimens of the tubers cultivated under 

 both the modes of treatment above given, have 

 been examined — 1. With respect to the quan- 

 tity of ivater contaified in each ; and, 2. With 

 respect to the influence of the fertilizing mix- 

 ture employed, on the relative proportion of 

 certain inorganic elements. 



For the sake of brevity, we will designate 

 the specimen cultivated with the mineral ma- 

 nures by the letter A, while we will call that 

 cultivated with organic manure alone, B. 



The specimen A, carefully cleaned, cut into 

 thin slices, and dried at the temperature, 212° 

 Fahrenheit, lost 77.50 per centum of its weight; 

 showing the presence of that proportion of wa- 

 ter not combined chemically with other sub- 

 stances. The specimen E, dried in the same 



way, 



lost 82.20 



per 



centum of its weight. 



Thus A was found to contain nearly five per 

 cent, more than B of the solid, nutritious, va- 

 luable part of the tuber; that is, of starch, 

 gum, &c, which make the potato valuable as 

 an article of food. 



After being thoroughly dried, A yielded 

 4.15 percent, of ashes; while B yielded but 

 4.00 per cent. 



When brought under analysis the ashes of 

 A and B were found to vary considerably in 

 the proportions of some of their elements. 

 They have been examined only with respect to 

 the relative quanities of potassa, soda, sulphuric 

 acid and chlorine contained in each. It will 

 be remembered that wood ashes afford, even 

 after ordinary lixiviation, an abundance of po- 

 tassa, together with several other valuable fer- 

 tilizing substances, as lime, phosphoric acid, 

 &c. Gypsum gives an abundant supply of 

 sulphuric acid and lime. Common salt, (the 

 chloride of sodium,) is the source of chlorine 

 and soda. 



It is unnecessary to give the process of ana- 

 lysis in full detail, as it was that ordinarily 

 pursed in such investigations. Solutions of like 

 portions of the ashes of A and B, carefully 

 weighed, were made in dilute hydrochloric acii 

 From these solutions every thing, except the 

 chlorides of potassium and sodium, was sepa- 

 rated by the use of solution of baryta, and af- 

 terwards of ammonia and carbonate of animo- 

 The solution containing these was eva- 



nia. 



porated to dryness, the residuum ignited and 

 weighed. The chloride of potassium was then 

 separated and weighed as platino-chloride of 

 potassium. The remainder, after subtracting 

 the weight of the chloride of potassium thus 



