Report of the Consulting Chemist for 18GD. 
147 
per acre, has been found of great utility in the sugar-beet- 
growing districts of North Germany ; and I have no doubt it 
will be found equally useful in England, where root crops are 
intended to be raised upon naturally poor or upon exhausted 
sandy soils. The crop, however, most likely to be greatly bene- 
fited by this potash manure is the potato. 
On light soils, I would strongly recommend, as a manure for 
potatoes, the following mixture : — 
4 to 5 cwts. of kainite (crude German potash), 
4 cwts. of Peruvian guano, and 
4 cwts. of superphosphate of lime. 
In buying kainite as a source of potash, care should be taken 
to have a sample of the bulk tested for the amount of potash 
which it contains ; for not only are some of the samples offered 
for sale very poor in potash, but some scarcely contain any 
potash at all. Quite recently, one of the members of the Society 
sent me a sample of so-called kainite for analysis, which con- 
tained a mere trace of potash, and was found to be composed of 
impure sulphate of magnesia, dried hard and partially deprived 
of its water of crystallization, and then ground fine. 
Good kainite should contain about 13 per cent, of potash, and 
should dissolve in water without leaving any considerable residue. 
The following analysis may be taken as fairly representing the 
Composition of a Good Sample of Kainite. 
Moisture (loss at 212° Fahr.) 3-36 
Water of combination 10"88 
* Sulphate of potash 24'43 
Sulphate of lime 2'72 
Sulphate of magnesia 13'22 
Chloride of majjnesium 14'33 
Chloride of sodium 30'35 
Insoluble siliceous matter 'Tl 
100-00 
* Containiug potash 13-20 
The cultivation of sugar-beets in England is more and more 
attracting the attention of agriculturists ; and considering 
the importance of the subject, I have, during the past year, 
undertaken a research on the chemistry of Silesian sugar-beet, 
and am still occupied in further pursuing this interesting in- 
quiry. A protracted research into the composition of drainage- 
water has occupied much of my time during the past season, 
and is now sufficiently advanced to be ready for publication. ^ 
In the past season I had the honour to deliver before the mem 
bers of the Society a lecture on my recent laboratory researches 
and published in the pages of the Journal the following 
papers : — 
L 2 
