25 
Absorption of potash from a solution of fertilizer mixtures — Continued. 
Soil No. 428. 
Percolates of 100 cc. 
each. 
Ammonium sulphate, po- 
tassium phosphate, and 
potassium sulphate. 
Ammonium sulphate, cal- 
cium phosphate, and 
potassium sulphate. 
Sodium nitrate, calcium 
phosphate, and potas- 
sium sulphate. 
Untreat- 
ed. 
Heated. 
Chloro- 
form. 
Untreat- 
ed. 
Heated. 
Chloro- 
form. 
Untreat- 
ed. 
Heated. 
268 
192 
224 
240 
• 228 
220 
228 
200 
292 
Chloro- 
form. 
100 
96 
168 
432 
432 
520 
516 
552 
572 
608 
620 
580 
620 
600 
524 
112 
192 
292 
400 
428 
432 
412 
424 
408 
460 
448 
448 
96 
104 
144 
212 
216 
184 
224 
212 
232 
212 
228 
224 
272 
192 
188 
220 
268 
224 
224 
180 
200 
220 
212 
236 
118 
104 
140 
192 
248 
196 
216 
148 
76 
112 
192 
204 
192 
188 
104 
200 
72 
300 
500 
700 
900 
1,100 
300 
360 
416 
420 
368 
416 
416 
112 
180 
188 
216 
188 
1,300 
1,500 
180 188 
192 240 
192 
252 
1,700 
456 
424 
432 
224 
200 
236 
1,900 
2,100 

SUMMARY. 
K added to lOOgrams 
soil grams. . 
K fixed bv lOOgrams 
1.2264 
. 9468 
77.6 
1. 2264 
1. 2264 
1. 0224 
83.6 
: 
0.3822 
0. 3822 
0. 3822 
0.3090 
0.3090 
0.3090 
Per cent of K fixed. 
1 


The above table presents some striking results, and indicates that 
Hawaiian soils possess a very low fixing power for potash when 
applied with phosphates, especially calcium phosphate. In every 
instance, except two, the amount of potash found in the filtrate was 
greater than the weight added to the soil. This is undoubtedly due 
partly to a replacement of the potash by lime. The effect of heat in 
case of the highly organic soil was to considerably reduce the fixing 
power, but chloroform reduced it only slightly. With the red clay 
soil there was very little variation, due to sterilization either with 
heat or antiseptics. This was contrary to the results obtained when 
potash was used alone. Drying in the air increased the fixing power. 
The solutions used on samples reported in columns 1, 2, and 3 
contained 478 parts per million K from K 2 S0 4 ; 4, 5, and 6, 170 parts 
per million; 7, 8, and 9, 216 parts per million; 10, 11, and 12, 584 parts 
per million; 13, 14, and 15, 182 parts per million; 16, 17, and 18, 206 
parts per million. 
