March i, 1892.) 
THE TROPICIM. AQRIOULTURIST, 
689 
entirely inaidequato when the true value of potaah 
fertilization becomes better understood by the agri- 
cultural coiniuunity). 'J'lie notash salts, with the 
exception of Uainit and sylviuit which are crude 
milling products, are concentrated articles. 
The following presents a list of the various potash 
salts and their average composition : 
Potash sal ts 
Contents 
in pounds per UXh 
eontainiiig Ghlorino. 
Pure Pot- 
.Magne- 
Chloi'uie 
ash (K,„) 
sia (MgO) 
(C.) 
1. Kainit 
P2-8 
13-1 
.311 
2. Sylvinit 
Hi to 19 
iH) 
34-4 
3. Muriate of T’otash 
to 58 
0-3 
Ill-O 
Potash Halts 
free from Chlorine. 
1. Sulphate of Pobi».sh 
.50 to 53 
1-1 
2. Double Manure salt 
27-2 
15*8 
Whenever a soil is deficient in potash, it is neces- 
sary to resort to artificial fertilization to supply this 
dencienev- Sand and peat soils arc always wanting 
in potaali, while heavy clay soils, as a rule, are less 
deficient therein. And yet. by continous exhaustive 
cropping, even these soils deteriorate and artificial ap- 
plication of potash becomes necessary, as the follow- 
ing table illustrates, which represents the amount of 
potash annually removed liy a crop of various plants : 
I'ounds of Hotash. 
Corn . . . 
Wlieat . . 
Harley . . 
Kye . . . . 
Oats . . . 
Peas . . . . 
Clover . . 
Potatoes 
'I'obacco 
Crapes . 
ll.*! 
39 
43 
50 
6 » 
50 
1.54 
1:17 
103 
'i’liese figures show to what extent even a rich soil 
gradually liocoiucs deficient in this particular element, 
»,nd how necuBsary it is to replace it, oonsideringat 
the same time the requirements of the plant to i)o 
fed. Some plants witli a strong appetite for potash 
have also^ the faculty of supplying their requirements 
in this direction from the soil, while others of a more 
dainty turn demand that tlieir food be provided for 
them in an easily soluble form. To this latter class 
belong the cereals (wheat, rye, etc.) and also many 
fruit bearing plants, such as the vine, orange, pcacli, 
etc. iSpooiai attention sliould ho given to the fact 
lliat, no mattov how abundant the insoluble potasli 
may be in the soil, soluble potash must be supplied 
in order to liave the croii benefited by it. Consider- 
ation sliould likewise bo given to tlie magnesia con- 
tained in some of tlic potash salts. Magnesia is a 
necessary element of plant food, and many soils are 
insufficiently supplied witli it, as Professor Grandeau 
lias recently shown. 
The Magnesia salts are also tlie active agents of 
potasli fertilizers when used as manure preservers. 
The success of potasli fertilization depends, of course, 
largely upon the proper application of the various 
potasli salts and the followdiig principles should be 
“Opt in mind ; 
1. Posphoric acid, nitrogen and lime, are, as well 
as potash, essential to plant growth. 
A one-sided fertilization does not pay, except in 
very rare instances, and it is absolutely necessary to 
supply all these elomoiits essential to plant i fc. 
12. Leguminous plants do not require nitrogenous 
fertilizers. 
Beans, peas, clover, vetches, and other plants be- 
longing to the class of leguminosin, possess the pro- 
perty of abaothhig largo quantities of nitrogen from 
tile air, and therefore do not require nitrogenous 
manures. 
Jirofit manuring saves Nitrogen and brings 
,, ^’1’® itao of fertilizers frequently proves unprofitable 
through the groat expense incurred in buying costly 
nitrogenous manures. This expense may ho entirely 
avoided, if gveen manuring with legiiniinoiis plants 
IS practiced. Wlien peas, clover, etc., are liberally 
fertilized with potasli and pliosplioric acid, they grow 
luxiu'iantly, and when plowed under, iho large amount 
of nitrogen absorbed by them from the air suffices to 
insure a largo succeeding crop. The abundance of 
organic matter, produced by green manuring, more- 
over adds humus to tho soil and improves its clie- 
mieal condition. Green manuring is consequently 
the host and cheapest method of restoring fertility to 
worn-out soils, and of making sandy soils productive. 
Green manuring by the use of leguminous plants 
(esjiocially cow pea, vetch and crimson clover), in 
conjunction with potasli-phosphato fertilization is 
sure to prove profitable and nonce is of great value 
to the Kastern and Southern farmers in particular. 
4. Tho use of lime should not be forgotten. 
Soils, especially sandy soils, which arc deficient in 
lime, even when overlaying a calcareous soil, r quire 
that it 1)0 supplied to them, if one wishes to obtain 
the bouetit ol other fertilizers. 
5. .\pply potash early and never use it as a top- 
dressing. 
The potasli salts are easily alisorbod and held by 
the soil. If applied as top-dressing, they do not 
mingle with the soil, but remain near the surface 
beyond tho reach of the roots. They should there- 
fore be plowed under to the depth, to which the 
plant-root will reach, and this should bo done a con- 
siderable time prior to the planting of the crop, 
(). Thorough cultivation is essential to success with 
fertilizers. 
A plant can only do its host, when tho elements 
upon wliich it feeds, are presented to it under most 
favourable conditions. If by neglect of proper onltiva- 
tion, a soil becomes hard, it offers resistance to the 
growth of the roots, and can neither absorb nor retain 
tho moisture necessary to plant growth : under siicli 
conditions artificial fertilizers will prove of little 
benefit. 'I’o the objection, sometimes made, that 
artificial fertilizers stimulate the growth of weeds, it 
is only necessary to remark that the weed, as’ a 
robber, revels in a certain soil, and tliat what pro- 
motes the growth of the weed, renders the rightful 
owner of the soil also strong, and more profitable 
to the planter. 
7. I’otash salts must ho applied intelligently. 
An excess of chlorine in the soil injures tho quality 
of certain crops, sucli as potatoes, tobacco, sugar- 
beets and oranges. Kainit, sylviuit, and muriate of 
potasli, which are rich in chlorine, should therefore 
be avoided for Buch crops, and where a direct appli- 
cation is necessary, sulphate of potash and double 
manure salt should be used in preference. All ob- 
jectionable effects, however, can ho avoided, and all 
b-netita retained, by applying potash fertilizers con- 
taining chlorine, a conbiderable time before the crops 
are planted, or better still, to the preceding crop. 
Either of these metliods would prevent the injurious 
effect sometimes noted where tiie seed in planting 
comes in direct contact with crude fertilizers ” 
Observations especially important in the use of 
potash salts : 
_ GtuiKAi.s.-Potash-phos|phato fertilization for cereals 
18 iiarticnlarly romunorativo wlien practiced in combi 
nation with green nmnnring through nitrogen-uat! 
eriiig legununous plants, fho nitrogen obtained by 
Mowing under a heavy crop of cow'^poas, luffines w 
clover suffices to produce a full crop of ceVeals If 
properly supplied with potash and pliosphoric acid. 
An average quantity per acre is 2l)lt to 4.5H pounds 
of kainit (or .50 to 120 pounds muriate of potash, and 
400 to KOO pounds of 12 per cent.- acid phosphate) 
A larger amount of potash, is bettor for barley! 
If nitrogen is not supplied by iiiaiiuring, a nitrm 
gonoiis fertilizer must bo used ; loo iionnds of nitrate 
of soda per aero (or 2000 pounds cotton seed meal) 
is an average quantity. ' 
Mkadowh.— The eftect of potash on meadows is 
very marked, increasing not only the quantity nf 
grass, hut replacing the mosses and valueless herbs 
by nutritious grasses, (such os timothy Itali.n, 
rye gross) and other very desirable locnmin,.,. 
plants. The latter class of plants, to whiTvir 
ilovers and vetches belong, produces a very mit““ 
t,ai, a good deal of mtrogmi,\hoy fuTm'st T' 
valuablc sulistance to the nitrogen ennsmnimr , 
It is to bo observed that tlie test 
