418 
AMERICAN AGMOXJLTURIST. 
[November, 
well as composition of our ordinary crops, hay, 
clover, com, tobacco, hops, potatoes, and roots, 
take large quantities of potash from the soil, while 
grain crops exhaust it less. Of the common ma¬ 
nures, horse manure, particularly if it contain a 
good deal ®f straw, is quite rich in potash. The 
same is true of manure from sheep and swine. 
That from neat cattle contains less. The urine of 
all these.animals has a great deal of potash. Our 
ordinary commercial fertilizers, such as superphos¬ 
phates, bone, fish, and slaughter-house refuse, con¬ 
tain little or no potash. Peruvian guano yields a 
small percentage.* 
Sources of Supply of Potash.—Tlie German 
Mines anil Salts. 
The soap boilers and glass manufacturers have 
outbid the farmers for the potash of wood-ashes. 
It might be obtained from sea-water, but the ex¬ 
pense of boiling down would make it too costly. 
Very fortunately, this process of evaporation of 
sea-water, which, if carried on by artificial means, 
would be so costly, has been provided for by nature 
on an enormous scale in North Germany, and we 
have the products in the deposits referred to. The 
area of the deposits is calculated at some 600 square 
miles. Mines have been opened at Stassfurt, 
Leopoldshall and Westeregeln. The potash de¬ 
posits are found at depths varying from 300 to 1,200 
feet. Though thousands of tons are mined yearly, 
the supply can not be exhausted for centuries. 
Composition of the German Potash Salts.— 
High and Rove Grade Articles. 
The potash salts as taken from the mines contain 
only small proportions of potassium compounds, 
the bulk consisting of materials which have com¬ 
paratively little agricultural value and are some¬ 
times positively injurious. They are, therefore, 
subjected to chemical treatment, by which the pot¬ 
ash compounds are more or less completely puri¬ 
fied. As prepared for market, the potash fertilizers 
contain potassium in the form of either chloride of 
potassium or sulphate of potash, and, along with 
these, other compounds, as shown by the following 
figures from circulars of the German manufacturers. 
POTASSIUM AND OTHER COM¬ 
POUNDS.—LBS. IN 100 LBS. 
BRANDS OF POTASH 
SALTS. 
Ib8. 
» Chloride of 
P Potassium. 
| S' Sulphate of 
P Magnesia. 
S' Chloride of 
F Magnesium. 
S’ Chloride of 
P Sodium. 
- Actual Potash 
£ in Potassium 
compounds. 
1. Crude Kainit. 
j 17—26 
10-12 14—17 
32-40 
9-14 
2. Crude Sulphate of 
Potash(“Dung Salt”; 
18-22 
16—20 
2-4 
35-50 
9-12 
3 Prepared Kainit. 
1 24 
16-18 
2—4 
36-42 
13 
4. Crude Sulphate of 
Potash-Magnesia. 
5. Five - fold Concen¬ 
trated Salt(Chloride > 
'29-83 
Mg, 
17-21 
3-5 
30-35 
15-18 
- 
80-85 
1-2 
12-16 50-52 
6. Purifled Sulphate of 
Potash. 
1 
70 
5-10 
5—10 
S8 
7. Purifled Sulphute of 
Potash. 
90-9-3 
3-6 
1-2 
50-52 
8. Purifled Sulphate of 
Potash—Magnesia.... 
54—37' 
_ 
34-38 
_ 
1-2 
28-30 
All the brands contain more or less of other than 
potash compounds. Of these the sulphate of mag¬ 
nesia may be valuable, since it is useful as plant- 
food, and further, aids in diffusing the potash 
through the 6oil and thus bringing it within reach 
of the roots of the plants. The chloride of sodi¬ 
um, or common salt, though not needed for plant- 
food, is useful in rendering other materials availa¬ 
ble, and hence often quite valuable as a fertilizer. 
For certain crops, however, like potatoes, sugar- 
beets, and tobacco, it is apt to be detrimental, prob¬ 
ably on account of the chlorine which it contains. 
The chloride of magnesium may be injurious. 
Nos. 1, 2, 3,4 in the table are low grade articles, 
furnishing only 9 to 18 per cent of actual potash. 
The crude Kainit, No. 1, is the material as dug from 
the mines and ground. The prepared Kainit, No. 
3, is made by roasting the crude Kainit. The 
“Dung Salt,” No. 2, is a waste product formed in 
the manufacture of the high grade articles. Nos. 
5, 6, 7, 8 are high grade articles of two kinds, viz., 
the chlorides or “ muriates,” (No. 5), in which 
•For tables Riving tlie composition of cultivated plants and 
manures, see Article XVIII of tliis series in American Agri¬ 
culturist for June, 1S76. See also tables in article for Oct., 1877, 
the potassium is combined with chlorine, as 
chloride of potassium, or “ muriate of potash,” as 
the dealers call it, and the sulphates, Nos, 6,7, 8, in 
which it is combined with sulphuric acid, as sul¬ 
phate of potash; little of No. 8 is manufactured. 
It is becoming customary to characterize these 
salts by the percentages of sulphate or chloride of 
potassium they furnish. Thus an “ 80 per cent sul¬ 
phate ” is one that contains 80 lbs. of sulphate of 
potash in 100 lbs. of the salt. An “ 80 per cent mu¬ 
riate ” would in like manner contain 80 per cent of 
chloride of potassium. 
Most Desirable Grades for Our Use. 
It is clear that for this side of the Atlantic the 
high grades must be tlie most economical as potash 
fertilizers. The sulphates are, on the whole, pre¬ 
ferable, but the potassium in these is more costly 
than in the chlorides. The chlorides sometimes in¬ 
jure the burning quality of the leaf of tobacco, de¬ 
crease the amount of sugar iu sugar-beets, and of 
6tarch in potatoes, and make the latter less “mealy” 
than is desirable. The sulphates, on the other 
hand, are always safe. For buckwheat, corn, 
wheat, oats, and other grains, for leguminous crops 
and grasses, and for wet soils, the chlorides are 
preferable because cheaper. Generally speaking, 
the most desirable grades will probably be— 
For Sulphates: the highest grades, which contain 
from 75 to 90 per cent, or more, of sulphate of pot¬ 
ash, corresponding to from 40 to 50 per cent of ac¬ 
tual potash. 
For Chlorides: the “muriate” with 80 to 85 per 
cent of chloride of potassium, corresponding to 
50-53 per cent' of potash. 
By the above table, the amount of actual potash 
in the low grade salts, varies from 9 to 18 per cent. 
Some articles sold in this country have yielded as 
low as 7 or 8 per cent. The disadvantage in pur¬ 
chasing these poorer articles is a double one. Not 
only do they furnish very little potash, the bulk 
being made up of other and inferior or injurious 
compounds, but the purchaser has to pay the cost 
of f. eight and handling of this extra material be¬ 
tween the mines in Germany and his farm. 
When, Where, and How to use Potasli Salts. 
As to soils. Whether a given soil is deficient in 
potash or not can be best told by actual experiment. 
In general, potash is more likely to be lacking in 
light, sandy, and calcareous (lime) soils, and in those 
consisting largely of decayed vegetable matter, 
like peat and muck beds and moors. It is more apt 
to be plenty in loamy and clayey 6oils that come 
from what the geologists call igneous rocks, such 
as trap, granite and syenite. But in soils of 
either of these classes, the available supply may be 
reduced by cropping. Where guanos, phosphates, 
bone, fish manures, and other fertilizers rich in ni¬ 
trogen, phosphoric acid and lime, but furnishing 
little or no potash, do not bring as large returns as 
formerly, a trial of potash salts is recommended. 
As to crops. The potash salts have proven espe¬ 
cially good for fodder crops, like grass and rye ; for 
leguminous crops, such as clover, beans, peas, 
and vetches; and for corn, potatoes, roots, tobac¬ 
co, and fruits. The immediate effects upon grain 
crops are usually not so beneficial. 
The method of applying potash salts isof great 
importance. Cases are common—I have known 
several myself, where crops were injured or des¬ 
troyed by improper application. The great point 
is to have the material uniformly diffused through 
the soil, so as to be within as ready reach of as 
many of the roots as possible, and not to be con¬ 
centrated in single places in such quantity as to in¬ 
jure the plants. The best way to secure this is to 
apply it some time before the seed is sown in the 
fall for the coming season’6 crop, for instance, so 
that the water from rains and melting 6nows may 
have opportunity to distribute the potash through 
the soil; or to mix with manure by spreading on the 
heap as it accumulates; or to compost with muck, 
farm refuse, or earth, and apply as long as possible 
before the growth of the crop begins. If neither 
of these ways can be followed, the next best plan 
is to mix the salts with three or four times their 
bulk of earth, spread the mixture uniformly, and 
either plow under or harrow in. Potash salts are 
best applied, not alone, but mixed with phos¬ 
phates and nitrogenous fertilizers. 
Peruvian guano, ammoniated phosphates, bone 
and fish, each furnish nitrogen, phosphoric acid 
and lime, and, if superphosphated, sulphuric acid 
also. The potash salts supply potash with more or 
less sulphuric acid and magnesia. Such mixtures, 
therefore, would form “complete fertilizers.” 
In Germany, where the potash salts have come 
into very general use, quantities corresponding to 
from 200 to 400, or at most 500 lbs. of the higher 
grades, and from 300 to 600 lbs. of the lower grades, 
per acre, are recommended. W. O. Atwater, 
Wesleyan University , Middletown , Conn. 
Ogden Farm Papers—No. 93. 
BT GEORGS E. WARING, JR. 
I now refer back to the first of this series of pa¬ 
pers—published in the American Agriculturist of 
January, 1870. I there gave an account of the 
purposes and intentions with which the enter¬ 
prise of improving and cultivating the farm had 
been undertaken (in September, 1867). For the 
satisfaction of those who have not access to that 
first paper, I quote the following: “ I have this 
basis to go upon : My land had been exhausted by 
a long series of robberies that had sapped its very 
vitality. Henceforth it must take in much more 
than it should be called upon to give out. Much 
was to be hoped for from draining and deep culti¬ 
vation, but in addition to all this, the impoverished 
soil must receive manure from abroad. ***** 
The details of the plan included heavy overstocking 
and fancy prices. The one should help the im¬ 
provement of the soil, and the other the money in¬ 
come. The two fundamental themes of the project 
were these : 1. There is hardly a limit to the pro¬ 
ductiveness of land. If 50 cows are put upon 50 
acres, and kept in good condition by buying food 
at the outset, their manure will in time make the 
land rich enough to support them, winter and sum¬ 
mer, without buying. 2. Extra price is all profit. 
Given all the appointments of a good dairy, it costs 
no more to make butter worth 75c. per pound than 
50c. per pound. No more cows are kept, no more 
and no richer food is consumed, and no extra help 
has to be hired. In my neighborhood butter costs 
about 30c. to make ; at 50c. there is a profit of 20c., 
and at 75c. there is a profit of 45c. The 20c. is 
earned by the investment of capital and labor; tbe 
extra 25e., by care, skill, and neatness. ****** 
The farm was to have ten years rest. It is charged 
with no extra burdens ; it has no expensive family to 
support, only the household of work-people, who 
are necessary for its improvement; and it has no 
income to pay, (except interest on borrowed capi¬ 
tal,) as neither my associate nor myself is to re¬ 
ceive any compensation during the course of the 
improvement; * * * * until the expiration of ten 
years, when the whole concern, farm, stock, im¬ 
plements, and investments are to be sold at public 
auction. * * * * The amount of profit to be di¬ 
vided, or the amount of loss to be made up, will be 
the best test, a6 to whether the work at Ogden 
Farm has been practical farming or not, for if it 
does not pay, it can not be considered practical .” 
The term of ten years has now expired, and I pro¬ 
ceed to the consideration of the results. In one 
respect, the original plan has not been carried out— 
we did not wind up the affair with an auction. Mr. 
Geo. F. Tyler, my associate and capitalist, with 
my full assent, has deeded the whole property to 
his son, and it is still to be carried on under my 
general direction. The accounts are not yet fully 
made up, nor can they be for some months, but it 
was clear that the total result would show a con¬ 
siderable loss of money. If my principle—quoted 
above—is to be adhered to, the work at Ogden 
Farm has not been practical farming. I shall con¬ 
sider this part of the subject in a future paper. I 
propose first to take up some of the details. 
From the very start, our main product—aside 
from live stock—has been Jersey butter. For more 
than a year we bought a large amount of milk, to 
increase the butter product, and we ran a milk- 
