1876.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
395 
his “Dairy Husbandry,” price $3.00, give full information 
about dairy matters, including choice of cows and their 
general management. It would be well for you to pro¬ 
cure and study these books. To tell in full how to make 
butter and cheese requires more space than we can give. 
farm Macliiracny in California. 
“ J. L.,” Ipswich, Mass. It would be a loss of money to 
purchase farm machinery here to take to California, as 
whatever is wanted can be readily procured there. Be¬ 
sides it would be injudicious to purchase any thing at 
all, until it is known exactly what will be wanted there. 
Fruit Mailing ini California.— 
“ Six Young Farmers.” Persons desiring to go to Cali¬ 
fornia together, had better send one of their number, 
upon whose discretion and judgment they can,rely, to the 
chosen locality, to see it before they decide upon remov¬ 
ing. If disappointed, the loss to the party would be 
trifling, compared with the possible ruin of the hopes 
that had been formed, and the cost of six persons going 
and returning. There is much mistaken enthusiasm .in 
regard to fruit growing in California ; it is a very risky 
business, and can only be moderately profitable- even 
where entire success is met with, a^ the home demand is 
limited and transportation to Eastern markets very ex¬ 
pensive, and often attended by loss. 
Breeding' a Yoimg; Marc.— “ W. W.,” 
Belleville, Ontario. A mare three years old may be per¬ 
mitted to breed without injury, if she is well cared for 
and not worked, but it is over-young, and only advisa¬ 
ble in exceptional cases. 
Value of iPorgie Scrap.-" F. H. D.,” 
Lowell, Mass. The value of fish scrap depends greatly 
upon its condition of dryness. If practically dry, it is of 
course worth much more than when saturated with water 
as it comes from the oil press. Mr. William Clift, in an 
address made at a meeting of the Conn. Board of Agri¬ 
culture, in 1873, stated that he had used the dried scrap 
sold at $10 a ton, and considered it worth two-thirds as 
much as guano, which was then selling at $90 a ton ; or 
$60 a ton. The raw scrap, very nearly dry, but not 
ground, is worth in the market from $20 to $25 a ton. 
Book oil Diseases of tSie Horse.— 
“ G. W. W.,” Wilmington, Del. Dr. Dadd’s Modern 
Horse Doctor, is a very useful book on diseases of the 
horse ; Dadd’s American Reformed Horse Book, is a 
move comprehensive work. The price of the first is $1.50; 
that of the second is $2.50, by mail from this office. 
Prices of Grain at BMfferent 
Months.— 1 The course of the market for wheat at dif¬ 
ferent seasons of the year, is just now a very interesting 
matter for consideration. If there is a period when the 
best average prices are made, and this is the most con¬ 
venient time for disposing of the grain, it is important, to 
know when that season occurs. Although we would not 
accept the responsibility of advising any person when to 
sell his crops, yet it is safe to give trustworthy figures 
from market reports, which carry unquestionable weight 
with them. As we have frequently stated, our own 
chosen plan has been to sell as soon as the produce was 
ready for market, and we have been satisfied with this 
course. As a corroboration of the wisdom of this method, 
we give the following average prices of wheat per 100 
pounds, for the different months during 10 years past in 
Liverpool; prices here of course being regulated by those 
there ; as follows, January, $2.90 ; February, $2.80 ; 
March, $2.78; April, $2.72; May, $2.77; June, $2.77; 
July, $2,73; August, $2.81; September, $2.90 ; October, 
$2.95 ; November, $2.95 ; December, $2.94. 
Fertilizers for WJieat.— ,l J. M. W.,” 
West Philadelphia. The most active fertilizers for wheat 
at this season are Peruvian gnano and nitrate of soda ; 
but it is not advisable to use these now, except in small 
quantity, as they are very soluble and quickly washed 
away by the fall rains. 100 lbs. of either are sufficient at 
this time, and an equal quantity may be used in the spring. 
Cairc for ISioff'bosic.—“J. L. T.,” Tkomas- 
town, Ohio. As this affection in the result of several dis¬ 
tinct causes, and in each case a different method of treat¬ 
ment is required, it is hardly possible to give any precise 
directions. Ringbones occur in consequence of constitu¬ 
tional disposition ; rheumatic affections ; defective nu¬ 
trition ; injuries from concussions, blows, or accidents, 
and the result from any of these may be inflammation of 
the membranes covering the bones, leading to deposit of 
bony mattter, or direct abnormal bony growth. Thus 
the usual remedy, blistering, frequently makes the disease 
worse. No one can give a reasonable method of cure 
without knowing the history of the case. It is safest to 
apply to a veterinary surgeon, or let the horse alone, 
using cold water bandages until the ringbone is fully 
formed, when the worse that can happen is a stiff joint. 
Calves in :i Hog 1 Pasture.—“ M. F. 
P.,” Champaign, Co., Ill., states that he had some calves 
of pure and % Durham blood, which he allowed to run 
during the day in a timothy pasture in which 40 head of 
hogs were kqot, and where there was a prairie pond. The 
calves soon had a cough, and scours, and diarrhoea, pass¬ 
ing what seemed to be pure milk, and some of them died. 
They laid down naturally, with the head stretched out, 
resting on the lower jaw, and seemed in great pain, 
breathing short and grunting at each breath. These 
calves probably were affected with worms in the throat 
and bowels, which would cause the cough and diarrhoea. 
The disease is known as “ lioose or husk,” and was with¬ 
out doubt occasioned by the stagnant water of the pond 
and the presence of the hogs, from which the eggs of the 
parasites were obtained. The method of preventing 
the trouble is simple. Keep the calves where they have 
pure water and clean grass, and away from hogs. The 
cure is not easy. Salt and turpentine in small quantities 
are the only remedies that have been found effective, but 
it is very difficult to reach these troublesome parasites. 
Color of a Berltsiiire Fig - .—“ Sub¬ 
scriber,” Baltimore, Md. As now bred the Berkshire 
pig is black, blue-black, or a sort of deep plum color ; 
with all the feet and the center of the face, but no other 
portion of the body, white. If a few white or sandy 
hairs appear on one of the shoulders or side it is an ob¬ 
jection, but not a disqualification. That is simply a 
breaking out of the original marking of the old Berk¬ 
shire from which the present improved race has descend¬ 
ed. As a breeder we would, however, not use nor keep 
any animal for breeding, that showed the least variation 
from the highest present standard of marking. 
Wages of Broom Iflstlter.*.—“ T. S.” 
Clinton, La. The wages of broom makers are from $3 
weekly to boys and girls up to $12 weekly for experi¬ 
enced workmen. In country places it would be a very 
easy matter for a family to make several dozen brooms 
with such machinery as a handyman could construct 
for himself, during the leisure hours of winter, and dis¬ 
pose of them to the stores. The handles can be made 
at any turning shop out of soft maple, white birch, or wil¬ 
low. The timber must be sawn into plank and thorough¬ 
ly seasoned, being piled so as to dry perfectly straight. 
A dditioBial F:iirs. — Pennsylvania, Bucks 
Co., Doylestown, Oct. 3-G; Washington Co., Burgetts- 
town, Oct. 3-5.— Maryland, Carroll Co., Westminster, 
Oct. 2-8; Md. Jockey Club, Pimlico, Oct. 24-27.— Ohio, 
Central Ohio, New Cornorstown, Oct. 10-13 ; Portage Co., 
Randolph, Oct. 6-7. For others, see last month’s paper. 
-..a i o ■ « r» - 
“ Science Applied to Farming,” 
Correspondence. 
German Potash Fertilizer®.— “ F. K.,” of 
Conn., asks about the chemical composition of potash 
salts. The basis of potash compounds is the element 
Potassium. This combined with oxygen forms potas¬ 
sium oxide, or potassa, or, in familiar language, potash. 
The same term, potash, is also applied to two other 
potassium compounds. One, which may be considered 
as a compound made up of potassa and water, is known 
in the chemical laboratory as potassium hydrate, and in 
common language as caustic potash. The other is a 
compound of potassa with carbonic acid, and is com¬ 
monly called carbonate of potash. The ordinary pot¬ 
ashes and pearlashes prepared from the lye of wood 
ashes are more or less impure carbonate of potash. 
Potassium combined with chlorine forms potassium 
chloride, commonly called chloride of potassium or “mu¬ 
riate of potash.” Potassa united with sulphuric acid 
forms potassium sulphate, or sulphate of potash. By 
adding to ordinary potash lye from ashes a proper 
amount of sulphuric acid, and boiling the liquid down, 
we might, with proper care, obtain a solid substance, 
which would be a sulphate of potash. If we were to use 
hydro-chloric (muriatic) acid instead of sulphuric, w r e 
should obtain a chloride of potassium or muriate of 
- potash. Other elements as well as potassium combine 
with sulphuric acid and chlorine to form sulphates and 
chlorides. Sodium chloride is common salt. Sulphate 
of soda (Sodium sulphate) is known as Glauber’s salt, 
and sulphate of magnesia as Epsom-salts. The German 
potash salts consist of potassium chloride and sulphate, 
mingled with more or less of the just named compounds. 
Sulphates and Muriates of Potash.— “ F. 
E.,” of Conn.: It is customary to reckon the potassium 
of these salts as “actual potash.” In the sulphates this 
term expresses the amount of potassium oxide, potassa, 
or potash present. In the muriates it represents the 
amount of potash which the potassium would make if it 
w'ere combined with oxygen instead of chlorine.—1O0 lbs. 
of pure sulphate of potash contains about 54 lbs. of 
“actual potash.” 100 lbs. of sulphate of potash are 
therefore said to be equivalent to 54 lbs. of actual pot¬ 
ash, and vice versa, 54 lbs. of potash in the sulphates are 
reckonecbas equivalent to 100 lbs. of sulphate of potash. 
In the “muriates” 100lbs. of chloride of potassium are 
equivalent to about 63 lbs. of potash and vice versa. 
Grades of Potasli Salts and Prices.—“J. 
R. F.,” xdaine: In the American Agriculturist Market 
reports, under the head of “ Prices of Fertilizers,” will 
be found a quotation, “Chloride of Potassium (muriate 
of potash), 80 p. c.” Where chlorides are to be used, 
this brand is decidedly to be recommended. It is, so far 
as I have seen, almost always of good quality. It con¬ 
tains generally from 80 to 85 per cent, of chloride of 
potassium, the residue being mostly common salt. At 
80 per cent., 100 lbs. would contain 80 lbs. of potassium 
chloride, which would correspond to about 50 firs, of act¬ 
ual potash (80x63, see above.) At $3 per 100 lbs for 
the muriate, the actual potash w'ould cost 6 cents per 
pound ($3 -h 50.) Of the sulphates, the higher grades 
contain from 55 to 80, and in some brands over 90 per 
cent, of sulphate of potash, the residue being mostly 
sulphate of soda and sulphate of magnesia. I have 
noticed the 80 per cent, sulphate offered in New York at 
3} cents per lb. in small lots, and at $60 per ton in lots of 
one ton or more. 100 lbs. of this would contain 80 lbs. 
of sulphate of potash, corresponding to about 43 lbs. of 
actual potash (80x54). At $3 25 per 100 lbs. the actual 
potash would cost about 7£ cents per lb. It is an unfor¬ 
tunate fact that the sulphates of potash not unfrequently 
fall below the standard on which they are sold, both as 
regards the total amount of potash and the amount of 
sulphate—more or less being in the form of chloride. 
Several cases of this sort have been brought to the atten¬ 
tion of our Experiment Station. In each the American 
importer had been deceived by the representations of 
the agents or chemists on the other side of the Atlantic. 
Lower Grade IPotasUn Salts.—In the price list 
referred to are mentioned “German Potash Salts, 25—35 
per cent. This is a very indefinite expression. There 
are brands advertised by the Stassfurt manufacturers of 
about these grades in which the 25—35 per cent, refers 
to sulphate of potash, in which form the potassium is 
claimed to occur. The residue is mostly common salt, 
with more or less magnesium chloride and sulphate. 
Some of the articles of these grades are simply calcined 
kainit, that is to say, kainit which has been subjected to 
a high heat. By this process the water is expelled, and 
part of the chloride of magnesium decomposed, the ob¬ 
jectionable chlorine being to some extent driven off I 
think it is very questionable whether any potash salts 
below the grade of 30—33 per cent, sulphate (16—18 per 
cent, potash) will be economical as potash fertilizers on 
this side of the Atlantic. 
Kainit.— “J. C. W.,” Maryland: The mineral 
“ kainit,” which occurs abundantly in the contiguous 
mines of Stassfurt and Leopoldshall, is a compound of 
sulphates of potash and magnesia, chloride of magne¬ 
sium and water. As mined and sold it is contaminated 
with more or less common salt. Circulars from the manu¬ 
facturers at the Stassfurt mines put the unmanipulated 
kainit at from 17 to 25 per cent, sulphate of potash. 
Considerable quantities of kainit are sold in this country 
under the name of “Genuine Leopoldshall Kainit.” The 
average composition of the kainit as sold from the Leo¬ 
poldshall mines is stated by good German authority at 
25 per cent, sulphate of potash, 14 per cent, sulphate of 
magnesia, 14 per cent, chloride of magnesium, 32 per 
cent, chloride of sodium, and 13 per cent, water. A 
sample of Leopoldshall kainit sold to farmers in this 
State at $30 per ton, showed just about this composition 
on analysis at our laboratory. At the price mentioned, 
the potash (13.8 per cent.—278 lbs. to the ton) came to 
about 11 cents per pound. Another sample of the same 
brand contained a smaller percentage of potash. A 
specimen of “ kainit ” analyzed by Prof. Storer gave 10£ 
per cent, of actual potash. At $40 per ton, the price at 
which it was sold in Boston, “ each pound of real potash 
would come to rather more than 18 cents, to say nothing 
of the cost of handling the 1,600 lbs. of useless matter in 
each ton of the fertilizer, or of the risk that some of the 
extraneous matters (sodium and magnesium salts) might 
actually injure the crops to which they were applied.” 
Analyses of potash salts by Prof. Johnson, chemist of 
the Connecticut Board of Agriculture, and by Prof. 
Goessmann, State Inspector of Fertilizers for Massachu¬ 
setts, agree entirely with Prof. Storer’s and ours, in 
showing that a large amount of the German potash salts 
imported into this country are of the poorer grades. 
This is a “curious evil which needs to be known—and to 
be corrected.” As long as farmers will buy low-priced 
potash salts and other fertilizers because they are 
“cheap,” and pay no regard to the actual quality, they 
must expect to got poor wares at dear rates, and have 
poor success in using them. 
