132 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
should remember the good he has gained 
from other books. Take geography, for 
instance, he would feel it to be unwise to 
depend entirely upon his own explora¬ 
tions, and also would find it hard to tell 
where his study of geography has added 
to his dollars, still he recognizes its need; 
and it is just such a need that I feel for 
all information pertaining to plant foods, 
especially as applied to citrus culture. 
My first problem was the K2O used as 
standard for potash. I do not buy pot¬ 
ash any cheaper because of tracing it 
out through chemistry as follows: The 
least part of a substance which retains 
the identity of that substance is called a 
molecule. Each molecule is composed of 
a definite number of atoms. An atom is 
the smallest part of an element. An ele¬ 
ment is a substance that can not be di¬ 
vided into other substances and is rep¬ 
resented by a symbol—a letter or letters 
from its English or Latin name—stand¬ 
ing for one atom of that element. Each 
compound has, in chemistry, a formula 
showing how many atoms of certain ele¬ 
ments are found in each molecule of this 
compound. The K2O is the formula of 
pure potash, the K standing for kalium, 
the latin name for potassium, and the 2 
showing there are two atoms of potas¬ 
sium, and the O indicating one atom 
of oxygen. The chemical name is oxide 
of potassium. No, I don’t buy potash 
for any less money and it doesn’t do my 
trees any more good, but I do feel more 
self-respecting when I talk about it, and 
besides, doesn’t one stand a better chance 
to choose a suitable method of cultiva¬ 
tion and fertilization if he understands 
just what his plant foods are, just what 
changes must take place to make them 
available to the plant, and just what con¬ 
ditions will facilitate or retard those 
changes ? 
The question that naturally comes next 
is, “What is sulphate of potash?” It is 
not the fault of the kali works if one 
lacks information about potash. In their 
“Stassfurt Industry” we find “Sulphate 
of potash is simply actual potash com¬ 
bined with sulphuric acid.” What is an 
acid? “Something sour?” Well then 
what makes things sour? “The acid in 
them of course” And there we are, in 
a neat little circle. 
Chemistry tells us “An acid is a com¬ 
pound formed by the union of a non- 
metal with hydrogen and usually oxy¬ 
gen.” When formed of two elements it 
is a bin ary acid and when formed of 
three elements it is a tern ary acid. Web¬ 
ster ends his definition with “and in its 
compounds ’exchanges its hydrogen for 
a metal.” It is this quality of exchang¬ 
ing its hydrogen for a metal that gives 
to us our chemical fertilizers. When the 
metal acts thus it is in the form of a hy¬ 
droxyl, that is, is combined with hydro¬ 
gen and oxygen, and is called a base. 
When the change has taken place we have 
neither acid nor base, but a salt and 
water. 
Binary salts, that is, salts made from 
binary acids, are named by adding ide 
to the name of the non-metal. Ternary 
salts are named from the acid that forms 
them. If an acid ends in ic the salt ends 
in ate . Nitric acid (HNO3) makes ni¬ 
trates. If the acid ends in ous the salt 
ends in ite. . Nitron acid (HNO2) 
makes nitric. 
A ternary acid ending in ic is far 
stronger than one composed of the same 
