878 BULLETIN OF THE BUSSEY INSTITUTION. 
No. 19.— Analyses of Sundry Potassic Fertilizers, procurable 
in Boston. By F. H. Storer, Professor of Agricultural 
Chemistry. 
Tue following list comprises a number of analyses that have been 
made from time to time in the Bussey laboratory since 1872. It may 
be regarded as a supplement to the article on wood ashes, which was 
printed a year or more ago on pages 191 to 251 of this Bulletin. 
Taken in connection with that article, it may serve to convey a tolerably 
clear idea of the amounts of potash that are contained in the fertilizers 
here obtainable, and to indicate those which are most worthy the atten- 
tion of the farmers of New England. 
J. A sample of Muriate of Potash taken from a ton or two of the 
substance that was obtained, in the autumn of 1872, from William 
Grange, of Baltimore, by Henry Saltonstall, Esq., of West Peabody, 
Mass. From the bill of sale it appears that the muriate was held to 
contain 830 of pure chloride of potassium, by the Baltimore dealer, 
and was sold at the rate of 28 cents, gold, per pound on the basis of 
80% pure chloride of potassium. ‘The price was equal to $60, cur- 
rency, per ton, as will appear directly. 
II. A sample of Muriate of Potash taken from a lot of six tons bought 
in Boston in January, 1874, by John R. Brewer, Esq., of Hingham. 
This lot of muriate was said to contain about 85 of the pure chloride. 
Its price was $55, currency, per ton, on the basis of 800. 
The results of these analyses are as follows : — 
I. Il. 
Moisture . . . « 2 © © © © « 1.29% 0.49 
Sand.t. 4. Se ee a Gao OGD 0.14 
Real potash (K,0) . . ». « « . » 52.94 52.80 
[Or, chloride of potassium . . . . 83.80 83.58] 
Beside the substances here enumerated, the article known in commerce 
as “80% muriate” contains some 12 or 15% of chloride of sodium 
and a small amount of chloride of magnesium. Compare Heiden’s 
“ Diingerlehre,” Stuttgart, 1868, 2. 381. 
It will be seen that these analyses agree closely with the statements 
of the dealers from whom the fertilizers were bought. Like the anal- 
