Soil fertility and fertilizers

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 Excerpt: ...soils, by promoting certain favorable chemical changes. The condition of the soil also influences the amount of available potash. Light sandy soils are more apt to be deficient in potash than heavy soils. Forms of Potash.--A review of this chapter teaches us that potash exists chiefly in three forms in fertilizer materials. As chloride in f Muriate of potash I Sylvinit ( Sulphate of potash As sulphate in-Double sulphate of potash and ( magnesia As sulphate and chloride in j Kainit (action same as chloride) Potassium-magnesium carbonate Wood ashes ( Potassium carbonate As carbonate in Weights Of And Potash Removed By Ordinary Crops In Pounds Per Acre.37 Name of crop Meadow day, l% tons-Timothy hay, 14 tons Clover hay, 2 tons Wheat Grain, 25 bus. Straw Total Rye Grain, 30 bus. Straw Total Oats Grain, 50 bus. Straw Total Barley Grain 50 bus Straw Total Corn Kernel, 50 bus. Cobs Stover Total Potatoes Tubers, 200 bus. Haulm (stems 1 Total Sugar-beets. Roots, 20 tons Tops Total Mangels Roots, 25 tons Tops Total Turnips Roots, 20 tons Tops Total Swedes Roots, 16 tons Tops Total Cabbages, 20 tons Onions, 500 bus. Tobacco, leaf The form of potash is an important consideration in the purchase of fertilizers, as potash in the form of chloride is injurious to the marketable value of certain crops as tobacco, potatoes, sugar-beets, and oranges. Muriate of potash seems tc make potatoes waxy; with sugar-beets it seems to lessen the percentage of sugar as sucrose; for tobacco the flavor is spoiled for smoking; it sometimes forms calcium chloride in the soil which is not relished by plants. The form of potash does not seem to work any injury on crops as legumes, grasses, corn, etc., and for such crops potash should be purchased in its cheapest form. Muriate of potash diffus...