Newspaper Page Text
-STATE CHEMIST'S TALK
A Treatise on Agricultural
Chemistry.
*AN INTERESTING RESUME.
Potash—lts Improtance as a Plant
Food; Sources From Which Derived.
5
Wood Ashes —Stassfust Deposits..
The only source of potash known
to our fathers was ashes, mainly wood
•sites, and while potash from this
source is a most excellent manure,
* yet evidently the quantity available
must be quite limited. The great
majority of soils, especially thoso
■' Which contain much clay, usually hold
a large reserve of potash, and do not
appear to require the special applica
|-'»s!on of po-tash as a manure. Light
r randy soils on the other hand, and
some clay soils also appear to be quite
> deficient in potash and are much bene
fited by applications of that fertilizer.
Soils of this nature, therefore, stand
as much in need of constant potash ma
nuring as of phosphoric acid and ni
trogen applications.
Wood ashes, whilst they may be
cheap and easily obtained in countries
where large forest areas are to bo
cleared, in older countries cannot be
so easily obtained. Long before fer
tilizers became a commercial commod
ity wood ashes weie highly thought
of by farmers. But usually when a
• farmer buys ashes he buys in the
' dark, owing to the fact that ashes
vary so widely in their contents of
potash. A»*a rule, ashes from hard
woods are richer in potash than those
from soft woods. The ash of the red
oak for instance contains about 6 per
cent of potash, that of the hickory
about 9 per cent, some pine woods
about 4% per cent. No definite per
centage, however, can be laid down for
' any special wood, as the same wood
" will vary in different localities, and
the wood of different parts of the
Same tree will vary, the ashes from
, the twigs and young limbs being rich
er in potash than the ashes from the
body or trunk of the tree.
It is impossible to fix the value of
a lot of ashes, except by special analy
sis of the particular lot, owing to this
great variability in composition, and
owing to the further fact that the
ashes may have been leached or mixed
With more or less dirt. The average
analysis for good unieached ashes may
be taken as 5 per cent of potash,
p>er cent of phosphoric acid, and
per cent of lime. According to the
values for fertilizers adopted for the
present season, a ton of good average
ashes at the coast should be worth
four dollars and fifteen cents. This
calculation allows no value to tlfe lime,
», although of course it has a decided val
ue on such soils as are deficient in it.
Luckily since the middle of the last
century, farmers hat i eeen no longer
compelled to rely on ashes~as a source
of potasli, but have come to adopt in
their stead almost universally what
are known as the German or Stassfurt
potash salts.
These salts are mined in Stassfurt
in northern Germany, in the province
of Saxony. They were discovered by
the Prussian government while boring
for rock salt about the year 1857. At
first they were considered worthless,
but soon the great Chemist Liebig
began publishing his discoveries con
cerning plant growth and nutrition,
showing potash to be an essential and
much-needed element in the growth
and development of plants. This led
to the development of the potash
mines, and the utilization for agrieul
ture of the precious salts contained in
thorn. The first potash salt works
for the manufacture and sale of the
potash salts was established in Stass
furt in 1862. Some of ths crude ores
are suited for agricultural use just as
they are dug from the mines, and are
known as Kalnjt, Carnallite, Sylvlnit.
The Kainit contains on an average of
about 12% per cent of potash, the
Carnallite about 10 per cent, and the
Sylvinlt 16 per cent of potash. As
there is a great demand for these
products all over the world, and the
freightage to long distances is quite
an item, it became desirable to concen
trate the potash in these natural prod
ucts as much as possible, so as to
avoid the cost of transportation on the
gaits contained in them useless to agri
culture.
The great factories of the “German
Kali Works” npw prepare from tha
crude Kainit, Carnallite and Sylvinit,
muriates of potash containing 45 per
cent, 50 per cent and 55 per cent of
actual potash, also sulphates of pot
ash containing from 48 to 52 per cent
of actual potash, also what is known as
“Double Manure Salts” with 26 per
cent of potash. A complete analy
sis of all these various products and
some others will be found on another
page of this bulletin.
These deposits are practically inex
haustible in quantity and will supply
the agricultural world for many years
tq come. Should they ever become
• exhausted doubtless new discoveries
will be made, and if not, potash could
doubtless be obtained, though, of
course, at greater cost, from such wa
ters as those of the “Dead Sea.” There
need, therefore, be no fear of the sup
ply running short. Having now giv
en you a brief account of tho differ
ent raw materials used in the man
ufacture of “guano,” or commercial
fertilizers, we will next consider the
methods in use by the manufacturers
for converting these raw materials
into finished products.
The Acid Phosphate Industry—Descrip
tion of Process of Manufacture.
The foundation of the great modern
industry of commercial fertilisers is
the manufacture of superphosphate,
or as it is moro generally known in
this country of acid phosphate of
lime. The materials necessary for
this manufacture are sulphuric acid
and phosphate rock. The plant re
quired for the manufacture of sul
phuric acid is a costly one, and the
process is somewhat complicated.
Either brimstone from Sicily, or
which is a compound ot sul
phur and some of which is im
ported from Spain and some prsdwebd
from mines in this country, are the
! raw materials used in the manufac
ture.
The brimstone er pyrites are burned
In specially constructed burners, and
th/e sulphurous which result from
J (he burning are caused to mix with
nitrous gases produced from nitrate of
soda, and drawn into great towers
made of lead and packed with flints;
i thence they are drawn into immense
l leaden chambers or rooms, usually
I three in a row connected together. In
these chambers the sulphurous add ni
trous gases are mixed with steam, and
, condensed into sulphuric acid, which
■ falls in rain on the floors of the lead
en chambers. It is necessary to con
struct these chambers of lead, because
almost any other material would bo
destroyed and eaten out by the action
of this corrosive acid.
The phosphate rock is hauled to the
factory, usually a building located
alongside the sulphuric acid chambers,
it is»th<y'e thrown into crushers which
break it Into small pieces; thence con
veyed to the g: inding machinery,
either steel mills or buhrstones,
where it is pulverized into a fine meal
or flour. You would naturally ask
I at this point, why not use this ftne
phosphate meal directly on the soil,
without mixing it with the caustic
corrosive sulphuric acid? It is sim
ply because this meal is of a rocky
nature and only dissolves with diffi
culty in the soil waters, and we have
seen plants require their food to be
easily soluble in water, so that the
roots suck it in. The phosphate rock
meal, no matter how finely ground,
dissolves only to a very limited ex
tent in water, and it is necessary to so
treat tt as to liberate the rock-bound
phosphoric acid; and render it solu
ble in water. Hence the necessity
for the sulphuric acid.
The phosphate meal (say it is from
South Carolina rock, and contains 28
I er cent of phosphoric acid, combined
with, lime to form 61 per cent of bone
phosphate of lime) is first weighed,
and wo will take say 1,000 pounds of
it, and dump it into a circular cast-tron
mixer, Into which has already been
introduced 1,000 pounds of sulphuric
acid of the proper strength.
The acid and meal are now thor-
■ oughly mixed togethed by machinery
'in the iron pan. The mixture be
' comes very hot, the strong sulphuric
I acid attacks the lime combined with
> the phosphoric acid of the phosphate
meal with amazing and furious ener
' gy and appropriates to itself the great
i er part of the lime In the form of sul
phate of lime, gypsum or laud-plaster,
and liberates the same moment, the
phosphoric acid, which is only allowed
to retain its hold on a small part of
■ the lime, with which it was first com
bined,
' This smaller portion of lime and
the phosphoric acid with which it is
combined is what the chemist? call
mono-calcic-phosphate, or superphos
phate of lime. It is also known as
the acid phosphate of lime. This
acid phosphate of lime, or superphos
phate, is soluble in water; we have,
therefore, accomplished what we set
out to do. rendered the phosphoric
acid soluble. This dlcovery was made
-by the great chemist Liebig, who thus
put the entire world in his debt, lay-
■ tug the foundations of the great fer
tilizer industry, and rendering an in
estimable boon to modern agriculture.
john m. McCandless,
Stave Chemist.
Rescue Grass.
One of our friends has requested
that we republish an article that sp
j pearod about two years ago on “Res
cue Grass.” We take pleasure in
■ oomplying with this request.
| Rescue Grass is probably the finest
• for winter grazing and the most pro
< lific In southern latitudes. It re
quires a rich, loamy soil, and comes
up in September, growing; rapidly dur
ing even the coldest Winter. It affords
a rich pasturage of the most Busou
lent stems and leaves from December
1 to May 1, or it may be mowed
hay two or three times during April
and May and then allowed t® mature
a crop of seed, which in gathering
will shatter, or leave enough seed on
the ground to reeeed the land, so that
one sowing, if properly treated, will
suffice.
After mowing two or three times,
from 100 to 150 bushels of seed may
be made on am acre. The seed may
bo sown from June to February, but
to get tho best results it should be
sown in Jm.c. when peas are sown for
forage.
There are some peculiarities about
this grass seed. It will not germinate
in summer. The colder the weather
in winter, the faster it grows, unless
the stems have commenced jointing,
when a freeze will kill it down, only
to come out again, however, greatly
increased in thickness. When not
mowed, the grass grows slowly, but
when it is mowed or grazed upon, the
growth is hastened. The plots upon
which the grass has been sown can
be broken up from June 1 to 15, fertil
ized and sown in peas, or planted in
corn and field beans. By this meth
od the grass will not only be inn
proved, but splendid crops ot peavine
hay, or of corn and beans can be made.
The seed that are left on the ground
in May will lie dormant until the'sool
•tgbts.in September,
The seed are quoted by seed,Bien at
125 cents par pound, but about 100
I pounds may be obtained from Dr. A.
M. Winn & Son, of Lawrenceville, Ga.,
' at 15 cents per pound, or 12 cents a
■ pound, if as much as 10 pounds are
; bought; also 150 pounds can be obtain
ed from Mr. J. T. Baxter, of Suwannee, ;
Ga., at the same price. The forego- '
ipg information is furnished largely j
by Mr. J. T. Lfaxt- r, v. ho has success- •
fully grown Rescue Grass.
STATE DEPT OF AGRICULTURE, j
LIME, SALT AND SULPHUR.
For San Jcse Scale Will Be Made as
a Summer Treatment.
. The need of an effective remedy for
the San Jose scale for summer use
has long been felt a-nd although many
substances have been tried, nothing
has given anything like satisfaction.
For the past two years I have been
■ experimenting with the lime, sulphur
and salt wash as a winter treatment
i for scale and the results have been
[ quite satisfactory as set forth in bul
> letins 4 and 5 of the Georgia State
, Board of Entomology.
During the present season 1 am mak
! ing careful tests with this prepara-
I tlo-n as a summer treatment for scale
: and so far the results have been very
i encouraging. While the mature in
t sects are not immediately killed by
applications of this wash the breed
i ing is not only quickly checked, but
i the young perish soon after they is
sue. The presence of the wash pre
; vents the young insects from establish
, ing themselves and they are either
killed by the caustic action of the
substance or perish from lack of food.
Just what takes pla>ce is not yet well
' understood, but the fact remains that
the young die and the parent insects
soon follow their example. And that
is ’just what is desired. Instead of
increasing at an incredible ratio, as
on untreated trees, the number of
, scales dwindle in the presence of this
’ wash until the trees become compara
tively clean.
' It should not be understood, how
ever that this means eradication. At
present it seems that no wash can be
so thoroughly applied as to complete
| ly destroy tl?is pest. The object is to
control and not to eradicate.
Application of the Wash.
The principal difficulty in tho way
of applying summer washes is the
presence of the foliage which is likely
to be Injured by preparations of suf
ficient strength to be effective against
the San Jose soaJ-e. A thorough spray-
I ing of a tree is, therefore, not prac
tical and the application must be made
by hand., The trunk and larger lirctbs
can be thoroughly painted by means
of a brush or cloth mop and on young
trees, -where the treatment is most
needed, the application can be extended
to within a few inches of the tips of
the twigs. This may seem impracti
cal, but in the tests I found it not
difficult to quite thoroughly coat four
year old poach trees. In our commer
cial peach orchards the trees are
headed low and the limbs are in easy
reach.
A spray pump can be used to apply
the wash to the trunk and the lower
■ portion of the limbs and in this man-
I ner a large orchard can be gone over.
! However, the pump should be followed
• by the brush in order to extend the
application higher up the limbs. Con
, tact of the wash with the foliage
should be avoided, although the de
struction of some leaves will neces
i sarily result.
The time to make the application is
1 when living scales are found on the
' trees. The San Jose scale will be
breeding quite rapidly during the
t month of May, and an application dur-
I'tog this month would effectively check
i its progress. As a general statement,
■ I would say that the greatest benefit
from any one application might be
expected in August or soon after the
fruit crop is harvested. During the
fall months the accumulation of scale
is greatest, as is also the consequent
damage to the trees.
Thio treatment is especially recom
mended for application to badly infest
ed trees likely to die if left untreated
until winter washes can be applied,
and for family orchards.
Preparation of the Wash.
The same formula, but with greater
dilution, as used for winter work, has
i been found satisfactory for summer
applications with the brush. This
formula may be stated as follows;
Urn© (unslaked) 30tbs.
I Sulphur (ground) 2fftbs.
Salt 15Ibs.
Water to make 100 gals.
For winter work only 60 gallons of
water aim used with this formula, but
in the summer tests it was found that
a much weaker solution gave satis
factory results.
Place eight or ten gallons of water
in an iron kettle over a fire and when
it reaches the boiling point add the
, lime, which immediately produce a
j violent boiling. Stir in the sulphur
as rapidly as convenient and from time
to time add a small quantity of water
1 as needed to prevent boiling over or
burning. The sulphur gradually goes
Into solution and the mixture, at first
thick and pasty, becomes thinner and
thinner, changing in color through
several shades of yellow. After at
least one hour’s constant boiling th“
salt should be added and the bailing
continued for another half hour. Then
dilute with the required amount el
water, preferably hot water. if a
suitable boiler is convenient the mix
ture may be more economically cooked
in barrels by the use' of steam.
When used from buckets as a paint
it should be constantly stirred and
applied, warm. For spraying, it should
be strained through a fine wire net.
| . . , W. M. SCX4TT,
State Entomologist
—
Fnlett ’«■ CURES
< Ulßtf ft ..
U • / KIDNEY
Kidney and
BLADDER
Gurß DISEftSES
FOLEY'S KIDNEY CURE will positively cure any case
of Kidney or Bladder disease that is not beyond the reach
of medicine. No medicine can do more.
If you notice any irregularities, commence taking
FOLEY'S KIDNEY CURE at once and avoid a fatal malady.
BELOW IS A TESTIMONIAL FROM ONE OF THE MANY THOUSANDS
WHO HAVE BEEN CURED BY THIS CREAT MEDICINE.
A. H. Thurness, Mgr. Wills Creek Coal Co., Buffalo, 0., writes: “I have been afflicted
with kidney and bladder trouble for years, passing gravel or stones with excrucia
ting pains. Other medicines only gave relief. After taking Foley's Kidney Cure
the result was surprising. A few doses started the brick dust like fine stones, etc.,
and now I have no pain across my kidneys and I feel like a new man. Foley’s
Kidney Cure has done me SIOOO worth of good.”
Two Sizes 50c & SI.OO. Refuse Substitutes.
An interesting Booklet, “All About The Kidneys” free for the asking
Address, FOLEY & CO., Chicago, 111.
Brook’s Drug Store and Harris Drug Store.
SPECIAL NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC!
Mr. W. H. Williams, the landlord of the building I am now occupying, has
rented same, and in consequence I will] close out my entire stock, consisting
of Dry Goods, Clothing, Shoes, Hats, Trunks, Millinery and Gents’ Furnishing
Goods.
MY PROPOSITION.
I will sell my entire stock at retail for the next Thirty Day St beginning Sat*
urday, May 9th, 1903, at your own price, provided same is reasonable. My stock
is not “wrecked goods,” but you can wreck the prices if you want to.
I know you can save money by attending this sale, as you can buy anything
in our line at what YOU think they are worth. The object of this sale is to re
duce the stock as much as possible so that it can be moved much easier.
Remember, this is no “fake sale,” but a genuine honest sale, as we must
move. And to move as little goods as possible we take this method of reducing
the stock
36 dozen Union Overalls to go at 39c. :
526 Men’s Straw Hats, must go at 5c.!
1500 Men’s Fur Hats, the latest
styles, all sixes and colors, from 25c. to
|1.50.
319 Men’s Work Shirts at 19c.
229 Men’s Sweathers, all colors, 10c.
500 Men’s Negligee Shirts at 19c.
1500 latest style Collars, all sizes, 5
and 80.
Don’t forget the place, 53 Hill Street. Look out for our Signs.
M. FRIEDMAN, *
A Weak
Stomach
Indigestion is often caustd by over
eating. An eminent authority says
the harm done thus exceeds that from
the excessive use of alcohol. Eat all
the good food you want but don’tover*
load the stomach. A weak stomacij
may refuse to digest what you eat.
Then you need a good digestant like
Kodol, which digests your food with
out the stomach’s aid. Thia rest and
the wholesome tonics Kodol contain!
soon restore health. Dietingunnece*
sary. Kodol quickly relieves ih® feel*
Ing of fulness and bloating From
which some people suffer after meals.
Absolutely cures indigestion;
Kodol Nature's Tonic.
Preparedonly by E. C. D«W rr? A Oo,Chlcaffc
Xm|L bowls coaUln>2>» tlmw ths 60c. aU®.
- .
' 275 Youth’s Suits to go at $1.98. "
509 Men’s all wool Vests, to close out,
'• '39c.
427 Men’s Pants, all sizes, at 39c.
750 Men’s all wool Pants 75c. to $2.00,
i 300 Ladies’ Corsets, must go at 19c.
300 Ladies’ Shirt Waists at 15c.
227 Ladies’ Undershirts 25 to 39c.
129 dozen Ladies’ and Men’s Under
wear, this sale, 19c.
I will be at the different preclnc’s on
the days mentioned tolow for the purpose
of receiving State and County Taxes for
the year 1903:
Africa, April 13th, May 11th, June Bth.
Union, “ 14th, “ 12th, “ 9th.
Line Creek “ 15th, “ 13th, “ 10th.
Mt. Zion “ loth, “ lUh, “ 11th.
Alkln “ 17th, " 15th, “ 12th.
Cabin “ 20th. “ 18th, “ 15th.
Except on the days mentioned above I
will be in my office in the rear of the Mer
chant and Planters' Bank until July Ist,
when my books will close.
H. T. JOHNSON, T. R. S.C.
MEHAHDWOMEa.
al IrritfclioM or nle»r»tl k«
ffKT Ot mneous juen>br»n««.
|S| . Psinlso, Mid not MUia-
fcafTHtEwUSCHOtmtOB. or pcwoaotU.
WAfimcn'nn.o.flH MM Drwgista.
ii. a. a. s*nt In »Uin wrapper.
MtaldfkfTWS-?
■ <4x«ulm Mat ea
375 Children’s units from 09c. to $2,
300 Men’s latest style Ties, all colors
and sizes, 10c.
Men’s all wool Sait”, all colors ami
Sizes, |1.98, $2.50, <3.25, $4 50. SS.M,
10.00 and $7.50.
Ladies’ and Children's trimmed Hate
from 25c. to $1.50.
Men’s Shoes, all sizes, 98c.
500 pairs Ladies' and Misses’ SMppeflb
at 89c.
Divorce Libel.
Annie A. McNamara 1 State of
vs. > Georgia**
Geo- G. McNamara, ) Spaldlug_Cs
The defendant, Geo. G- McNamara, is
hereby required, personally or by. an at ■
torney, to be and appear at the superior
court to be holden in and for said county
on the Ist Monday in August next, then
and there to answer the plaintiff’s com*
plaint, as in default thereof the court wilj
proceed as to justice shall appertain. Wit*
ness the Honorable E. J. Reagan, ir.dxhv
of said court, this the sth day of Feb.
1903. Wm. M. Thomas Clerk*
MM CHICHESTER'S ENGLISH
Pekkyroyal pills
H Original aid Only Gen«*ln>%
Ai>»r«r*UaMn Ladins. ask OrvaeM
** CHICHBSTJEK’S ENGLISH
ta KEV and Gald metallic taxes. **Cs4
with b ‘ M r UW>*a. TaJke otter, Refute
Wj l»nn<e«®a 'ktaiUtntU&a and tmttita
) / b«j of yaar hrogxMt, ar *eu4 4e. <a
( fv PartienUtra. Teallmordata
\ ’©K fc*. and “Relief far Ladlee, w m latter, ta
v-A. * irn flalL 1 (KOO© TwvUßMiials sMdl>y'
«n Mruffiav. < htohealer (lheaalc'cd Cdl*
ttuun ua MadiMa fWll-A-