Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1904 — About B. J. Gifford Potassium Experiment. [ARTICLE]

About B. J. Gifford Potassium Experiment.

The Republican has reoeived from B. J. Gifford an extended communication iu regard to his intended experiment with potas sium as a fertilizer on bis reoently reclaimed marsh lands. Mr. Gifford points out that we was in error in a former mention of this matter wherein the impression was oonveyed that some of his marsh land had, like sme peaty land in Illinois, deoreased in productiveness after a few crops His land, on the contrary, continues to produce 35 to 40 bushels every year, when planted in proper seaeon and properly cultivated, Regarding the amount of the potassium to be used per acre, 200 pounds is a liberal amount the first year, and in mooeeding years, not more than half that amount, and finally discontinued entirely withont diminishing the orop. From the oareful study he has given the matter, he is oonvincedthat with proper cultivation this black land will produce 60 to 80 bushels of oorn after a light application of potassium. It is the tendency of muoh of this swamp land to improve with cultivation, especially if it has a day subsoil, as it seems in that case to gradually aoquire the potassium it naturally lacks, from the day below, through the process of capillar? attraction.

Mr. Gifford mentions the Vermillion swamps, in Illinois, whiob he began to drain 20 years ago, and whioh have produced immense crops for ten years, without any fertilizing and last year yielded 80 bushels per aore over large areas. Mr. Gifford’s potassium trials will be watohed with a good deal of interest, for there is considerable amount of this same kind of rich black’swamp land in this county and which, according to Prof. Hopkins, of the Illinois Agricultural College, lack nothing but a little potassium to make them productive beyond comparison. (