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Why did potash become more expensive in Scotland during the 18th century?
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Joseph Black
Joseph Black, detail of an engraving by J. Rogers after a portrait by Sir Henry Raeburn
During the 18th century, the price of potash in Scotland rose by 50 percent between 1750 and 1770 primarily due to a shortage of timber. Because potash was traditionally produced from wood ashes, this scarcity directly impacted the cost of the agent, which was essential for the bleaching of linen, a major and expanding commodity in Scotland and Ireland at the time.1