1(38 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



well plow it, and so began to top-dress. I spread 150 loads of 

 manure on five acres of this land, and got a good crop of bay tbe 

 next 3^ear. One acre I plowed and dressed pretty thorougbly with 

 ashes and manure for two years. It was tlien laid down, and I 

 have mowed it now nine years, and have just it into good grass. 

 That which I did not plow has yielded good grass all the time. I 

 prefer to top-dress upon snow, for the reason that when the snow 

 goes cff the grass is ready to come up through the dressing, and 

 the manui-e will cause the snow to go ofi" some days earlier than it 

 otherwise would. 



The idea is an erroneons one, that we must plow to prepare 

 land for grass. After it has once been levelled it should not be 

 broken up again, but when it fails put on the dressing. 



Mr. Wkight of Lewiston. I would inquire the relative value of 

 leached and unleached ashes. 



Mr. Sweet. In my experiments I could not see any difference. 

 I would give as much for leached ashes as for unleached, for top- 

 dressing. 



Mr. Wright. I understand there is a large quantity of potash 

 in unleached ashes, which the soap-makers get out, and I suppose 

 that part to be of great value to the soil. 



vSecretary Goodale. It is true that unleached ashes contain a 

 considerable per centage of potash, which the leached ashes do 

 not, and perhaps also some other salts that may be of value. 

 Soluble potash for agricultural purposes, where it is needed, is 

 worth more than farmers generally suppose ; I will not say how 

 much, but if I had it, I would not sell it for six nor eight cents a 

 pound. At the same time, experience shows that leached ashes 

 answer as good a purpose, on some soils, as unleached. This only 

 shows that the soluble potash was not required in those cases. It 

 does not show, by any means, that unleached ashes would not be 

 better on another soil. There are cases where' unleached ashes 

 are worth twice or thrice as much as leached ashes, and this, be- 

 cause on those soils, the soluble potash is wanted. Where leached 

 ashes succeed so well, the indication is, that the phosphates, 

 whicli constitute their chief value, are more needed than pot- 

 ash is. 



Mr. Sweet. Different soils require different treatment. Some 

 years ago, I was near the seashore, and saw men applying muscle 

 mud to their fields. I found that it produced an abundant crop of 

 hay, and had the curiosity to try it on my farm in Paris, about 



