REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 



145 



Analyses op Ashes. 



Constituents. 



Moisture 



Organic and volatile matter. 



Insoluble matter 



Oxide of iron and alumina. . 



Lime(CaO) 



Magnesia (MgO) 



Potash (K2O) 



Soda (Na^O) 



Sulphuric acid (SO3) 



Phosphoric acid (PjOg) 



Carbonic acid, &c 



Wood -ashes 



from 

 WUliamston . 



419 



4-48 



•78 



36-40 



4-40 



12 00 



■93 



•58 



1-67 



34-57 



100 00 



Flue-ashes 



from 

 Montreal. 



•19 



2-22 



6504 



16-28 



7-51 



1-76 



•19 



■40 



3-32 



1-24 



185 



100 00 



Ashes from Oat 



hulls from 

 Fergus, Ont. 



1 

 6 



84 



■06 

 ■14 

 •62 

 •40 

 •02 

 •67 

 •59 

 •57 

 •15 

 •60 

 •18 



10000 



Assigning the following values to the chief constituents : Potash, 6 cents per lb., 

 and phosphoric acid, 5 cents per lb., the wood-ashes are worth $16.07 per ton, the 

 flue-ashes, $1.24 per ton and the ashes from the oathuHs, $4.90 per ton. 



WooD-AsHES. — For orchards, vineyards and small fruit plantations, wood-ashes 

 are of especial value, though at the same time they should be supplemented by a 

 more complete manure. All leafy crops, e. g. cabbage, beet and potato, and legumi- 

 nous plants, as the clover, pea and bean, require a liberal supply of potash and hence 

 are much benefited by an application of wood-ashes. 



They are also of much value in improving the tilth of light, sandy soils, cement- 

 ing together the grains of sand and making the whole more retentive of moisture. 



Wood-ashes have long been used to advantage for making a compost with muck 

 or peat. The resulting manure is one that is exceedingly rich in available nitrogen 

 and potash. 



With these facts before us, I may be pardoned for again impressing upon our 

 farmers and fruit growers the good returns resulting from the home use of Canadian 

 wood-ashes, which is yet extremely limited, compared with the quantities exported. 

 It is to be hoped that in the future their true value will be more and more recog- 

 nized and appreciated throughout the Dominion. 



Flue-Ashes. — These were collected at the base of a flue from a furnace in 

 which coal was burnt, and hence they may be considered as fine coal-ashes. They 

 have an exceedingly low fertilizing value, the value of potash present being only 

 22 cents per ton of the ashes. Such material, however, serves a useful purpose in 

 mellowing heavy clay soils. 



Ashes op Oat Hulls. — These were from a by pi'oduct in the manufacture 

 of oatmeal. As already stated, they have a considerable fertilizing value, though 

 in this respect they are much inferior, weight for weight, to wood-ashes. 



A specimen from a mine on the Tobique Eiver, N.S., was analysed, with the 

 following result : — 



Analysis op Gypsum. 



Sulphate of lime (gypsum) 68*65 



Insoluble rock matter 15-85 



Oxide of iron and alumina 3-91 



Carbonate of lime 4*98 



" magnesia, &c., by difference 6-61 



100-00 



8c— 10 



