122 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



you put on a phosphate, it is generally used up the first year. 

 You cannot keep on growing crops without compensating for 

 them. What you want to find, out is the cheapest way in 

 which you can make that compensation. I clo not know 

 what is the best thing for you to clo ; but I have told you 

 what will grow millet on poor land, and grass afterwards. I 

 think of all the concentrated manures that you can use, if 

 you can buy it in a cheap form, bone is the best. I think 

 you want a little potash. I have bought sulphate of ammonia, 

 and all that sort of thing, to get nitrogen ; and I do not believe 

 I shall invest much in nitrogenous compounds at present. 



Question. What would be the value of ashes, compared 

 with bone at the price it is selling? 



Capt. Moore. Ashes are a very valuable manure, but I 

 cannot get them. I would rather have plenty of good wood- 

 ashes than muriate of potash; because, I think, in the form of 

 wood-ashes the plants get hold of it, perhaps, more readily. 



Mr. Taft. What can jo\i afford to pay a bushel for good 

 wood-ashes, if you can buy them ? 



Capt. MoOEE. That is a good deal like asking me how 

 big a piece of chalk is. Ashes vary greatly in value, contain- 

 ing from a pound and a half to five pounds of potash to the 

 bushel. The Canada folks offer to sell good hard-wood ashes 

 by the carload, delivered at our depot, which they say ana- 

 lyze five pounds of potash to the bushel (I do not know 

 whether they do, or not), for thirty -two or thirty -three cents. 



Question. Why is it not as well to buy potash, and use 

 that, instead of carting ashes? 



Capt. Moore. Dry ashes are not very troublesome to 

 cart,' nor are they dear at thirty-two or thirty-three cents a 

 bushel. In the ashes you are getting a little phosphate of 

 lime ; but it is mostly potash : 3'ou do not get bone enough. 

 There is the great trouble that farmers have, — they resort 

 to one thing, and expect it to do every thing for them. 



Dr. Nichols. I would say, in relation to this matter of 

 the value of ashes, that I purchased a carload of Canada 

 ashes in November ; and, after making an analysis, I found 

 the}' gave me about five pounds of potash to the bushel. 

 They cost me, at Haverhill, thirty-four cents a bushel. I 

 think that we lose sight of one point, in our estimation of 

 the value of ashes. The value of ashes is not entirely con- 



