568 



HOBTICULTURE 



October 17, 1914 



WOOD ASHES AS SOURCE OF 

 POTASH. 



, Office of Information, U. S. Dept. of 

 Agriculture. 



Washington, D. C. — If the European 

 war should cause our large annual im- 

 ports of potash to dwindle, many 

 farmers will look to wood ashes 

 among other substances to replenish 

 the potash supply. While the amount 

 of wood ashes that a farmer could 

 accumulate on his own farm would 

 hardly ever be sufficient to supply his 

 need for potash, nevertheless, if they 

 are carefully stored and not per- 

 mitted to leach, they may be of con- 

 siderable value to him. Wood ashes 

 are now a factor in Canada, being 

 considered a regular commercial com- 

 modity, and the large lumber mills 

 and other plants using wood or saw- 

 dust for fuel in this country which at 

 present make no use of the ashes 

 from their furnaces or waste piles 

 may find it profitable to store and sell 

 them if the demand warrant it. 



In New England where farmers 

 have had to look more carefully to 

 the renewing of old soils than in some 

 of the newer sections of the country, 

 wood ashes have long been appre- 

 ciated. Ashes indirectly increase the 

 available nitrogen of the organic 

 matter in the soil, and have been 

 known to do excellent service in 

 E3urope on drained moorland. 



Besides the potash, ashes contain 

 other ingredients which are of value 

 to plants; namely, about 1 or 2 per 

 cent, of phosiihoric acid, a little mag- 

 nesia, and a great deal of lime. The 

 importance of these last-named ele- 

 ments is made plain by the esteem 

 in which leached ashes are held by 

 some of our farmers, although from 

 leached ashes all but a very small por- 

 tion of the potash has been washed 

 out. The farmer who wishes to re- 

 store potash to the soil by the use of 

 ashes should take great care that they 

 are kept dry, and are not allowed to 

 leach at all. 



Ashes from hardwoods, (deciduous 

 trees), are richer in both phosphorus 

 and potash than those from pines and 

 other softwoods (conifers). Ashes 

 from oak. elm. maple, and hickory 

 have more potash than those from 

 pine. The ashes of twigs (faggots for 

 example) are worth more for agricul- 

 tural purposes than the ashes of 

 heart-wood taken from the middle of 

 an old tree. In general, the smaller and 

 younger the wood burned, the better 

 ashes. The ashes of coal do not con- 

 tain enough potash to make them val- 

 uable in this connection. 



Investigators have considered that 

 there is enough potash and phos- 

 phoric acid in a bushel of ashes to 

 make it worth 20 or 25 cents. Be- 

 sides that, some 10 or 15 cents addi- 

 tional might be allowed for the 

 "alkali power" of the ashes. This 

 power is that which enables ashes to 

 rot weeds and to ferment peat. Of 



course prices vary with local condi- 

 tions. 



If wood ashes are purchased, the 

 farmer should assure himself that 

 they have neither been contaminated 

 with coal ashes, nor adulterated with 

 leached ashes. The place of burning 

 has no effect on the value of the 

 ashes as fertilizer. They are equally 

 satisfactory whether taken from a 

 stove, a fireplace, or a bonfire. 



BRITISH HORTICULTURE. 

 The Trade and the War. 



Many British horticulturists have 

 followed with unfaltering interest the 

 progress of events in Belgium. The 

 Belgian place names now freely re- 

 ferred to in the press with terrible as- 

 sociations summon up recollections of 

 former gladsome days spent in explor- 

 ing the gardens and nurseries of this 

 fertile little kingdom. Many British 

 gardeners retain pleasurable recollec- 

 tions of visits paid to the Ghent inter- 

 national fiower shows, where the bril- 

 liant floral marvels of the Belgian flor- 

 ists were to be seen radiating in their 

 summer grandeur. Two years ago the 

 Belgian growers exhibited some of 

 their latest horticultural triumphs at 

 the International flower show at Chel- 

 sea, where they renewed acquaintance 

 with many British confreres who had 

 visited the Ghent shows. 



The Belgian nurseries are noted 

 throughout the world for the excel- 

 lence of their methods and an immense 

 export trade has been created. Bel- 

 gians have gained a high reputation as 

 gardeners, causing their services to be 

 constantly in request in Britain. The 

 azalea owes its popularity largely to 

 the remarkable developments which 

 have been made by the Ghent growers. 

 Van Houtte. a noted florist, was the 

 first to raise the double flowered kinds. 

 Belgian nurserymen likewise excel in 

 orchid culture. 



One result of the war will be to cut 

 off our supply of German seeds. Hith- 

 erto a very formidable business has 

 been done in Britain with flower and 

 vegetable seeds from this quarter, the 

 chief centres of this industry being 

 Erfurt and Quedlinburg. In recent 

 years there has been a considerable ex- 

 tension of the acreage devoted to this 

 trade. The reliable quality of the 

 seeds undoubtedly has been the prin- 

 cipal cause which has led to the de- 

 velopment of this business with Brit- 

 ain. It is expected that an increased 

 impetus will be given to the British 

 seed growing by the absence of the 

 German competition. Essex is the 

 leading centre for English seed grow- 

 ing; many small holders find this a 

 very profitable crop. Some of the 

 wholesale houses have big acreages 

 under seeds in the neighborhood of 

 Witham, Kelvedon and Coggleshall. 



Owing to the Crystal Palace being 

 required for war purposes it was not 

 possible to hold the annual show of the 

 National Dahlia Society which had 



I More Red Devil Cutters Used Annually Than All Others Combined 



I SMITH & HioaxarwAT co„ 



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been fixed to take place there. The 

 usual dahlia show, however, was held 

 by the Royal Horticultural Society at 

 their headquarters in London, on Sept. 

 8th. The trade specialists made an 

 excellent display. Awards were grant- 

 ed to the following new varieties: 

 Loreley (decorative), Stella (collar- 

 ette) Etoile Rose (cactus) by Charles 

 Turner; Mrs. Edward Drury, Mar- 

 guerite Phillips and Kismet (cactus). 

 The Swan (garden), by Stredwlck and 

 Son; Eden (collarette) White Star and 

 North Star (singles) by J. Cheal and 

 Son. W. H. An.sETT. 



NEWS NOTES. 

 N. CImsted, O. - II. Christman & 

 Son are the successors of Irving Dun- 

 ford and are improving and enlarging 

 the greenhouses. 



Middletown, O. — .Jas. R. Johnston of 

 Grecnsburg. Ind., has leased the Belle- 

 niontc Greenhouses of Jos. R. Goldman. 

 The business will be enlarged and con- 

 ( acted on the samp broad lines as 

 heretofore. Mr. Goldman will be re- 

 tained to do the decorating and de- 

 signing. 



West Orange, N. J. — A fire, the ori- 

 gin of which is a mystery, completely 

 destroyed the barn and greenhouses of 

 Arena Stenken at Benvenue and Ridge- 

 way avenues, St. Cloud, Saturday night. 

 October 3. A horse and cow were 

 saved by neighbors, but fruits, vege- 

 tables, hay and harness were de- 

 stroyed. The damage is estimated at 

 $1,000, partly covered by insurance. 



