34 AMERICAN AGRICULTURE. 



Ashes may be applied to meadow-lands, for a longer time 

 than to any other crops, and for this obvious reason. The 

 whole surface of the soil is closely covered with vegetable 

 agents, which are actively employed in drawing carbon from 

 the air and soil, a large portion of which is stored up in the 

 stubble and roots, which thus makes it less important that the 

 organic matters should be given back to the soil, in the shape 

 of vegetable or animal manures. As an instance of the rapi- 

 dity with which this operation goes forward, it has been found 

 that the dried roots and stubble of a clover-field the second 

 year, (and after one crop for the first, and two for the second 

 season had been taken off,) yielded 56 Ibs. for every 100 Ibs. 

 of the aggregate crops of hay. An old meadow has yielded 

 400 Ibs. of roots for every 100 of hay for the season. Carbo- 

 naceous and organic matters are constantly increasing in pas- 

 tures, and they also increase for a time in meadows ; and 

 will continue to do so for an indefinite period, if the ashes of 

 plants are added to the soil nearly to the amount of those taken 

 off. With this increase in the organic elements of vegetation, 

 (if we were certain that nitrogen is accumulated in the same 

 ratio, which we are not,) it is evident that the salts alone 

 would then be wanting to give the utmost luxuriance. But 

 care is necessary that they be not added in excess. 



COAL-ASHES. The bituminous and anthracite coals afford 

 ashes, and although inferior in quality to those made from 

 wood and vegetables, are like them, a valuable manure and 

 they should be applied to the land in a similar manner. If 

 they contain many cinders from not having been thoroughly 

 burned, they are more suited to heavy than to light soils ; as 

 they tend to their mechanical division, which though benefi- 

 cial to the former, are injurious to the latter. 



ASHES OF SEA-WEEDS OR MARINE PLANTS. When from 

 their quantity or remoteness it is inconvenient to carry the 

 sea-weed, which abounds on some coasts on to the soil, it can 

 be burned ; when it will be found to yield a large proportion 

 of ash, which is peculiarly rich in soda. This is of great 

 value to the farmer. Several species of t\i? fuci have for a 

 long period been collected and burned on the northern coasts 

 of Scotland, Norway and the B ihio, forming an article of 

 commerce under the name of kelp. Its value consisted in 

 its alkaline properties, for which it was much used by the 

 glass and soap-makers, the bleachers, and for other uses in 

 the arts. For these purposes it is now nearly superseded 

 by soda ash, a crude carbonate of soda, extracted by the 



