MANURES. 37 



Ashes are also among the most economical manures , as 

 from the free use of fuel in the United States, they are pro- 

 duced by almost every household. Good husbandry dictates, 

 that not a pound of ashes should be wasted, but all should 

 be saved and applied to the land ; and where they can be 

 procured at a reasonable price, they should be purchased for 

 manure. Leached ashes, though less valuable, contain all 

 the elements of the unleached, having been deprived only of 

 a part of their potash and soda. They may be drilled into the 

 soil with roots and grain, sown broadcast on meadows or pas- 

 tures, or mixed with the muck-heap. They improve all soils 

 not already saturated with the principles which they contain. 



The quantity of Ashes that should be applied to the acre, 

 must depend on the soil and the crops cultivated. Potatoes, 

 turneps and all roots ; clover, lucern, peas, beans, grain and the 

 grasses are great exhausters of the salts, and they are con- 

 sequently much benefitted by ashes. They are used with 

 decided advantage for the above crops in connection with 

 bone-dust ; and for clover, peas and roots, their effects are 

 much enhanced when mixed with gypsum. Light soils 

 should have a smaller, and rich lands or clays, a heavier 

 dressing. From 20 to 30 bushels per acre for the former, 

 and 50 for the latter, is a moderate application ; or if they 

 are leached, the quantity may be doubled with decided bene- 

 fit, as they act with less energy. Repeated dressings of ashes, 

 like those of lime and gypsum, without a corresponding ad- 

 dition of vegetable or barn-yard manures, will eventually ex- 

 haust tillage lands of their carbonaceous and organic matters. 



Ashes may be applied to meadoiv-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 rapidity 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 mea- 

 dow has yielded 400 Ibs. of roots for every 100 of hay for 

 the season. 



The carbon is constantly increasing in the soil of well- 



