VALUE OF ASHES. 79 



readily soluble form, and thus is immediately avail- 

 able for plant food. This accounts for the prompt, 

 and often astonishing effect that applications of 

 wood ashes usually have upon plant growth, and jus- 

 tifies us in placing the value of this fertilizer much 

 above the result of mere multii)lication and addition 

 on the basis of the analysis. The farmer can better 

 afford to pay fifteen dollars per ton for wood ashes 

 answering the above analysis than the usual rates 

 for almost any commercial fertilizer. 



The variation in quality, of course, must be taken 

 into account. The value of home-made, hard-wood 

 ashes, preserved in best condition, is often much 

 above fifteen dollars, and if corn cobs are largely 

 used for kindling, or summer fuel, the ashes may 

 reach twenty dollars per ton in value. On the other 

 hand, by far the greater part of purchasable wood 

 ashes are worth less. If made from soft wood, and 

 subjected to more or less exposure, especially leach- 

 ing, etc., the value of a ton may not be more than 

 five dollars. 



Leached ashes have rarely more than one and one 

 half per cent of phosphoric acid and one per cent of 

 potash, and are worth per 100 pounds : 



li pounds phosphoric acid @ 8 cents, - 12 cents. 



1 " potash @ 5i cents, - . - - 5i cents. 



Total, - - - - 17i cents, 



or $3.50 per ton, five dollars being about the limit 

 that the farmer could afford to pay, and this only if 

 near by. In buying ashes, especially in coming to 

 a conclusion concerning the question, 

 ^ABhef "How much can I afford to pay for a 

 certain lot ? " there is considerable lati- 

 tude for the exercise of good judgment again. But 

 no intelligent person need be deceived. An examina- 



