320 



Corn Stalks. 



Vol. IV. 



Now, I have it in my power to inform my 

 adopted friends of a mode that will be of the 

 utmost value to them in ridding the land of 

 this incumbrance, which costs them at pre- 

 sent about as much as the parson's demand 

 in England, a tythe or tenth of the crop, and 

 show them a way of converting this evil into 

 at least as great a profit as it is now a loss. 



All know the value of the ashes of vege- 

 tables as a manure, and how that when they 

 are mixed with earth, they operate as leaven, 

 leavening the whole lump. Now, if these 

 corn stalks are gathered from off the land 

 immediately after harvest, and are deposited 

 on some rich bank of earth — say the head- 

 land of a field, &c., or if on meadow, the 

 sward must first be removed, and upon this 

 naked spot be heaped, first some brush wood, 

 then bushes, grass, weeds, leaves, chips, de- 

 cayed timber, old logs, &c. &c., intermin- 

 gling corn stalks, the parings of bush land, 

 wrass clods cut from the sides of roads or the 

 margins of rivers, with bog earth, &c. &c., 

 building the mass round and compact in a 

 conical shape, until the heap be, if you 

 please, as large as a house, covering the 

 whole at last with grass sods, and finishing 

 ■with a thick covering from the rich bank of 

 earth beneath, leaving an opening at the top 

 to act as a chimney; — the mass might then 

 be fired through the holes at bottom, which 

 ought to be built with loose bricks, — these 

 holes, serving as draught holes, by which 

 equal combustion can be carried on and regu- 

 lated as circumstances might require, are at 

 length to be entirely closed, as well as the 

 chimney, so that the combustion might be 

 conducted as slow as possible, else much of 

 the richest portion of the mass will be driven 

 off and dissipated. This heap, consisting of 

 thousands of bushels of ashes, if you please, 

 must be protected from rain, which would 

 wash the alkali from it, to its great in- 

 jury ; but if covered thickly with earth, it 

 might be left uncovered during the whole 

 winter, and in the spring, be turned over and 

 well mixed; then, after a few days, it might 

 he carried abroad — a mass of the richest 

 compost, worth hundreds of dollars, created 

 at little cost, but a great deal of pleasure. 

 Let this operation be considered the clearing 

 up of the premises for the year; and during 

 every season of leisure, the materials miglit 

 be collected and removed to the spot, pre- 

 paratory for operation. The pavings from 

 the angles of the snake-fence, the more rough 

 and weedy the better, will make a valuable 

 addition to the heap; and if these are taken 

 off during the hot weather, tiiey will soon be 

 dry and take the part of so much brusli wood, 

 for conducting the fire to dillercnt parts, as 

 iniglit be required. 



The corn stulks should he collected, with 



all the earth adhering to them, as soon after 

 harvest as leisure might serve, for they will 

 then be found to contain much saccharine 

 matter, which, after fermentation, will be 

 easily dissipated by the winter rain ; and the 

 heap should be fired while all the articles are 

 dry, as much more of the rough earth and 

 rubbish can be mixed and burnt with it ; thus 

 adding exceedingly to the quantity of the 

 ashes. According to this plan, every farm- 

 er's heap of ashes ought to be worth to him 

 a great portion of his rent ; one great item of 

 value being, they are upon the spot, without 

 expense, labour, or loss of time on carriage. 



The carcasses of animals dying during the 

 year, can be preserved for the purpose of 

 combustion, by removing them to the place 

 appointed to receive them, and covering them 

 with a thick coat of lime, spreading a layer 

 on the ground before placing them. Lime 

 being antiseptive, this would add exceedingly 

 to the value of the compost. 



Here follows a table of the produce of 

 ashes from the burning of one thousand 

 pounds of the following woods and weeds, 

 which shows at one glance, the striking and 

 surprising superiority of the corn stalk for 

 this purpose. And by another table is shown, 

 that the yield of salt or alkali, is astonish- 

 ingly great in its favour. After this, will 

 our agricultural friends permit corn stalks to 

 rise up in judgment against them on every 

 crop that succeeds, to the loss of the land, 

 and of their character as neat and cleanly 

 managers. Vir. 



April 20th, 1840. 



Tah/e of the produce in Ashes and Alkali, of 

 1000 lbs. of the following woods and weeds. 



Yield of Ashes. Ot S.UI or Alltali. 



StalksofCorn 88.G 17.5 



Sunflower 57.2 20. 



Vine branches 34.0 5.5 



B„x 29.0 2.26 



Sallow, or Willow 28.0 2.85 



Elm 23.5 3.9 



Oak 13.5 1.5 



Aspen, or Poplar 12.2 0.74 



Beech 5.8 1.27 



Fir 3.4 0.45 



Ferii.in Aiigust 3G.4G 4.25 



Wormwood 97.44 73.0 



Fumitory 219.0 70.0 



Would some of onr practical friends cal- 

 culate the quantity of corn stalks on an acre, 

 burn them, upon paper, and find the quantity 

 of ashes per acre, and the yield of alkali 1 — 

 Ed. 



" In the cultivation of France, I was great- 

 ly disappointed ; the sword has scarcely even 

 yet had time to be beaten into the plough- 

 share : the soldier finds it hard to stoop to 

 the labour of the plough and the hoe, and 

 seems disposed to leave this drudgery to the 

 women." 



