226 



GENESEE FARMER. 



0( 



On the Use and properties of Wood Ashes. 



According to the analyses oj' Dr. Sprengel, 



100 parts of the x\sh of Oak contain : 



Silica, 28.95 



Oxidi- of Iron. Alumina, and Manganese 8.14 



Lime ■ 16,88 



Magnesia 1.44 



Potash. -. IH.UO 



Soda. - 6.73 



Sulphuric acid, 3.36 



Phosphoric acid, 1 .9-2 



-Chlorine, - - '■2A1 



■< "nr^otiic acid, 14.47 



KiO.OO 



On examining the above table the reader will 

 find that oak, and the same is true of other hard 

 wood, contains all the mineral elements found in 

 any plant grown in this latitude. By way of 

 compai-ison, we give the constituents of the ash 

 of wheat, both straw and seed, according to the 

 analyses of Boussingault : 



Straw. Wheat. 



Silica,...- 67.6 1.3 



Lime, S.i, ±9 



Potash, 9.2 29..5 



Magnesia, 5. 15.9 



Chlorine, 6 traces 



Soda, 3 traces 



Phosphoric acid, 3.1 47. 



Sulphuric acid, 1. 1. 



Carbonic acid, 0. 0. 



Iron and Manganese, 1. 1.4 



Charcoal and loss, 3.7 1. 



100,0 100,0 



It is particularly worthy of note that, while 

 100 lbs. of oak ash contain a fraction less than 2 

 lbs. of phosphoric acid, a like weight of the ash 

 of wheat has 47 lbs. of this valuable acid. Con- 

 ceding that 100 lbs. of ordinary hard wood ashes 

 will yield 2 lbs. of phosphoric acid, how many 

 pounds of dry ashes must be applied to an acre, 

 to give a crop of wheat, both straw and grain, 

 equal to 30 bushels, and supply it with all the 

 phosphorus it needs? Mark well the solution 

 of this problem. 



Thirty bushels of wheat at 60 lbs. per busliel 

 will weigh 1800 lbs. In 100 pounds of this there 

 are usually 2 J lbs. of ash having, as above stated, 

 47 per cent, of phosphoric acid in its composi- 

 tion. At this rate, 1800 lbs. of wheat will con- 

 tain 40i lbs. of a.sh, in which there will be 18 

 lbs. and a small fraction of the acid above named. 

 To one jtound of wheat there is usually 2 1 lbs. 

 of straw. (The relative proportion of wheat and 

 straw varies e.xceedingly, as every wheat grow- 

 er knows. Nor is the quantity of ash left in 

 wheat straw when burned always the saine. It 

 varies from 3 to 16 per cent, of the weight of 

 dry straw. The average is not far from 7 per 

 cent.) To produce 30 bushels of wheat one i 

 must have on an average 4,.500 lbs. of straw, ' 

 containing 315 lbs. of incombustible minerals, 

 which if the straw is burned will be left in the 

 form of ash. As 3.1 per cent, of this ash is phos- 

 phoric acid, 315 lbs. will contain 9.76 lbs. — 

 From these figures it is seen that the a.sh of wheat 

 and straw together contain 27.76 lbs. of phos- 



phoric acid. To futnisii this amount by apply- 

 ing wood ashes that have only 2 lbs. in 100, the 

 husbandman must spread 1400 lbs. — about 20 

 bushels of ashes on an acre. It is particularly 

 worthy of note tliat, 4,500 lbs. of wheat straw con- 

 tain only one half as much phosphoric acid as 

 1800 lbs. of wheat. As a matter of economy, 

 instead of applying 1400 lbs. of asljgs to an acre, 

 where we wish to harvest 30 bushels of wheat, 

 100 lbs. of bones can be boiled to a coarse pow- 

 der in strong lye, and mi.xed with ten bushels of 

 ashes to be used for the same purpose. This is 

 a most valuable compound to aid in forming the 

 seeds of all cultivated plants. 



When a wheat-field is covered with a ligiit 

 snow, so that a team may go over it without in- 

 jury, ashes may be evenly spread from a sled 

 box, at any rate per acre which their cost, and 

 the circumstances of the case may require. To 

 all spring crops they may be applied broad-cast, 

 or in the hill at the time of seeding. Care is 

 necesfcary to mix caustic ashes with the earth, to 

 prevent injury to the young and tender plants, 

 when they lirst start. By carelessness in this 

 regard, we have injured them. 



We are greatly in favor of a compound made 

 by the union of ten bushels of ashes, five of gyp- 

 sum, and three of common salt, to which we 

 would add ten of lime, did not our soil abound in 

 that mineral. This compound has all the purely 

 earthy elements that exist in all crops It may 

 be regarded as an universal fertilizer, applicable 

 to all soils. Its quality, however, will be much 

 improved, by adding to it one or two hundred 

 pounds of bones boiled to powder in strong lye. 



We met several farmers at the State Fair re- 

 cently held at Auburn, who have used the above 

 compound on our recommendation, and they ex- 

 pressed the highest satisfaction at the result. If 

 used broad-cast, there is no danger of putting on 

 too much — for ten bushels of ashes, ten of lime, 

 five of gypsum, and three of salt, may be spread 

 on an acre, if not a fourth of it, without injury, 

 except waste of inaterial. Our motto for feed- 

 ing plants is : "Give them just what they need, 

 and that, little and often.'' 



We have satisfied ourself that it is bad econo- 

 my to apply to any farm soil a large amount of 

 manure of any kind at once. In all cases a 

 great waste of soluble ingredients is inevitable. 

 Dissolve common salt or other mineral in water, 

 pour it on the ground, and wherever the water 

 runs, the dissolved salt goes with it. The more 

 soluble the fertilizer, the more sparingly should 

 it be applied at anyone time, and the ofiener the 

 application should be renewed. Water itself is 

 a powerful fertilizer as every body knows. How 

 great the advantage of having this important ele- 

 ment in all plants frequently applied in gentle 

 showers — in moderate doses ! Be wise, and add 

 to the dews and rains of heaven, such other ele- 

 ments as Nature uses in forming all your crops — 



