176 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



proportion of potash, consequently aslies are a most 

 valuable manure for those crops. Fifty-nine per 

 cent, of the ash of corn is composed of the carbon- 

 ate of potash (pearlash.) The abundance of this 

 ingredient in wood ashes constitutes their great val- 

 ue as a fertilizer for that important crop, which value 

 as a general rule is double that of plaster. I have 

 used both, separately and mixed, and find that a 

 compound of two bushels aslies and one of plaster 

 give a belter result thaneitber when applied singly. 

 I take a small shovel with which I put about 1 gill 

 upon each hill; I carry the ashes into the field upon 

 a barrow, and use a pail to distribute tiiem from. — 

 The best method of application, is to put it on the 

 hills immediately after planting, which precludes 

 the possibility of injuring the young plants, as is 

 sometimes done by applying the mixture after they 

 have come up. Corn to which this mixture has 

 been applied, will ripen several days earlier and 

 give a much greater yield than rows through the 

 same field which ai-e not so treated. 



One half of the earthy matter of potatoes is pure 

 potash, from which fact any pei'son can see their 

 value as a fertilizer for this crop. It is from a lack 

 of potash that many farmers lose from 50 to 100 

 bushels of potatoes per acre every year. If a farm- 

 er has in his soil potash enough to form 200 busli- 

 els of potatoes per acre, and other constituents suf- 

 ficient for 300, it is evident that the result will be 

 a loss of 100, which the application of ashes would 

 have prevented. Such cases often occur. Yet, in 

 a ton of potatoes there is but 1'2 pounds of potash; 

 thus it will be seen that the cost of the ashes nec- 

 essary for the production of the other 100 bushels 

 would have been but trifling. 



Ashes should never be mixed with barn-yard 

 manure, as they contain caustic alkali, and will 

 neutralize tbe acid which fixes the ammonia in the 

 manure, setting the latter free to the great deprecia- 

 tion of the value of the manure. I will conclude 

 by advising my readers to save your ashes, not for 

 the soap-boihr, but as fi)od for your hungry crops, 

 and if you have any neighbors who prefer 12 1-2 

 cents to a bushel of ashes, you will find it a profita- 

 ble investment to make the exchange. a. g. k. 



Dollar Newspaper. 



CORN CROPS. 



The following are statements of corn crops pre- 

 sented for piemium to the Franklin Agricultural 

 Society: 



I submit to your society the following statement 

 of the produce of an acre of corn raised on my 

 farm tbe past season. The accompanying certifi- 

 cate will siiow the quantity per acre, and the mode 

 of ascertaining it. 



The soil is a stiff, heavy loam, not well adapt- 

 ed to raising corn. A thick grass sod was turned 

 under in the autumn of '48. The field was plant- 

 ed with corn in 49. Eight cart loads of compost 

 manure were put in the liill. Last spring 22 loads 

 of long manure were plowed in, and 8 loads of 

 compost put in the hill. It was planted the first 

 week in June — the rows 3 feet and 4 inches apart, 

 hills 2 feet G inches — hoed three times, a cultivator 

 used at each hoeing. Care was taken to destroy 

 all weeds, and to keep the surface level as possi- 

 ble. The ground was very wet when planted, and 

 for some weeks after, which seriously injured the 

 crop. Top stalks cut the last ot September — the 



bottom stalks with the corn cut up the 8th of No- 

 vember. Produce eighty-four bushels. The com- 

 post put in the hill was a mixture of stable manure 

 and swamp muck in equal parts — the mixture lying 

 over one season under cover before used. The 

 long manure was mostly brakes on which sheep 

 had been yarded during the winter and spring — 

 carted on to the field when wet, and ploughed under 

 with as little exposure to the sun as possible. I 

 do not consider this a large crop. I have had with 

 the same cultivation in favorable seasons one quar- 

 ter more. Very respectfully, 



Austin Rice. 



Statement of D. & H. Wells. 



Broke up a piece of grass land the 10th of May, 

 spread at)out 25 cart loads of green manure to the 

 acre, wliich was well dragged in. Then manured 

 in the hill witb green manure, about 10 cartloads 

 to tbe acre. A little plaster paris was sprinkled 

 on the manure before planting. Planted the corn 

 the 20th of May, hills 3 feet apart each way. 

 Hoed 3 times. It was cut up the latter part of 

 September, and harvested the last of October and 

 the first of November. The result was 105 bas- 

 kets full of sound corn on 172 rods of land. 

 Spread some of the corn on the corn house floor to 

 dry. Shelled 1 basket full the first of December — 

 it contained 1 bushel and 3 pints to one basket. 



This will make 109 bushels, 3 pecks, 5 quarts, 

 or 102 bushels, 7 quarts, 1 pint, on an acre. 



FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS. 



Close in the vicinity of Hudson is an apple tree, 

 which to my mind is quite a prodigy in the woidd 

 of nature, bearing as it evidently does some five or 

 six entirely ditierent species of fruit, all interspers- 

 ed throughout the tree; so that upon the same limb 

 are found tall, early winter, and three or four grades 

 of late winter apples. Those keeping the best, are 

 good as late in the season as April. 



The ap])les are generally fair, of good size and an 

 excellent flavor. This latter quality, however, with 

 the color and shape, vary in the difierent species ac- 

 c(n-ding as they keep for a longer or shorter period. 

 Those ripe in the fall are of a reddish color and 

 flat, and will not keep more than two or three 

 months; while those which keep till February or 

 even later, are much sourer, of a yellowish green 

 color, and long, so that the diameter of the apples 

 are completely reversed. There are about six dif- 

 ferent grades. The change from one to the other 

 is but slight, yet sufficient to indicate with a good 

 degree of definiteness the class to which each apple 

 belongs. Those which become fit for use in De- 

 cember are considered the best. 



The tree is a graft inserted when the stock was 

 small, by sawing of the top. Its branches do not 

 shoot upwards as in the case of most trees, but ex- 

 tend out horizontally. Grafts from this ti-ee have 

 been inserted upon two different trees in a neigh- 

 boring orchard, and produce the same kind of fruit 

 in all respects, and a similar top. 



Such are the facts relating to this singular tree. 

 Who will give an explanation of them ! — Family 

 Visitor. 



PI^ Teach children to love everything that is 

 beautiful and you will teach them to be useful and 

 good 



