C 105 ] 



On Leeched Ashes as a Manure, By Thomas Nexvbold 



of New Jersey, M. C, 



Rea4 August 15th, 1809. 



JVashington, June llth 1809c 



Sir, 



I received yours of the 3d instant, and can assure you 

 my talents as a farmer have been much over-rated. — I 

 will however proceed to answer your several queries 

 as well as I am able. The soil I have used the leeched or 

 drawn ashes on, is a gravelly loam : and so far as I have 

 been able to discover, that manure answers best for 

 clover and Indian corn : it also answers very well for 

 wheat and rye ; but is not equal to stable manure for 

 either of the latter crops, I have used ashes generally 

 on an open fallow, put on at the time of seeding, and 

 ploughed in with the seed ; I have put it on after the 

 grain has been sown, with very good success, but prefer 

 the other method, Gypsum will answer little or no pur- 

 pose to grass on ashed land ; from that circumstance I 

 infer that they partake more or less of the same qua^ 

 lities. — I think as near as can be ascertained by the eye, 

 I have taken oft' of land that had been ashed, and had 

 produced a crop of wheat, and two crops of clover, ^5 

 or 40 bushels of corn per acre, and that without any 

 other help than the single dressing of ashes. The land 

 was so poor before, I am confident it would not have 



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