98 



crop is rendered more vigorous by the Basic Slag, absorbs a large 

 portion of its Phosphoric Acid, and when it decays passes it on to 

 the bush. This method was carried out last spring in several gardens 

 on my recommendation. It is too early yet to judge its ultimate 

 effect (as at the rate of 8 cwt, per acre it would last for several years, 

 and several green manuring crops), but I think there is distirct 

 promise of this combination proving a very effective manure. I 

 should recommend its trial with much more confidence as a quality 

 manure, than either the dissolved bones or the superphosphate 

 previously mentioned. It must again be insisted however that alone 

 Basic Slag is almost useless, as it has no faculty of diffusing itself in the 

 soil, and hence the roots have no chance to come in contact with it. 



WOOD ASHES. 



Another phosphatic manure of great value now often largely 

 wasted, but produced on the great majority of gardens is wood 

 ash. This is of course usually put on the land, but only 

 when three quarters of the virtue have gone. It it is advisable 

 to put cattle manure under cover, it is ten times more so to 

 protect wood ashes from the rain. May I suggest that the wood 

 ashes produced should be put on the covered manure heap, which 

 1 hope henceforth will be a necessity on every garden. It was 

 formerly be supposed that any alkali, such as wood ashes are, 

 would increase the evolution of ammonia from a dung heap and 

 hence bring about deterioration of the cattle manure under such 

 conditions, but that idea has now been abandoned and probably 

 manure keeps better somewhat alkaline than otherwise. It would 

 then be applied with the cattle manure. Alone it would be valuable 

 (i) before green manuring at the rate of 5 cwt. per acre ; (2) for 

 burying with prunings (if this be done), or (3) as a mixture with 

 oilcake, but it is of little use in any case if it has stood exposed to 

 the rain for months. 



Wood ashes form not only a phosphatic manure, but also even 

 more essentially a source of Potash. The analysis of samples of 

 fresh ashes, and ashes exposed to the rain, will give the following 

 figures. Of course, they vary much for every tree and wood. 



Fresh Ashes. Washed Ashes. 



Moisture ... 12*0 ... I2 f o 



Potash ... 5-5 ... 1*4 



Phosphoj-ic Acid ... rg ... 17 



Lime ... 34-1 ... 35-9 



