348 Transactions of the American Institute. 



until the growing season has corameucecl; then plants them out, 

 and he has new potatoes by the middle of June. 



ASHES. 



Mr. Joel Zook, Smithville, Ohio. — Are ashes which have been 

 exposed for months worth hauling on land ? and what kind of wood 

 makes the best ashes ? 



Mr. N. C. Meeker. — If the ashes are on your own land it will 

 pay to haul them as much as to haul manure. We always save the 

 ashes of a leach. There is no manure so good for strawberies as 

 ashes, and they are excellent for grass. They are of great advan- 

 tage on clay land. Unleached are best, of course; still, the leached 

 are valuable — probably worth more than stable manure. Hickory, 

 beech aud maple wood make the best ashes. Elm is said to be 

 good. 



RAW BONE FERTILIZER. 



Mr. T. H. Collins inquired, how much ground bone should be 

 applied per acre for the production of wheat? 



Dr. "W. P. Peck, — It is difficult to answer those questions, as 

 bone dust decomposes so slowly. It is a lasting manure; but it is 

 difficult to tell how much is sufficient for an acre. There is no 

 danger of applying too much. 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter. — Bone manure is an excellent fertilizer 

 for wheat or any other crop. The finer the bone is, the sooner we 

 get the results in a crop of grain. Westchester county farmers 

 apply a large amount of bone manure for their wheat crops. I 

 have seen the effects of a dressing of bone manure increase the 

 value of the first crop more than the whole expense of the ferti- 

 lizer pm-chased. It is always best to grind bone as fine as practi- 

 cable, before sowing it, as the fine particles will not promote the 

 growth of plants until they have been reduced to a fluid condition 

 by moisture, heat and decomposition. 



Mr. P. T. Qiiinn. — Bone is a valuable fertilizer. Recently, we 

 have so improved our machinery as to reduce bones to the smallest 

 possible fragments. The greate valine of bones consists in the 

 large proportion of phosphate of lime. The finer the bone is, the 

 quicker we get the return in crops. 



Those who spoke of the application of bone manure convej-ed 

 the idea that there is no danger of applying too much. Still, five 

 hundred pounds would be a liberal dressing per acre. 



