186 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



COAL ASHES VALUABLE AS MANURE. 



Sill : Can you give some of the rcdders of the 

 Horticulturist information of the virtues of anthra- 

 cite coal ashes, their chemical nature, their strength, 

 compared with wood ashes, and to what soils or 

 plants they are particularlj- suitable ? 



I do not remember seeing any where a statement of 

 their qualities, except a late remark in your monthly, 

 that they are a good dressing for cherry-trees. It is 

 the prevalent opinion here, that they are absolutely 

 good for nothing as a manure ; and, consequently, 

 they find their last resting-place in the street. 



Our soil is light and sandy. The farmers just 

 here prefer lime and ashes, while two or three miles 

 off, where it is heavier, they use marl abundantly. 

 "We have many old gardens that have been manured 

 so often they are too stimulant, and cause the pro- 

 duce to " wither away " under our hot suns. I know 

 this can be remedied, by mixing with them a heavier 

 soil, &c. ; bvit I have been wondering, lately, Avhethcr 

 coal ashes might not prove suitable by supplying 

 them with mineral matter. 



If you, sir, can inform us of their practical uses in 

 any way, you will at least much oblige your subscriber. 



January 1849. WEST JERSEY. 



Answer. — The only analysis of our anthracite 

 coal ashes, that we have seen, is the following, bj' 

 Professor Emmons, of Albany : — 



Analysis Teach Mountain Coal — Gray Ash. 



Silex and silicates, 70-34 



Sulphuric acid, 1-50 



Chlorine, 0-06 



Carbonate of lime, 8'36 



Phosphate of lime and phosphate perox- 

 ide of iron 4%50 



Carbonate of magnesia 1-84 



Alumina and peroxide of iron, .... 2-00 



97-50 



Professor Emmons adds to the above analysis, that 

 " we may suspect the presence of phosphate of lime in 

 coal ashes, and hence, practically, that they are of 

 importance in agriculture, even though we omit to 

 notice the carbonate of lime and magnesia which 

 they contain." 



Now, to make the matter plain, let us compare 

 roughly the value of coal ashes, as regards lime, 

 &c., with the ashes of the oak-tree, one of the 

 commonest kinds of fuel. 



According to an analysis of the royal oak, 

 (Liebig's,) the ashes of that tree contain over fifty 

 per cent, of lime, over five of potash, three of mag- 

 nesia, and not one part of silica. Another analysis 

 of the white oak, (Berthiers,) gives three per cent. 

 of silica. Let us put the two ashes in contrast, so 

 as to show the proportional value in lime, pot- 

 ash, &c. 



Coal Ashes. 



Lime, 8-36 



Phosphates 4-50 



Silica, 70-34 



Oak Ashes. 



Lime, 50-58 



Potash 5-65 



Silica, 3-37 



Or Elm Ashes. 



Lime 47-80 



Potash, 21-92 



Silica, 3-07 



A comparison of the above will show that fresh 

 wood ashes contain about six times as much lime as 



coal ashes ; and that it is also far richer in potash, 

 which exists in but very small jjroportion in coal 

 ashes. It is evident that, though by nonieans value- 

 less in these ingredients, coal ashes are not compa- 

 rable in value to wood ashes, where lime, potash, or 

 phosphates are required. 



But the largest part of coal ashes is silex and the 

 silicates. Our readers must not look upon these as 

 representing sand or flint glass ; for a considerable 

 part of silica is soluble under certain conditions, espe- 

 cially in clayey soils, and thus enters quite largely 

 into the composition of certain plants. Some plants, 

 such as the oak or the apple, contain very little silica, 

 — say from one to three per cent. But Indian corn 

 (the stalk) contains twenty-nine per cent., rye sixty- 

 four per cent., oats fifty-three ; hence it is evident, 

 that if coal ashes contain a large percentage of silica, 

 they must be highly iiseful to these crops, even 

 though they contain little lime, &c. 



We have before recommended coal ashes, as par- 

 ticularly well adapted for the cherry-tree. This ad- 

 vice was founded on accidental experience, and not 

 upon scientific knowledge. But a little investiga- 

 tion explains the reason. The bark of the cherry- 

 tree contains (Iviebig) nineteen per cent, of silica, 

 while that of the apple or pear contains not a half 

 per cent. Hence it is easy to see why coal ashes 

 would produce little or no good effect on the pear or 

 the apple, as compared with the cherry-tree. 



As the bark of the grape-vine contains (Emmons) 

 fourteen per cent, of silex, there can be no doubt 

 that coal ashes form a valuable manure for this 

 plant. 



As silica is only rendered soluble by an alkali, 

 such as potash or soda, it is easy to see why coal 

 ashes are more beneficial on clayey than on sandy 

 soils, (besides rendering the former lighter.) Clay 

 soils almost always contain considerable alkali — 

 sandy soils very little — and clay soils retain water, 

 while sandy soils speedily lose it.* 



Those who have been in the habit of throwing 

 away coal ashes, as useless to all plants, will do well 

 to keep them for all crojis with stiff and glazed stems, 

 abounding in silex, such as corn and grain, and for 

 such trees as the cherry, the grape, the linden, and 

 almost all evergreens, since they all require silica in 

 the formation of their wood and bark. — Horticul- 

 turist. 



Remarks isy the Editor New England Farmer. 



The foregoing article contains valuable informa- 

 tion, and we hope that exact experiments will be 

 made on the utility of coal ashes as a manure, par- 

 ticularly as immense quantities of these ashes are 

 thrown away. We have experienced, and observed 

 in other cases, decided advantage in the use of coal 

 ashes ; but our experiments have not been extensive, 

 excepting in cases where we have used them in 

 compost or on land with other manure. 



We are making more exact experiments with coal 

 ashes this season, and we hope that others will test 

 them fairly and report to us the result. We have 

 occasionally published articles showing their utility, 

 and among the facts that we presented was the case 

 of potatoes and beans growing in nothing but coal 

 ashes. 



One difficulty attends experiments on this subject, 

 which is the mixture of some wood ashes, from the 

 use of charcoal or wood used in igniting a coal fire. 



* A mixture of cheap soda ash or dissolved potash, 

 with coal ashes, just before using them, would no doubt 

 add greatly to their value in sandy soils. 



