368 LEACHED AND UNLEACHED ASHES. 



Grasses are often more benefited by ashes than other 

 crops, since they require a greater amount of the salts 

 which ashes contain. For all permanent mowing lands, 

 especially on the lighter soils, ashes are among the 

 cheapest of manures, where they can be had in sufficient 

 quantities. In parts of Flanders and Belgium, countries 

 in which the science of agriculture has been carried to 

 a high perfection, the great loss of inorganic matters 

 from the soil is constantly restored by ashes or bones, 

 together with other manures to be mentioned hereafter. 

 Indeed, almost all agriculturists, both in Europe and 

 America, have attached very great importance to the use 

 of ashes. In some parts of Germany they are held in' so 

 high esteem that they are transported to a distance of 

 eighteen or twenty miles, to be used as a top-dressing. 



According to Professor Liebig, with every one hun- 

 dred and ten pounds of leached ashes of the common 

 beech-tree, spread upon the soil, we furnish as much 

 phosphate as five hundred and seven pounds of the 

 richest, manures could yield. Now, phosphates are 

 highly useful to all kinds of soil. 



There can be no doubt that the process of leaching 

 takes from the ashes a part of their fertilizing proper- 

 ties. For many uses this is no objection. Especially 

 is this the case near the sea, where leached ashes are 

 thought by some to be even more serviceable, as the 

 gas in the atmosphere the more readily combines with 

 them. Every practical man has heard of the amazing 

 effects which bone-dust has upon the soil. Yet this is 

 valuable chiefly for the phosphate it contains. But, if 

 we may rely upon the statement of Professor Liebig, 

 leached ashes also contain a large amount of phosphate 

 of lime, which would show them to be extremely valuar 

 ble. But, suppose we allow four bushels of leached 

 ashes to one bushel of crushed bones, the expense of 



