A S II 



A S 



H 



As the combiidion of vegetables, when carried on in the 

 larj^c way, is always dircdicd to the objjcSt of procuring the 

 alkaline fait, and as this fiibjecl includes a variety of intcrell- 

 ing obfervations, and the particulars of the analyfiu of allies, we 

 fliall refer the whole of this article to thofe above mentioned, 

 and cfpecially to that of Carbonat cf PoLt/1j and of Sotla. 



We may add, however, that though vegetable allies arc 

 compofed of fixed earths and alkalies combined v.-ith acids, 

 and of fome metallic oxyds, efpecially thofe of iron and 

 manganefe, almoil every poniblc variety of combination and 

 proportional quantity of ingredients is to be met with, ac- 

 cording to the nature of the plant, the compofition of the 

 foil, the feafon of the jear, climate, and the like. In ge- 

 neral, cliemical analyfis has deteAed the following fubftaiices 

 in vegetable afhes ; filex, niagncfia, lime, pot-afh, foda ; 

 the fulphuric, carbonic, phofphoric, and muriatic acids ; 

 and the oxyds of iron and manganefe. The mod ufual 

 ilates of comhina:ion of thcfe ingredients aye, the fuljjhats 

 of pot-alh, foda, lime, and magnefia ; the muriates and 

 carbonats of the fame, and the phofphat of lime. It is 

 flill a queftion, which of the falinc ingredients reprefent the 

 aftual llate of the vegetable juices, and which of tlicm are 

 formed by the procefs of combuftion ; the acid of the car- 

 bonats may with great probability be fuppofed to arife 

 from the latter caule. 



When the faline part of vegetable aflies has been fepa- 

 rated by lixiviation, the light earth that remains, probably 

 ftill mixed with a portion of fulpliat of lime, is fomctinics 

 employed, after being well wafhed, for the formation of the 

 large Cupels ufed in the refiiitiig of filvcr. 



The ancient alchemifls paid confiderable attention to the 

 afhes of different plants ; and fome of the Roficrulian fchool 

 of deceived and deceiving impollors, pretended to be able, by 

 a fpecies of paliiv^cmfla or re-produdlion, to exhibit in the 

 allies of a plant a complete miniature reprefentation of the 

 gradual growth and maturity of the individual vege- 

 table. 



ytnlmal AJhes. A very few words will be requifite on this 

 fubjeft taken feparately. Animal matter is much more dif- 

 ficult of complete combuftion than vegetable ; the volatile 

 part of each is driven off by heat without much difficulty, but 

 the coal of animal fubllancc is of very difficult incineration, 

 often requiring a very long continued and violent fire. 

 This is probably owing in part to the greater quantity 

 of oxyd of iron which, uniting with the carbonaceous mat- 

 ter by the afliftance of heat, forms a rarbiii-et of iron that 

 bums with extreme difiicidty. The faline and earthy parts 

 almoft peculiar to animal afhes are the phofphat of foda, 

 phofphat of ammonia, and phofphat of lime, and often 

 the carbonats of foda and lime. The proportion of earthy 

 fait in bones, horn, and the harder parts of animals, is ge- 

 nerally full one half the weight of the fubftance when frcfh 

 from the body : in lone it is alniofl entirely phofphat of 

 lime, mixed however with a fmall portion of fulphat and 

 carbonat of lime ; in jhell the earthy part is principally 

 carbonat of lime. 



For further particulars concerning animal afhes we mutl 

 refer the reader to the individual articles of animal matter ; 

 fuch as Blood, Bone, Hartshorn, Shell, and to the 

 above-mentioned earthy and alkaline falts. 



The only animal afhes employed to any extent in the arts 

 are the lixiviated afhes from bones, which when mixed up 

 in water, and call in proper moulds, form the Cupels that 

 are employed in assaying and refining of ^nlil and Jil- 

 ver. The finer and whiter a(h of calcined horn is employed 

 to a fmall extent in medicine, under the term cornu urii'i cal- 

 ('ma:i:m, or caklmd harljhoni. 



Asiiss, in ylgrkulfure, the earthy or other particles of 

 combutlible fub'.lanccs after they have been burnt in the 

 fire. The beneficial effefts of fuch matters, as manures, 

 may probably, in a great meafuie, arile from the portion of 

 akaline faline matter which they contain, which by its aftion 

 on, and combination with the materials that are prcfent in 

 foils, may render them more foUible and proper for the 

 nutrition of plants. Confiderable utility may alfo be derived 

 from their operating mechanically, and in that way lefTening 

 the tenacity and ftiffnefs of the heavier kinds of foils, and 

 likewife by their ahforbeni povrers in lands of the more 

 moill kind. Allies are of different forts, as bleacher's a/l.\'s, 

 conl aj]:es, peat afhes, pot njles, foapers' n/I.^ej, turf ajljcs, wood 

 nfjes. 



The firft fort confifts principally of the hard undifTolvcd parts 

 of pot-afh, kelp, wced-ai , and barilla. Laid on land alone, 

 they are too ftimulating ; they ought therefore, perhaps, 

 never to be ufed but in union with earth, or earth and dung. 

 It is faid, liowever, they anlwer well with blood, garbage, 

 and putrid animal fuhftanccs. They are generally laid upon 

 'fallows for wheat. The greatefl advantage derived from 

 them is upon clays or deep loams. Upon lufliy grounds, 

 or coarfe wet meadows, they will be found particularly 

 ufeful, in deftroying the coarfe plants that infell them. 



The fecond fort, or coal afhes, probably from their con- 

 taining a portion of calcareous matter, are found to be 

 highly beneficial on ftiff and four lands ; for which purpofe 

 they are fuccefsfully ufed in the neighbourhood ot many 

 great cities, where co:il is much burnt for fuel. They alfo 

 open the texture of clayey grounds, and correft their tena- 

 city, and otlier bad qualities. The gardeners and farmers 

 about London know their value, and make a very profitable 

 ufe of them ; particularly in bringing into order thofe 

 grounds which have been dug up for brick-earth. Mr. 

 Bradley long ago, indeed, blamed the people of Stafford- 

 fliire, and the countries adjoining, where there are coal-pits, 

 for not improving their heavy grounds around tlicm, by 

 manuring them with coal afhes, which might be eafily burnt 

 out of the wafte coals of fuch pits ; and fuggclls " that 

 wherever there are plenty of coal-pits, there can be no want 

 of good profitable land." Mortimer held the fame opinion, 

 efleeming fea-coal afhes as the bcfl manure of any for cold 

 lands, as well as tlie mofl; killing and fittefl to kill worms 

 and flugs. And ^\'ol■ley looked upon them as an excellent 

 compoft, when mixed with horfe-dung; remarking, that 

 they have great effecls in removing mofs and rufhes in moift 

 grounds. Afhes of this kind are employed in dilTtrent pro- 

 portions, in different places, according to the particular cir- 

 cumflances of the crop, and the land on wliich they are 

 applied. It is obferved by Mr. Farey, in the Annals of 

 Agriculture, that about Dunflable they are ufed at the rate 

 of from fifty to fixty bufliels to the ftatute acre, for a com- 

 plete drelTing ; and that they fucceed, well fown on clover, 

 in March or April, on dry chalky lands. They have alfo 

 much effefl on fward-land, when applied during the winter 

 or fpring ; but they are never ufed on wheat. It is likewife 

 furtlier remarked by the fame writer, that in very dry fea- 

 fons they do little fervice, except on cold fwards, which 

 they invariably improve ; and that on light land they require 

 rain, after being fown or fprcad over the land, in order to 

 promote their operation. 



The afhes formed from peat, are found, from long expe- 

 rience, to be a very good manure. The author of Modern 

 Agriculture remarks, tliat in many parts of the kingdom 

 peat-earth cut and dried in the courfe of the fummer, is 

 the only fuel ; and that the peat dug from the moffes tiiat 

 are fo firm as to bear cattle to tread on them, is the befl 



both 



