ON FARM GARDENING. 1 7 
Wood Ashes. — Wood ashes is rich in potash, and is 
particularly valuable with potatoes, fruits of all kinds, etc. 
But it is a great error to mix wood ashes with fresh manure 
of any kind, especially with hen manure, as the escape of 
ammonia is hastened and much value is lost. 
Natural and Artificial Manures Where the home 
supply of manure is insufficient for a piece of ground, neces- 
sitating the addition of artificial manure, it is universally con- 
ceded to be good practice to stretch the natural product over 
the whole tract and then to go over the whole tract with an 
artificial fertilizer. 
Irrigation.* — In connection with a review of the home 
sources of manure the item of irrigation must not be over- 
looked, for it is thoroughly well established that water is a 
carrier of appreciable amounts of fertilizing materials. In 
European countries large areas of pasture and mowing 
la'ids are fertilized by water alone, the irrigation being re- 
garded as of great value on this account, aside from the fact 
that it supplies moisture to the grass roots. Most streams 
in the United States contain more or less sewage, and in 
respect to irrigation are valuable on that account. 
Waste Products. — Many waste or by-products, available 
for use as fertilizers, come from time to time within the reach 
of the farmer or gardener, especially to those living near 
towns or railroads. 
The average market house, be it said with regret, is none 
too clean, and refuse in considerable amounts could be had 
there for the trouble of sweeping. Cattle cars often contain 
several inches of valuable droppings, to be had for next to 
nothing. Street-scrapings are worth the trouble of hauling, 
*The reader is referred to our new book on this subject. It is enti- 
tled, "Irrigation by Cheap Modern Methods." See illustration next 
page, also pages 83 and 125. — Johnson & Stokes. 
