1882.] 
AMERL0A1N AG RIO U LT U RIST. 
485 
market mostly in the pods in bushel bags. 
Some of the market people occupy their 
leisure in shelling them, and offer them for 
sale in the shelled state. Some grower, who 
probably had seen the shelled beans on sale, 
had his shelled at home and sent to market! 
Such a sorry-looking, bruised lot they were ! 
But from being so close together in a half¬ 
barrel, they had already begun to mould, 
when‘received. Although the commission 
men spread them to prevent heating and 
further moulding, it did no good, as they 
dried and shrivelled, and were only fit for the 
garbage dump. Tomatoes are often put into 
half-barrels or large boxes, in a condition fit 
for the kitchen. If they are not thrown out 
by the way, they are utterly useless when 
they reach the city ; sent thus they only en¬ 
tail expense upon the raiser. Wherever one 
turns in the market, he sees waste, and can¬ 
not help a feeling of pity for those upon 
whom the loss must fall—the producers. If 
these producers had proper knowledge of 
their business, and a little common sense, 
.this distressing exhibition of waste and loss 
at the markets would be avoided. 
Ashes—Leached and Unleached. 
-- 
Without going into a discussion of the 
■composition of wood ashes, it is sufficient for 
us to remember that they consist of elements 
of the soil which were essential to the trees 
of which they formed a part, and that all our 
common farm crops draw from the soil the 
same elements in differing proportions. When 
we apply ashes to the soil we furnish the 
plants the very elements of food which they 
need in an easily accessible form. Ashes act 
promptly, and upon many soils their effects 
are perceptible for a long series of years. 
The more soluble parts of the ashes, especially 
the potash, act most promptly, while the less 
soluble parts continue to yield more or less 
nutriment as they are gradually dissolved. 
The application of unleached ashes in large 
quantities upon light sandy or calcareous soils 
is not economical, because the soluble and 
most valuable parts are sure to be in part 
washed through the soil by rains and carried 
beyond the reach of the roots of the plants, 
whereas if applied in less quantities, the plant 
roots take what they can, a portion is retained 
by the soil, and a very small proportion is lost. 
On clayey soils, or on those which are rich 
in organic matter, heavy applications of 100 
bushels per acre may be and are made. 
The crops most benefited by unleached 
ashes, besides grass and all fruit crops, are 
potatoes, root crops, and Indian corn, and to 
these crops it may be applied in the hill or 
drill at planting, or dropped by hand near and 
upon the plants soon after they come up. 
There is some danger of injury to the seed 
unless the distribution is very even, hence the 
surface application is usually preferred. 
Ashes work down in the soil. Rains wash 
down their most valuable constituents, and 
on their way they act favorably upon the soil, 
and come in contact with the roots of the 
plants. They should, therefore, always be ap¬ 
plied upon or near the surface of the soil. 
With leached ashes the case is different. 
The most soluble parts have already been 
washed out. They still contain, however, a 
notable and very variable quantity of potash, 
which soon makes its presence known, and 
as leached ashes are usually applied much 
more liberally than unleached, the response 
of crops is prompt and satisfactory. They 
may be economically used for the same crops. 
Upon grass they are spread as a top-dressing 
as evenly as possible at the rate of 50 to 100 
bushels to the acre—less upon light soils than 
upon heavy. Unleached ashes are applied to 
grass and clover in about half the above 
quantities, namely, 25 or 30 bushels per acre 
upon sandy or light, loamy lands, and 50 
bushels or more upon heavier soils. 
When ashes are used upon any crop which 
occupies the land only one year, that crop, 
though greatly benefited, takes but a small 
part of the application. It should be follow¬ 
ed by grass, clover, or by a succession of crops 
which will make use of this legacy of fertility. 
A “ Safe ” to Keep Plants from Freezing. 
“ G,” Morrisonville, 111., in view of the fre¬ 
quent difficulty of preserving window plants 
during the severe winter nights, has contriv¬ 
ed a “ safe ” in which they may be placed for 
protection. Our correspondent finds that in 
the “thin skinned” houses so many live in, 
it is too expensive to keep up coal fires 
all night for the sake of the plants, while by 
a proper arrangement for the use of a lamp 
as the source of heat, the cost is insignificant. 
He sends us the sketch given in the engrav¬ 
ing, and describes it essentially as follows: 
a “safe” for house plants. 
“ This ‘ Plant Safe ’ is simply a box within 
a box, and may be of any desired size. It 
can be made ornamental, or of simply two 
common store boxes made tight with paper. 
The inside box rests on four blocks, the two 
in front being shown at a, a. There is an air 
space between the top and sides of the inner 
and outer boxes of three inches, and of about 
five at the bottom. A tin tube, e, is fitted in 
a hole in the middle of the bottom. Above 
this tube, about an inch and a half below the 
bottom of the inner box, is a piece of iron or 
tin-plate resting on four legs. This is to pre¬ 
vent the heat of the lamp from burning the 
wood. An opening, li, on the top of the safe, 
has a sliding cover, and acts as a chimney to 
create a draught. The front of the safe has 
two tight-fitting doors, not shown in the cut. 
They may be hinged or simply fitted in lid- 
fashion. To admit air to the plants, a tin 
tube, t. is used. It has a sliding cover over the 
outer end. This tube is kept warm by the 
heat .in the air chamber, and slightly warms 
the air passing through it. Small holes at s, s, 
allow the air to pass out. The loose and open 
middle shelf permits free circulation inside. 
A little experience is necessary in manag¬ 
ing this safe. Be careful not to turn on too 
much heat at first. On ordinarily cold nights 
a very small flame will prevent the plants 
from freezing. Extra cold spells may require 
the full flame, and but little air through tube t. 
Regulate the slide at h to correspond with 
the heat turned on. If the safe is very large, 
two lamps may be employed. A lamp sup¬ 
plies much heat, and you can cook the 
plants. The draught must be good to make 
the lamp burn well. It will not heat the safe 
with the opening, h, closed. If the plants 
have a wilted appearance it shows they need 
air, therefore admit more through the tube t. 
The safe may stand in a corner,out of the way. 
With careful management it will preserve 
plants perfectly through the coldest weather.” 
[We give the above as one method in which 
oil may be used as fuel to keep plants from 
freezing. Whoever makes a “safe” of this 
kind should take every precaution against 
accidents by fire. The tube, e, should not be 
in contact with the wood. When long ex¬ 
posed to an elevated temperature, wood be¬ 
comes exceedingly inflammable. The safe 
when filled with plants will be very heavy, 
and should be supported on firm legs.— Ed.] 
Striking Cuttings in Water. 
With reference to a note we published a 
few months ago on striking Camellia cuttings 
in water, M. Jean Sisley, Lyons, France, 
writes us in substance as follows: It is 
probable that a great many more shrubs may 
be propagated in this way than is generally 
supposed. I have in this manner propagated 
the Aucubas (Gold-leaf Plants) and Hortensias 
(garden Hydrangea) most easily and success¬ 
fully. In autumn, when the wood begins to 
harden, I take the young top branches of the 
plant, with four or five leaves, and place 
about half a dozen cuttings in a glass 
filled with water. It is very easy to 
see when roots appear, and the cuttings 
require very little attention compared with 
those in pots, which must be regularly 
watered. While it is not required, the cut¬ 
tings would root quicker with a slight amount 
of bottom-heat. With Camellias, I take 
cuttings of a single variety, cleft-graft it 
with a double kind, and place the whole in 
water as if it werfe a cutting. For this, bot¬ 
tom-heat, and a bell-glass are required. 
Propagating Camellias thus, saves a year. 
Striking cuttings in water is but one re¬ 
move from what is known as the “ Saucer 
System.” In that, short cuttings are thickly 
placed in a saucer of pure sand : this is ex¬ 
posed to full sunlight, and kept constantly 
very wet, a kind of sandy mud. Both this 
method and that with water alone offer an in¬ 
teresting field of experiment to the amateur. 
