7o 
January 30 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
UNLEACHED HARDWOOD ASHES . 
Their Value; Are They Genuine? 
Are the wood ashes said to be imported 
from Canada genuine? Large (juantities of 
them are sent here each year, and we are 
told that they are mostly collected in small 
lots from house to house. It seems incred¬ 
ible to us that Canadian farmers should 
be willing to let this excellent fertilizer 
have their country. We do not see how a 
man can make wages at collecting ashes 
to be sold at a fair price. Will you tell us 
what you think about these ashes, and 
where they come from? 
/I Canadian Chemist Talks. 
I regret exceedingly to say it is only 
too true that large quantities of this 
most valuable fertilizer—part and par¬ 
cel of the fertility of our virgin soils— 
annually leave Canada for the Eastern 
States. These ashes are collected in 
small quantities, as you suppose, from 
house to house in those districts in 
which wood is still burned, and these 
are many. Probably the greater part is 
from the villages, though a part, no 
doubt, is collected from the farmers. As 
a rule, soap or tinware is given in ex¬ 
change, worth perhaps a fifth to a third 
of the value of the fertilizing ashes. It 
must be fairly remunerative work, for 
the ash collector makes a good living, 
and not infrequently is pretty well-to- 
do. This is certainly a deplorable con¬ 
dition of affairs. It is, of course, due to 
ignorance and the desire of the house¬ 
wife to get something in exchange for 
that which has apparently cost nothing. 
However, I am pleased to see that owing 
to the dissemination of information on 
this and kindred subjects by the experi¬ 
mental farms, the agricultural press, 
and the institute speakers, there is now 
an ever increasing number of farmers 
who refuse to barter off their ashes for 
a cake of soap or a tin pan; but, as I 
oare say you know, it takes time to 
reach, or rather to teach, those who 
have been brought up from youth in a 
bad habit. As to adulteration, you have 
your own analyses of the ashes, and the 
farmer in the Eastern States knows that 
he gets good value for his money. Be¬ 
sides a certain amount of sand and dirt, 
they are pure ashes w T hen they leave 
Canada; at any rate, as far as I know. 
[Prof.] FRANK T. SHUTT. 
Ottawa, Ont. 
/I Canadian Layman Lays On. 
In this locality but little wood is now 
used for fuel, consequently the collect¬ 
ing of ashes, that used to be a common 
thing, has almost entirely ceased. Far¬ 
ther noith it will be different. At one 
time I made some inquiries as to the 
price at which they could be bought at 
some places north of this. The prices 
quoted me, I thought too much to ad¬ 
mit of their profitable use. A friend and 
neighbor who runs a machine shop has 
told me of a collector of ashes trying to 
buy from him a pile of coal ashes. He 
was so well satisfied that a fraud was 
contemplated that he refused to sell at 
any price. I certainly would not con¬ 
sider it safe to buy hard-wood ashes 
without some sufficient guarantee that 
they were free from adulteration. I 
have heard of large quantities of leached 
ashes being exported. These would have 
been obtained from the sites of old ash- 
eries where potash (carbonate) was 
made when ashes were more plentiful 
than now. This may have been a legiti¬ 
mate business quite likely. They could 
be bought for a trifle and were worth 
something. But it is a fact that the 
Canadian farmer has been neglectful of 
his opportunities in this direction. Up¬ 
on making inquiries about tankage 1 
discovered that most, if not all, of the 
packing houses had contracts with 
United States manufacturers of ferti¬ 
lizers for their entire output. They con¬ 
sequently refused to sell to me. The 
editor of the Toronto Weekly Sun pub¬ 
lished a letter written him upon the 
subject viewed from the patriotic stand¬ 
point. and the matter was subsequently 
taken up at a farmers’ convention held 
under government auspices. I have the 
consent of a packing house company to 
sell to me a small lot of tankage at $25 
per ton. A government analysis of the 
output of this company puts its value 
(comparatively) at $41. The tankage 
of other companies in the governmental 
bulletins ranges at about $10 less. These 
values are estimated on a commercial 
basis; so much per pound for the nitro¬ 
gen they contain, so much for the phos¬ 
phoric acid, and so much for the potash. 
Hard-wood ashes do not seem to come 
under the statutory regulation that re¬ 
quires a sample of each fertilizer made 
or sold to be sent in to the Department, 
each year for analyses by manufacturers 
or dealers as the case may be. w T . o. e. 
Ontario. 
What American Chemists Say . 
We have not found any wood ashes 
that seem to have had intentionally 
added to them any other material of a 
baser sort than the wood ashes them¬ 
selves. Still, our records show that 
wood ashes have been gradually becom¬ 
ing poorer; that is, they show less phos¬ 
phoric acid and potash than years ago. 
This is, I think, due more to the natural 
impurities that are added in the gather¬ 
ing of the ashes than to any addition in¬ 
tentionally of other material. I feel 
that, as a rule, ashes are rather expen¬ 
sive sources of phosphoric acid and pot¬ 
ash, but I am very favorably impressed 
with their use in many cases, because 
of the value of the combinations of lime 
and potash in excellent forms, and es¬ 
pecially where lime is useful; it seems 
to me, that even at the prices usually 
charged for wood ashes, they are quite 
as advantageous as the prepared limes, 
if not cheaper sources of plant food. I 
do not think that dealers could put on 
the market artificial mixtures, which 
they denominate wood ashes, without 
detection, though it seems to me that it 
would cost quite as much as it would 
come to. [Prof.] e. b. vooriiees. 
New Jersey Station. 
I am unable to give you any informa¬ 
tion at first hand in regard to the im¬ 
ported Canada hard-wood ashes. In my 
opinion the ashes are probably what 
they are represented to be, but are quite 
variable in composition. We have found 
them running in potash from consider¬ 
ably under four per cent to over five per 
cent. It is probably safe to say that in 
most cases the potash is between four 
and five per cent. The phosphoric acid 
does not vary greatly, being about one 
to 1 y 2 per cent. I agree with you that 
I do not see how a man can make wages 
collecting ashes from house to house 
and paying much for them, and then sell 
them at the prices which prevail. It is 
possible that the ashes may be consid¬ 
erably adulterated by the addition of 
slaked lime, the amount of potash being 
brought up by the addition of muriate. 
While this could be done I have never 
yet discovered a case in which I actual¬ 
ly knew it to be done. r.. i.. van slyke. 
Geneva (N. Y.) Exp. Station. 
THE GOVERNMENT LIQUOR TAX. 
P. B. P., page 3, is probably theoretically 
correct, but let us see how the theory 
evolves in practice. By jts organic law 
the Federal Government stands pledged to 
protect the several States trom the en¬ 
croachment or violation of their rights by 
outside communities or influences, and to 
assist the States in the suppression of 
lawlessness within their borders. In its 
interpretation of that law the Supremo 
Court has said: “The liquor traffic has no 
inherent rights that the people are bound 
to respect.’’ In accordance with the 
above enunciated principle the people of 
a State enact a law prohibiting the manu¬ 
facture or sale of intoxicating liquor in 
their community. Under the operation of 
the interstate (Federal) commerce laws, 
parties living in other States ship liquor 
into States having prohibitory laws, deliver 
it to customers and collect pay for it, in 
defiance of the State’s law, and if the Fed¬ 
eral officers should essay to assist the 
State against the encroachment, they 
would undoubtedly find that the Illicit 
dealer had “a certificate” “conspicuously 
posted in his place of business.” Suppose 
a. person living in a State having a pro¬ 
hibitory law wishes to violate that law. 
and naturally wishes to escape the penalty 
therefor. Organic Federal law says: “You 
have no right.” Federal statutes say: 
“Pay $25 into the Federal Treasury and 
the Federal officials will not assist the 
State authorities in the suppression of 
lawlessness, such as you are planning, 
within the borders of their State. If you 
don’t pay $25 into the Federal Treasury— 
well, perhaps P. B. P. would like to tell 
us what would be likely to happen. 
New Salem, N. Y. i. s. a. 
Feed the fresh potato parings to the 
horses: they will relish them and you will 
not need any “medicated stock food.” 
H. S. W. 
J ESSIE STRAWBERRY PLANTS for sale. 
True to name. J K LOSE3, Elnora, N Y. 
babgaih FRUIT GROUPS 
to 
■ M Collections of small and larere fruits, well root* 
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prices. List covers all fruits, something suitable fur ©very garden. Special 
circular describes and gives price of each collection. Write for it and my 
General Fruit Catalogue. Both free. 
ALLEN L. WOOD, Wholesale Grower, Rochester, N. Y. 
npnnu Ask for our 22nd Annual CataFjuc. 
KERRY CLIMAX, the wonderful new _arly 
■ Strawberry, with many other kinds 
Dl AftlTCt fuily described. Good varieties as low 
* LHHIO as 11.50 M. Slaj maker & Son, Dover, Del 
CHOICE STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 
150,000 Climax.and 50 other best varieties at the low¬ 
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for one. W P. TO T 'D. Greenwood, Dm 
BEST PLANTS 
atthe lowest possible prices. Bestnew and standard 
Strawberries, Raspberries nd Blackberries. Heavy 
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A. R. WESTON&Co.,R. F. D. No, 10. Bridgman,Mich. 
THE WARD BLACKBERRY 
THIS IS something new and of real merit. Very 
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well-rooted plants by mail, $1 per dozen, SI per him 
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All stock packed in first class order free of charge. 
Address CHARLES BLACK, Hightstown, N. J. 
5,000,000 STRAWBERRY PLANTS 
All the best new and old varieties. Price $1.25 to 
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buy. Catalogue free: write to-day. This is what a 
customer says of our plants— 
The Strawl>erry Plants I ordered from you last spring, can say 
that I am well pleased with them. They made a fine growth tie 
past summer anil I have a fine prospect for a arge crop next 
spring. Should I need more plants I will order them from you is 
you have the cheapest good plants I ever saw. Please send cata¬ 
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This offer will not appear again. Address W. S. 
PERDUE & SONS. Parsonsburg, Md.,Sta. R. N. Y. 
NEW FRUITS. 
The Regal grape. Comet currant, Blowers and 
Kenoyer blackberries and the “Beaver” straw¬ 
berry. Send postal for catalogue. 
M. Crawford Co., Box 1005, Cuyahoga Falls, O 
Strawberry Culture 
book, makes you un- 
the whole subject. Sent 
postpaid on receipt of 25c, silver 
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the price. Money backif you don't 
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Strawberry Catalogue Free. 
W.F. ALLEN, SALISBURY, MD. 
CHOICE STRAWBERRY PLANTS. 
500.000 Climax, $2 per M; all other leading varieties 
Write for prices. JOHN W. GREEN, Bridgeviile, Del 
B 2 2 
GREAT CROPS OF 
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AND HOW TO GROW THEM 
A strawberry book written by the “STRAW¬ 
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PHYSIOLOGY and explains correct principles in 
fruit growing It is worth its weight in gold to any 
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RURAL New - Yorker. Send your address now. 
The finest THOROUGHBRED PEDIGREE 
PLANTS In the world. 
R. M.- KELLOGG, THREE RIVERS, MICH. 
'ATEKINS' 
OUR BIG TWENTIETH Annual Illustrated 
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RATEKINS’ SEED HOUSE, Shenandoah, Iowa. 
DIBBLE’S SEED POTATOES 
Are the best that can be obtained anywhere from 
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EDWARD F. DIBBLE, Seed Grower 
Honeoye FaUs, N. Y. 
Seeds, Plants, Roses, 
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The best by 50 years test, 1000 
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Elegant 168 page catalogue free. 
Send for it and see what values 
we give for a little money, 
a number of collections of Seeds, Plants, Trees, 
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THE STORRS &. HARRISON CO., 
Box I 71 PAINESVILLE, OHIO. 
Two Million 
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Every one of them good honest plants with 
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PRICE SI. 75 to 32.50 per Thousand. Dis¬ 
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J. W. JONES & SON, BOX 26, ALLEN. MD. 
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The best one on your farm to-day”; statement by 
, of Ked Bank,N. J., June, 1903. Our new 
Fred. Tuezner. 
catalogue Free 
Kevltt Plant Farm, Athenia, N. J. 
TREES SUCCEED WHERE 
Largest Nursery. OTHERS FAIL 
Book Free. Result of 78 year*’ experience 
Fruit Book 
r STARK BRO*. Louisiana. Mo.: Dansville, N. Y.: Etc 
—Early 8 Rowed Yellow, tested 98. 
White Star Oats. Samples free. 
(Postage 2 cents). First Premium N. Y. State Fair. 
SMITH'S POTATO FARM, Shortsville, N. Y. 
MAINE SEED POTATOES. 
Prices given on anv quantity delivered in New 
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Cf|P 0 A I C—! Second Growth Seed Potatoes Early 
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DREER, 
714 Chestnut Street, 
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“Once Grown Always Grown” 
The Maule motto for more 
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SEED 
BOOK for 1904 
Cost over $50,000 to publish. If you 
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A CUCUMBER 
Here’s one worth talking about. We wish to acquaint you with 
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YV. W, RAWSON «fc CO., Seedsmen and Market Gardeners 
X‘4 and 13 FaneutI Hall Square, Boston, Mass. 
HOLMES’ SEEDS 
produce prize vegetables. Every Holmes variety is from tested 
Your garden will be better for the help you can get from our catalogue 
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It is time to plan for spring planting and now is the time to send for this book. 
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