New Ycrx AGRICULTURAL ExpERIMENT STATION. 155 
temperature and there was found in the ash of the hard woods 
17.35 per cent. of potash and in the ash of the soft woods 9.61 
per cent. of potash. 
From the above results it will be clearly seen that pure, 
unleached, hard wood, ashes of which we hear so much is an 
evanescent dream and a fiction, for there is nothing approaching 
it found in the markets. 
While it is probably true that ashes are bought for, and their 
beneficial effects is mainly due to, the potash they contain, it is 
clear that the potash is thus obtained at an excessive price as 
compared with its commercial value in the several potash salts 
of the German mines, but it must not be forgotten that the other 
constituents of ashes have an agricultural value, direct or 
indirect, which may often justify their application even at their 
present prices and average composition; but it is important for 
the purchaser to remember that there is really no significance in 
the term “ pure, unleached ashes,” and a guaranteed per cent. of 
potash, as also freedom from any adulteration, should be insisted 
upon, since it would be an easy matter to increase the percentage 
of potash by admixture with a sufficient quantity of the 
ereaper potash salts. 

Analyses of Commercial Fertilizers. 
I desire again, in connection with the matter of fertilizer con- 
trol, to call attention to the emphatic indorsement of the 
committee of the New York State Grange, especially in refer- 
ence to this feature of our work at the Station. The New York 
State Grange annually appoints as one of the standing commit- 
tees three members to visit and report upon the Experiment 
Station at Geneva, and at the recent annual meeting’ of the 
grange this committee made an extended and highly commenda-_ 
tory report of what they learned during an entire day spent in 
personal inspection of the work of the Station. In this report 
they say: 
“Your committee would say that, in our opinion, the Station 
does pay, and pay many, many times over, to the farmers of this 
State, all that it has ever cost or will cost them. The farmers of 
this State now purchase commercial fertilizers to the amount of 
$4,000,000 annually, and you can readily see that information on 
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