262 
ASHES. 
oats 040, potatees -040, beet-root -063, tur-| with alkaline mineral bases, particularly with 
nips ‘076, Jerusalem artichoke ‘060, stems of 
Jerusalem artichoke °028, white pease ‘031, pea 
straw ‘113, clover hay ‘077, meadow hay -090, and 
meadow aftergrass -100. The ashes of various 
plants and parts of plants were analyzed by M. 
de Saussure ; and the results, in a few cases, 
were as follows :—the ashes of chestnuts contain 
120 per cent. of earthy phosphates, °280 of phos- 
phate of potash, ‘030 of sulphate and chloride of 
potash, -510 of carbonate of potash, ‘005 of silica, 
and ‘003 of metallic oxides; the ashes of buck- 
bean in flower contain ‘150 per cent. of earthy 
phosphates, -120 of sulphate and chloride of. pot- 
ash, 572 of carbonate of potash, ‘050 of earthy 
carbonates, °020 of silica, and 005 of metallic 
oxides; the ashes of buckbean, cleared of seed, 
contain ‘060 per cent. of earthy phosphates, :020 
of sulphate of potash, 140 of chloride of potash, 
°310 of carbonate of potash, 370 of earthy car- 
bonate, ‘028 of silica, and ‘007 of metallic oxides; 
the ashes of beans contain ‘259 of earthy phos- 
phates, 439 of phosphate of potash, 020 of sulphate 
of potash, ‘009 of chloride of potash, *225 of car- 
bonate of potash, and -005 of metallic oxides ; the 
_ ashes of wheat straw contain ‘062 per cent. of 
earthy phosphates, ‘050 of phosphate of potash, 
020 of sulphate of potash, ‘030 of chloride of pot- 
ash, ‘125 of carbonate of potash, ‘010 of earthy 
carbonates, ‘615 of silica, and :010 of. metal- 
lic oxides; the ashes of selected wheat contain 
“445 per cent. of earthy phosphates, °320 of phos- 
phate of potash, mere traces of sulphate of pot- 
ash, 002 of chloride of potash, -150 of carbonate 
of potash, °005 of silica, and 002 of metallic ox- 
ides; the ashes of wheat bran contain ‘465 per 
cent. of earthy phosphates, ‘300 of phosphate of 
potash, -002 of chloride of potash, :140 of carbon- 
ate of potash, :005 of silica, and ‘002 of metallic 
| oxides; the ashes of Indian corn-straw contain 
050 per cent. of earthy phosphates, -097 of phos- 
phate of potash, ‘018 of sulphate of potash, -025 of 
chloride of potash, -590 of carbonate of potash, 
010 of earthy carbonates, ‘180 of silica, and -005 
of metallic oxides; the ashes of Indian corn con- 
tain “036 per cent. of earthy phosphates, °475 of 
phosphate of potash, ‘002 of sulphate of potash, 
003 of chloride of potash, 140 of carbonate of 
potash, °010 of silica, and°001 of metallic oxides; 
the ashes of barley straw contain ‘078 per cent. 
of earthy phosphates, ‘035 of sulphate of potash, 
°160.0f carbonate of potash, ‘125 of earthy carbon- 
ates, ‘570 of silica, and 7005 of metallic oxides; 
| and the ashes of barley in the husk contain °325 
per cent. of earthy phesphates, 092 of phosphate 
of potash, ‘015 of sulphate of potash, ‘003 of 
chloride of potash, °180 of carbonate of potash, 
300 of silica, and ‘003 of metallic oxides. 
The constituent ingredients or elementary 
combinations of ashes, as we already hinted, are 
not in the condition in which they existed before 
incineration. Certain organic acids constantly 
| exist in plants, and are generally in combination 
potash, soda, lime, and magnesia; and, in the 
process of incineration, these acids are destroyed, 
and the bases which were combined with them 
are let loose, and enter into combination with 
carbonic acid to form the carbonates of the ashes. 
The phosphates, the sulphates, and the chlorides, 
however, possess the power of resisting a high 
degree of heat, and pass without change into the 
ashes from the plant.—But when vegetable ashes, 
as in many parts of America, are obtained in 
large quantities, and subjected to the process 
termed leaching for the preparation of ley, they 
are deprived of nearly all their potash and soda, 
and of all their acids except the phosphoric. The 
residue of this process, therefore, or what are 
termed spent ashes, are fearfully deteriorated asa 
manure, and owe all their strength to their small 
portion of bone-dust salts, and their vestiges of 
potash and soda; and they ought never to be 
used on a wet soil, but always scattered over 
light, porous, open sandy ground. Yet all vege- 
table ashes derive their chief manurial value from 
their alkalies, and when intended to be used for 
fertilizing soil, ought always to be protected from 
every process or exposure which might deprive 
them of any portion of their alkaline properties. 
—One important lesson from the saline composi- 
tion of vegetable ashes is, that a substitute for 
them as fertilizers may be, more or less, found 
in almost all the cheap and common salts of com- | 
merce. “In fact,’ as Dr. Dana remarks, “ al- 
most all salts which occur in a large way, as re- 
fuse materials from manufactures or other sources, 
have been used, and all witha greater or less suc- 
cess, as manures. And if you cast your eye over 
the acids and bases of common ashes, this seems 
quite reasonable. It is not expected that a plain 
farmer, possessing little or no chemical know- 
ledge, should be able to tell beforehand what 
the effect of a salt would be, applied to his land; 
but if he understands what the composition of 
ashes is, he may be sure that in any quantity in | 
which the salt is likely to occur, it cannot be in- 
jurious, provided it is mixed up with plenty of 
mould, and a little ashes or alkali, which will kill 
or neutralize any excess of the poisonous acid.” 
See articles Saurs, Ankauies, Acips, and Man- 
URES. | 
Wood Ashes—The ashes of timber, or of the 
billets, branches, and spray of timber trees, are 
of vast importance as manures, both because of 
their superior alkaline wealth, and on account of 
the comparative abundance in which they are 
obtained from fuel. The farmers of some parts 
of Germany esteem them of so great value as to 
procure them from a distance of 18 or 24 miles ; 
and many farmers of the inland counties of Eng- 
land, where wood is the principal article of fuel, 
contract with cottagers around them for all the 
ashes they accumulate, and pay them wholly or 
partially by drawing home for them faggots in 
return. Wood ashes, when lixiviated with cold 
