1 Aprin, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 287, 
But some soils have sufficient potash only in a dormant state; then a little 
lime will make it active. For instance, recently a lucerne crop on Talgai 
Station became less each year, and at last it was nearly covered with weeds. 
In the dry weather the manager decided to burn these off previous to ploughing. 
After this was done (the burning), rain set in, and in one week after the fire 
the crop showed signs of being as good as it was in the first or second season 
after sowing. 1 think the ashes did that, because if we were to burn 2 tons 
of clover hay we would have a large quantity of ashes, and this is what it 
contains :—Potash, 52 lb.; soda, 7 lb.; magnesia, 35 1b.; lime, 111 Ib.; phos- 
phoric acid, 20 1b.; silica, 10 lb.; and common salt, 3 lb. 
To show that the ashes are also good for the ‘orchard, we will take the 
orange-tree as an example. A ton of oranges removes from the soil 100 lb. of 
mineral matter, and 30 Ib. of this is potash. We will say that an average crop 
of full-grown trees will be about 10 tons per acre, and we have thus a removal 
from the soil of about 1,000 lb. of mineral matter per acre per annum by an 
orange crop. This may go on for ten years, and not a single particle of these 
ingredients is returned except what Nature returns by an occasional crop of 
weeds ; and still many wonder why their orchards become exhausted. But how 
many take into account the necessity for their growth? And as the largest pro- 
portion of the residue of the orange-tree is superphosphate of lime, the value 
of ashes to this tree cannot be over-estimated. 
All kinds of fruit abound in potash, more especially in their seeds, and 
lack of potash in available form for use is probably one reason why fruit does 
not perfect itself as it used to do. 
In growing grapes in Europe, they use no fertilisers excepting potash 
made by burning clippings from vine and twigs cut in the pruning of trees, 
and it was part of my duty, when a boy, to assist in doing this.* In France 
this is done extensively. It is probably true that a dressing of unleached 
ashes applied in the spring will make the fruit ripen earlier and attain higher 
colour and perfection. It may be a lack of potash that causes fruit at 
midsummer to remain several days without change. This is particularly notice- 
able in grapes when the vines have set more fruit than they can perfect. In 
such eases mildew often sets in, and the fruit never matures. Potash aids not 
only in perfecting the seed, but in that mysterious process which changes the 
acid astringent green fruit to the wholesome lusciousness that the same fruit 
attains when ripe. Whatever of sweetness the fruit has, it receives through 
the leaves, but cannot do so unless there is soluble potash to be taken up b 
the roots from the soil. The lime in the ashes tends to make the plant food 
already in the soil available, and is essential to plant growth, also for. 
decomposing vegetable inatter in the soil. f 
With the ashes there is always a certain amount of charcoal; therefore 
what the ashes are deficient. in, the charcoal provides. Charcoal, which is 
frequently used as a manure, does not act as such by changing into carbonic 
acid. Its effects are solely owing to the property which it has of retaining 
large quantities of various gases in its potest Fresh burnt charcoal will 
absorb ammonia to ninety times its own volume. It also absorbs hydrochloric 
acid, sulphuric acid, hydrogen, carbonic acid, oxygen, nitrogen. Ammonia, 
from its being the great source from which plants derive nitrogen, is one of 
the most important components of manure, and this ammonia is a colourless 
gas with a pungent smell, such as we meet with on opening the stable-doors, 
also when cleaning the manure from the pig-styes. Charcoal forms a valuable 
auxiliary to all manures, and when applied to the soil alone has great 
fertilising properties, and it also renders the soil to which it is applied in any | 
considerable quantity lighter and more friable. 
In using charcoal, I make a large quantity of strong liquid manure, and 
into this is put the dry charcoal. When well soaked, it is taken out and 
dried. It can then be used as required. In repotting plants I simply put a 
* We have seen the clippings forked in, in Switzerland, without burning —Ed. Q.4.J. _ 
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