• 
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'  ^Marcir3,'l904. 
JOURNAL -OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
185 
Wood  Asiies  as  a  Fertiliser. 
An  average  sample  of  unleachecl  voocl  ashes  contains  about  seven 
per  cent,  of  potash  and  two  per  cent,  of  phosphoric  acid,  whicli 
at  current  retail  prices  of  these  plant  foods makes  average  wood 
ashes  worth  about  45  cents  per  Inindred  pounds,  or  .f9  a  ton,  says 
A.  M.  Ten  Kyck,  in  the  “Industrialist,”  published  by  the  Kansas 
Agricultural  College.  Besides  the  actual  fertilising  value  by 
reason  of  the  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  contained  in  the  ashes, 
there  is  some  value  to  ashes  simply  from  the  power  wliich  potash 
has  to  make  the  nitrogen  of  the  soil  available  for  plants  by  its 
chemical  action  on  the  organic  matter  and  humus  in  the  soil. 
The  potasli  in  a.shes  exists  in  a  readily  soluble  form,  and  is  thus 
immediately  available  for  plant  food.  Ashes  also  contain  a  little 
magnesia  and  a  considerable  amount  of  carbonate  of  lime,  which 
is  of  some  importance  because  of  its  effect  in  improving  the 
texture  of  heavy  soils.  The  farmer  can  bettor  afford  to  pay 
$8  or  $10  a  ton  for  good  wood  ashes  than  the  usual  rates  for 
almost  any  potash  fertiliser. 
Leached  ashes  have  rarely  more  than  one  per  cent,  of  potash 
and  one  and  a  half  per  cent,  of  phosphoric  acid,  Mhich  will  make 
them  worth  about  $3  or  $4  per  ton.  Coal  ashes  are  probably 
not  worth  50  cents  per  ton  as  a  fertiliser,  but  on  heavy  soils  they 
may  often  be  applied  with  profit  just  for  their  loosening  effect, 
and  they  are  valuable  as  a  top-dressing  or  mulch  in  fruit  gardens. 
Sifted  coal  ashes  absorb  liquids,  fix  volatile  ammonia  and  prevent 
offensive  odours,  and  are  valuable  as  absorbents  under  hen¬ 
roosts  or  in  stables.  Wood  ashes  should  not  be  placed  under  hen 
roosts  or  in  stables,  because  potash  liberates  ammonia,  and  the 
quality  of  both  the  manure  and  the  ashce  as  fertilisers  is 
deteriorated. 
On  average  soils,  fruits  and  vegetables  are  benefited  by  liberal 
applications  of  wood  ashes,  and  remarkable  results  have  been 
obtained  by  the  use  of  ashes  on  legume  crops,  especially  Clover 
and  Alfalfa.  Ashes  will  not  make  so  valuable  a  fertiliser  for 
top-dressing  for  Wheat  as  when  used  with  the  crops  mentioned. 
Corn,  Kafir  Corn  and  Cane  will  doubtless  be  more  benefited  than 
AVheat  bj’-  the  use  of  ashes  as  a  fertiliser.  However,  if  the  soil 
is  lacking  in  the  potasli  element,  a  dres,sing  of  wood  ashes  will 
benefit  almost  any  crop.  Most  of  the  soils  of  Kansas  are  well 
supplied  with  potash.  If  there  is  any  part  of  the  State  in  which 
this  element  of  plant  food  is  apt  to  be  lacking  in  the  soil  it  is  in 
the  eastern  part,  where'  the  land  i-s  old  and  the  plant  foods  have 
become  exhausted  to  some  extent.  In  the  eastern  and  middle 
States  it  is  more  msual  to  apply  ashes  in  orchards,  or  upon 
Onion  or  Cabbage  fields. 
Ashes  are  best  applied  in  the  spring,  separately  or  in  con¬ 
nection  with  phosphate  fertilisers  as  a  top-dressing.  For 
cultivated  crops  the  ashes  should  be  spread  broadcast  after  the 
land  has  been  harrowed  and  made  practically  ready  for  the  crop, 
and  cultivated  in  by  light  harrowing.  On  Onions  a  light  dressing 
is  sometimes  applied  with  good  results  when  the  plants  are  two 
or  three  weeks  old,  and  I  believe  that  no  harm  will  come  to  the 
Wheat  by  a  light  aiiplication  of  ashes  this  fall,  or  early  next 
spring.  There  will  tend  to  be-some  waste  to  the  soluble  potash 
if  the  ashes  are  applied  late  in  the  fall  or  during  the  winter,  by 
surface  drainage  or  leaching. 
Ashes  may  be  applied  at  the  rate  of  fifty  to  one  hundred 
bushels,  or  one  or  two  tons  to  the  acre.  One  ton  of  good  Avood 
a.shes  Avill  contain  about  one  hundred  and  forty  pounds  of  potash 
and  fort3'  pounds  of  phosphoric  acid,  which  is  more  of  each  of 
these  elements  than  any  ordinaiy  crop  Avill  take  from  the  stii 
in  a  single  season.  If  leached  ashes  are  used,  the  quantAv^ 
applied  should  be  increased. 
I  think  it  Avill  be  impossible  to  spread  the  ashes  thin  enough 
Avith  the  manure  spreader.  Spread  in  this  Avay,  there  is  likely  to 
be  not  only  a,  loss  of  fertiliser  because  of  the  too  abundant  supply, 
but  there  is  also  likely  to  result  injury  to  the  groAving  crop  by 
reason  of  the  presence  of  too  much  alkali.  Ashes  may  be  applied 
by  soAving  broadcast  b3’  hand,  provided  the  hand  is  protected,  or 
it  is  possible  by  care  to  spread  them  thinly  enough  from  a  Avagon 
Avith  a  shoA-el.  If  the  ashes  are  fine  and  clean,  it  is  possible  to 
spread  them  Avith  a  reA’olving  broadcast  seeder. 
In  Avood  ashes  Ave  have  the  most  serviceable  and  often  the 
very  cheapest  fertiliser  for  peat  and  muck  lands.  Such  soils  are 
rich  in  nitrogen,  and  usuall3'  poor  in  phosphoric  acid  and  potash. 
The  nitrogen  is  also  in  an  unavailable  condition,  and  by 
application  of  Avood  ashes,  potash  and  phosphoric  acid  are  not 
only  supplied,  but  b3'  the  chemical  action  of  the  potash  on  the 
peat  the  nitrogen  is  brought  into  a  condition  available  to  the 
plant.  I  knoAV  of  farmers  avIio  collect  the  ashes  of  neighbouring 
villages.  Tliey  usually  furnish  barrels  into  Avhich  residents  prefer 
to  put  their  ashes  rather  than  throAv  them  into  the  streets  or  door 
yards.  I  knoAV  of  one  instance  in  Avhich  a  farmer,  located  tAvo 
,  and  one-half  miles  from  town,  collected  ten  tons  of  good  ashes 
during  tlie  Avinter,  Avhich  cost  less  than  $5  per  ton  after  tlie 
ashes  Avere  spread  on  the  field. 
SaAvdust  has  no  value  as  a  fertiliser,  but  it  ma3'  have  Some 
value  in  the  physical  efi'ects  Avhich  result  Avhen  it  is  applred  to 
light,  sand3-  soils.  It  tends  to  make  such  soils  hold  Avater  better, 
and  Avhen  applied  on  the  surface  acts  as  a  mulch  to  retain  the 
Avater  in  the  soil  bclcAV.  Such  a  combination  of  ashes  and  saAv- 
dust  might  be  made  so  that  the  mixture  could  be  applied  with 
the  manure  spreader  AAithout.  getting  on  too  heavA-  a  dressing  of 
adies.— A.  51.  T.  K. 
- - - - 
Latania  bortonica. 
The  collected  name  uoav  in  use  tor  this  Palm  bt'  botanist.* 
is  Livistonia  chinensis.  lyatania,  sa3’s  the  ‘‘  Ireasiiiy  of 
Latania  borbonica. 
Botan3',”  is  a  ■small  genus  of  African  Palms  forming  trees  of 
20ft  to  30ft  high,  their  stems  marked  Avith  circular  scars,  and 
bearing  at  the  summit  a  tuft  of  fan-shaped  leaves,  from  the 
loAAer  part  of  Avhich  the  branching  floAver  spikes,  sheathed  in 
incomplete  spathes,  emerge.  The  tAvo  sexes  of  floAvers  groAv  on 
separate  trees,  the  males  being  disposed  on  man3’-floAA'ered,  the 
females  in  feAver-flowered  cylindrical  catkins.  Both  liav'e 
three  petals  and  three  sepals.  The  fruits  contain  three  rough 
•stones,  covered  Avitii  a  bony  iietAvork.  The  round,  or  sonie- 
Avhat  three-sided.  3'eIloAvish  fruit  of  Ti.  Commersoni  is  about 
the  size  of  a  small  Ajiple,  covered  Avith  a  tough  rind,  and  con¬ 
taining  a  small  quantity  of  pulp,  Avhich  the  negroes  eat  in  spit(> 
of  its  veiy  disagreeable  flavour.  It  is  a  native  of  Bourbon  and 
5Iauritius. 
West  of  F.ngl.and  News.  —  From  the  Hies  of  Scilly  last 
Wednesday  tAvent3’-five  tons  of  fioAvci--,  were  despatched  to 
Penzance. 
