Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1841-02-13
From the albany Cuhipator.
Use Of Ashes and Lime.


MEssRs. EDIroRs-If in your opinion
the following account of successful and
profitable farming will in any way be-
nefit the public, you may make what
use of it you think proper. In the
spring of the year 1884, Capt Moses
Van Inwigin, my neighbor, sowed a
bout 100 bushels of ashes on the quar-
ter part of field of about 10 acres of
land, in rye. having previously seeded
the whole field with clover and timothy.
This field was part of farm of fifty
acres on the Neversink Flats, mostly a
sandy alluvium, and in much of it the
sand greatly predominating. The whole
so exhausted that it would hardly pay
the interest of S25 per acre. The part
not ashed had been well manured the
previous year. The result was, first,
that oii the part ashed the crop of grain
was benefited to the full amount of the
value of the ashes sown; and the next
season he moved from the part ashed
at the rate of two tons Of hay per acre,
while on the residue there was a poor
and stinted growth of grass, with much
sorrel, hardly worth the expense of ga
thering. In the spring of 1885, he
Sowed on land in rye, and seeded with
grass seed, about 900 bushels of ashes
at the rate of 80 bushels to the acre.
Here again he thinks the increase of
his crop of rye paid all the expense of
ashing, and it was followed The ensuing
year with an equal growth Of grass
since which he has ashed annually on
his so acre farm from 700 to 1000 bu-
shells of ashes, generally at the rate of
about 80 bushels to the acre, until by
this, and acting generally on the correct
principle that "Judicous liberality is
the only true economy Of Husbandry :"
he has by an outlay of not over SO
per acre, brought this poor and exhaus-
ted farm, which, before he commenced
his system of improvement, would little
more than pay the expense of cultiva>
ton, to yield an average net profit a.
mounting to more than the interest of
$500 per acre, and in the mean time
realized profit on the money expend-
ed, amounting TO several hundred per
cent. The precise amount, or rate of
profit, it is difficult to calculate. 1t
should be borne in mind that the full
amount of his outlays were generally
returned within the year by the increa>
sed value of his crops. If, added to
this, we consider that the profits of his
farm have been increased from six to
eight fold, it might at first view be sup
posed that its real value had been in
creased in that proportion; yet this is
not actually the case, inasmuch as the
intrinsic value of the land consisted in
its susceptibility of being made profta-
bic by being properly husbanded; in
like manner as any other kind of proper
ty is estimated valuable, not according
to the profit or advantage at any given
time derived from it, but in proportion
10 the amount of profitable use it can be
applied to. Ifthis is a correct view, as
believe il is, then is not land, such as
the Captains was, though then yielding
little profit, actually worth from one to
two hundred dollars per acre? Yet
|
for from S25 to $50 the acre.
But to show that this particular farm
had no peculiar intrinsic advantages
over others in this valley, | will notice
the experience of Philip Swartwout,
Esq, about three miles south, in the use
and advantages of lime. His farm too,
had been reduced by bad husbandry
until it produced comparatively no pro-
fit. Grass could hardly be made to
grow on it, of good quality, even with
manure. Except when titled, it produ-
ced nothing valuable, and if titled once
in three or four years, it yielded very
little, unless when dunged. With an
expenditure, in lining, of from six to
ten dollars per acre, it now yields good
crops of wheat, and grass in abundance,
OF the best quality. Even on a sandy
held, visited when he was gathering
his hay, on which he had hardly ever
before seen grass enough TO pasture a
goose, he had now moved a heavy
burthen Of excellent hay,-and this the
effect Of one lining at the rate of &c
bushels to the acre; and that without
the use of any other manure. Now i,
may be well to remark, that the part o.
Shawangunk mountain next this valley
is full of lime stone, with abundance o
wood, while the Delaware and Hudson
Canal runs through the hollow, and af
iords abundant facilities for burning
lime at cheap rate. Fine coal adap
/, ted TO the bnrnng of lime in what arr