The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-08-21
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on. TIE USE OF LEACHED ASHE

respondents, Il, e. b., some information o
the value Of ashes, &c, aud call upo
chemists TO teIl. - Not being exactly
chemist myself, Yet having dag INTO tn
science ltIle, tor The purpose of assistin.
me in my farming operations, will oiler
few remarks:
Wood ashes, as YOU observe, generally
do hes, on rather light soils; II they ar,
applied 10 large quantities, either leacheC
or unleacbed they have tendency to bring
IN the red moss, bu; upon grayelly soils TIN,
may not be detrimental, as they are uuus
ually dry and warm enough il there is moss
But upon more moist and close soils, ashe;
may ultimately prove injurious.
Unleached ashes when first applied "a
grass, or others crops, are much more eff.
cIenI than lenched owing 10 the much great.
er amount Of alkali, or potash they contain,
but I do not think the sowing of Unleached
ashes upon land The most economical way
Of using them. II heavy rain immediate.
ly follows, the potash IS mostly washed out
and carried eff the land or sinks loto the
soil beyond the roots OF plants. Common
potash is very readily dissolved IN about is
weight Of water. Il farmer wishes 10 ap
crops, It would be the better way, to mix his
ply unleached ashes 10 his grass or grain
ashes quite moist with ground gypsum, and
let them remain for sometime IN the heap.
The potash OF the ashes would decompose
the gypsum and su.phate Of potash would
be formed. Solpha,e Of potash IS much
less soluble than carbonate Of potash, a : il
requires sixteen pounds Of water at the
temperature Of go degrees to Dissolve one
pouud of sulphale Of potash. From this
fact, the loss Of potash BY rams would be
likely to be much less, aud for clover, cab.
bages, lurneps radishes, sulphate IS decide.
ly better than the carbonate Of potash.
But | thlnk it much more economical
plan 10 mix ashes with swamp muck, peat
or decsying vegetable matter from the
woods. All these substances arc acid; de.
composing vegetable matters always pro-.
duce acids) These acids want neuiralz
ing before the muck &c, are sdita e ma
nuyes for most crops, lsoitei excepted).-
Frequently swamp muck 5 saturated with
sulpha,e OF ron, or alumina, lat has oozsd
outin the water from higher land. 10 such
cases, the ashes VII have he direct { fleet
TO neutral re the acidily Of The muck, and
make il good manure.
Leached ashes are highly valued by the
farmers upon Long Island, bu, suspec, that
most that are used there are better for az
ricultural purposes than the eached ashei
from the potash or peatlash factory. II
teaching ashos for making soap, generally
there is about one peck Of lime use TO eact
bushels Of ashes but there Is very little, i
any lime, with the Iaached ashes from the
potash.
There is, alter the usual process Of leach
Ing ashes for soap o. potash, a certain guam
uty Of potash left 10 the ashes, 10 conblna
ton with slex, d Dana Gays, there ar
so lbs. Of potash in q coId Of leached ashes
Exposure 10 the air decomposes this, az,
then another portion Of alkaI can be ex
tracted by water. THIS partially explain
what you have heard Of the Long Islam
farmers, Who consider the !eached as goo
as the Uneached ashes, provided they ar
not used for sometime after being leached,
And you farther say " same suppose the
attract valuable properties from the al
mosphere after coming from tho leach
lub Is Il 20 aad # any, VITA, are III
properties acquired :" Ia answer 10 you
question, say yes, It is SO, and viii ex
plain il.
If a quantity Of ieached ashes are pile
up under cover Of shed exp sed 10 the all
another portion Of aikal VIII be set fre
Nv the decomposition Of the slick, as b
fore stated, aud the alkaIl has strong a
huIty for nitric acid Tue air We breatt
is mostly composed Of nitrogen, 20 part
and q parlS>of oxygen; in these propo
lions, these iva gases are mechanical
combined. But BY well kno@n chemlc
laws, these two gases chemically combir
10 several different proportions, and for
very different substances from cen PSI. g.
In one Of their chemical combinations, To,
uli,e 10 the proportions Of 4 parts nIlrog
and 30 parts oxygen, aud 10 these ptopc
lions /! is called nitric acid, and mixed VI
q certain quantity Of water it becomes h
dro.uiIric acid or aqualorts, II comm
pot or pearlash IS dissolved IN diluted aqo
iorlis, and the iqatd eyaporated, the res
will be ulire, or saItpetre. But this Is
artificial way Of making saltpelre--aud {
pensIve too.
Nature takes somevha. diIeren, me
cd. As before stated, the alkah 10
leached ashes has a strong affinity for
fric acid, and so strong is that affinity
attraction, that the nitrogen and oxyger
the atmosphere, will rery accommodate
~ chemically combine IN the right PROF
lions 10 .orm nitric acid, which readily uu
with the alkaIi, and forms nitre or salipt
naturally, aud cheap TOO. The ion
the ashes are KEEP, and occasionally IN
tened and shoYeed ever, the greater
accumulation OF ntre. Bur II the as
are occasionally vet with urine, drani
from the manure heap, or mixed v
night-soll or decaying animal matters
stances all ,lch IN nlfogen-the proc
viii be much FASTENED, aud the accum
lion OF ntre much greater 10 uiyen Ii