Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1868-10-20

SulpnuflC acid SO 40
Chlorine 90 Oh
..- 10000 10000
Here appears to be only about
eleven per cent. of the soluble matter,
and we are not informed of what the
insoIuble portion consists, but, no
doubt, much Of it may gradually be-
come soluble and food for plants by
the action Of water, air and FROST
Nearly all biologists agree that coal
Is a vegetable production, and there
fore, as its elements become soluble,
must enter into and reproduce vege-
tables.
An analysis by NJ. Classroth makes
coal ashes to consist largely of sui
phate of lime GYPSUM and lime with
considerable soluble silica; and the
effect Of their application appears to
agree with this analysis. They have
been found in England an excellent
top dressing for clover and other grass
es, and often sold for seven shillings
per ton. Mr.. |. G. Bergen stated in
the Farmers Club that his father used
coal ashes in the spring upon wheat
and oats and found the yield much
increased, but he had used them and
could see no benefit. Mr.. l.. W. O.
Beam of Croxton, Ohio, found his ex-
perience very favorable TO the use of
these ashes. He says: "In the spring
of '62 | plowed up an old meadow,
somewhat Of clay soil, afterwards
spread on a part of it coal ashes,
planted it with corn and found where
| used coal ashes | had at least double
the amount of corn; in '63 had the
same result in wheat; in "a | cut
crop of clover from it in June and
still it doubled, but in the fall OF GA
which Tin the beginning) was very wet
the difference was most marked. On
this second crop | had five-fold, not
five feet distant, there was scarcely
anything, it being dry after the first
crop was cut. Am. Institute, '65.
The testimony is somewhat contra
dictory, but the great majority of care,
full experiments are decidedly favora-
BILE to the use of coal ashes. They GER
tainly are an excellent application to
a clay soil, mechanically destroying
its cohesion. They are so easily OBJ
taiued 10y farmers living near cities
that they should be scrupulously saved
and applied at the rate of two or three
loads per acre as a top dressing for
grass and grain.
WOOD ASHES.
The virtues of wood ashes have
been often extolled, but the farmer is
still too careless of selling or wasting
them. They are sometimes compared
with lime or plaster GYPSUM as if
their virtues were parallel, but this
comparison is made in ignorance of
the composition Of ashes. The ashes
of our forest trees contain all the in.
organic elements that make up vege
table and a.imal bodies, including of
course the elements of lime and gyp
sum. Ashes are, therefore, a fertili
ger for all our crops. They contain
from ten to twenty five per cent. of
phosphate Of lime, besides potash, so
da, magnesia, suIphuric and carboni'
acids, lime and silica. The sulphatt
of lime in ashes is not, probably, a
valuable per weight as that from bone
because the animal is advanced be
yoAd the vegetable, and all its constit
uents have a greater power or great
er energy in entering anew into vegC
tation-that is, are more easily assim
Hated by the plant.
The use OF ashes as a manure i
very ancient. Cato recommends tn
ashes from branches and twigs OIL
trees to be spread over the land. Pa
ladius says that an application Of ash
es will render other manure unneC
essary for five years. The Jews bur
their stubbles, and tie ancient Bri
ons, says Pliny, burned their whea
straw and scattered the ashes owe
the field. There have been variou
estimates put upon ashes as manure
But when we consider the fact tina
the ashes of all our cereal grains col
tain from fifteen to fifty per cent. o
potash, and that a soil long croppe
is likely to be deficient in this ell,
ment. as well as others that asht
contain, we see that they must posses
great value. The obvious reason VIII
ashes often succeed where lime an
gypsum fail is that the soil may NJ
need sulphur of lime, but is defciel
in potash, soda, phosphorus or ma
nesia, which the ashes supply. ASH
are an epitome of the mineral consti
uents of all our crops.
p. 7. Quinn, who works a red clt
soil near Newark, n. j., says unleac
ed ashes are worth forty to fifty cen
per bushel for general crops on eli
land and for fruit trees, and he won
apply small dressing every year
stead of large quantity OCCASIONAL
DR.. Ward says he would apply thir
bushels per acre, and that they a
worth fifty cents per bushel. Sol
Robinson says leached ashes are wor
twenty-five cents per bushel on la
around New York city.
We have been in the habit, fro
considerable experiments in the l
of ashes, to estimate them worth +
bushel, the first year of applicable
as much as oats. From accurate tel
we have found that ten bushels of a.
ac Arillad in NTH Tho aoal xr,ll -