Middletown transcript., 1870-04-16
Ghe farmer.
For the Middletown Transcript.
WOOD ASHES.

Practical farmers assert that leached
ashes are preferable as a manure to uu-
leached. Various reasons may be assign
ed for this-quick lime is always mingled
with the contents of the leach-tub to pre-
pare the potash for dissolving the fat, 9TH
erwise mere pearlash salSoratus would
result, and soap could not result from such
ley. The remnant of caustc potash that
cannot be leached economically, is more
potent in preparing plant food than the
whole would have been if mere salt of
potash, mingled with the insoluble sill
Gates and phosphates which always abound
in the ashes of hard wood. Some educa-
ted men know enough of chemistry to en-
able them to doubt the importance of lime
in the above relation, although backed by
the experience of all their grandmothers.
and the opinion of an expert-any expla-
nation of the above to such is superfuous,
and to the uneducated such authority is
sufficient
Again, many wiseacres suppose that
mere mixture of strasfurth or other salts
of potash with phosphates, &c. will make
an equivalent for wood ashes as a manure
and another popular error is fostered by
scribblers in agriculture of late-that sea
salt and quick lime liberate soda, when
mingled-thus not only fostering false
notion about salts, whether of potash or
soda, but deceiving the ignorant with the
apparent relation of soda as manure,
from its similarity to potash in producing
soap and glass. Salts of soda may be
substituted for potash with the same sort
of result that attends the substitution of
the jack ass for the horse, except upon
asparagus and sea plants. Pound cake is
not a mere mixture of eggs, butter, flour,
&c. nor would the same effect result if
each was swallowed separately; moreover
the cook deserves some credit when an
unusually wholesome cake results, even
with the best materials. Unleached ashes
like sharp tools, may not be safely used
by children; nevertheless corn may be thus
manured in the hill, and perhaps tarred
and rolled therein, especially during wet
season, when the rain dilutes it so as to
nourish the plant, but seed potatoes thus
treated are inevitably destroyed, however
valuable the trongest ashes when sprink-
led over the manure, especially if musty.
One man rolled his seed potatoes in guano,
and the result was an extraordinary crop,
whereas, another using the same guano
in the same way and upon similar soil.
failed to produce a single plant, because
in the latter case the potatoes were freshly
cut when the guano was applied; whereas,
in the former case they were wilted for
week. An experienced orchardist direct
ed my attention to one of my dwarf pears,
the stem of which was covered with moss
and rough bark, and advised a scrubbing
with ashes and lime or strong ley. can
endorse this prescription, as l used it with
great success in rejuvenating many pear
trees-slushing the concentrated mixture
freely over the whole stem and its base
One of these, fine Dutchess, had SO far
deprecated, that its fruit did not exceed
much the size of hens cgg-he actu-
ally pronounced it Doyenne-but now it
excels in producing large and highly COL
ored fruit DAVID STEWART, M. ID.
Port Penn, April 5, 1870.