Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-09-13
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Ashes and Plaster ON Wheat.

The profit in farming is all made from
growing large crops. A farmer cannot
make any clean money out Of fifteen
bushels of wheat to the acre, or out of
thirty bushels Of corn to the acre, or twenty
bushels of oats, or q ton Of hay ; nor
from pastures which afford just about
feed enough to keep animals from grow
ing poor. Don't his own experience
prove it to himself beyond question Yet
there are more farmers who fall below
these figures than there are that go higher.
This the census returns prove, by show
ing an average yield of less per acre, the
State through, than we have noted above.
If farmers own experience don't satisfy
him on this point, there is nothing that
we can say that will convince him that he
is making no progress. Surely, when a
man has labored along for a dozen years
or more, he ought to have something to
show for it. He may say that he has
lived and supported his family, but that
is not enough-he ought not to be salts
fed with that. If he had set his wits at
work, and increased the produce of his
farm one-third-which without doubt he
might have done-he would to-day have
something more to boast of than the max
ing of bare living. ..-
To show how easy a thing it is to in
crease the yield of wheat, we will relate a
simple experiment made with ashes and
plaster, by Mr.. Hiram Lockwood, of Burr
Oak, st. Joseph County, Michigan. Mr..
Lockwood is one of the most thorough
and prosperous farmers in this section;
and it is no f1attery to say that this is a
result of careful observation and close at
tention to business, giving everything his
personal oversight and superintendent.
Having hOgshead of house ashes last
fall, he thought he would try the expert
ment of mixing plaster with them and
sowing on wheat. Accordingly, he mixed
barrel of plaster with the ashes, making
about one-third of the former to two thirds
of the latter. He soWed at the rate of
about fifty pounds to the acre, on one side
of wheat field, the wheat being fairly up.
A couple of showers came upon it soon
after sowing, and the effectof the appli-
cation was very soon visible in the deeper
color and more vigorous and rapid growth
of the grain on the part to which the mix
ture had been applied. This diferencein
appearance and growth was maintained
through the fall This spring the plants
on that portion took more decided start
ahead of the rest of the field, the line OF
separation being. distinctly seen from a
distance.
This reminds us of the experiment
made by Franklin with plaster on clover,
when he introduced it from France, SOW
ing a strip with it through clover field,
and exhibiting to his neighbors the very
salutary effects which the increased
growth made so plain. Mr. Lockwood
states that the difference in favor of the
ashes and plaster was plainly observable
at harvest time, attracting the notice of
all engaged in the field. The soil is a
sandy loan, rather heavy, with gravelly
ub-soil-common burr-oak soil, familiar
to most Western farmers. Mr. L. is en-
phatie in favor of ashes and plaster on
his soil. Now the question arises, how
much would the ashes made in the State
increase the yield of the wheat crop? Con
siderably, without doubt. This is only
one of the many ways by which the gen
eral agriculture of the country may be
improved. 1t is simple means which
every farmer and gardener in the land
may use to better. pay him for his labor
and investments, at a trif1ing proportion
ate outlay. He who lives by. the land
must make the land full of fairness; and
how to do this the most efectually must
be his constant study and labor.
Wood ashes contain eight or nine times
as much lime as potash, and half as much
phosphoric acid as potash, as well as
good proportion of soda and magnesia-
all very Important ingredients in grains
and grasses. Leached ashes are nearly
as valuable as those unleached on most
soils. Therefore let no ashes go to waste
or be sold off the farm. Detroit Tribune
------~-s-s-------- 4aase
!. SPEAKING of the wit of Buchanan Read,
q recent magazine article says: It was
only a few mornings before he breathed
his last that dear friend, sitting by his
bedside, held wasted hand. Upon one