The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-12-08
Manur,ai Value of Wood Ashes.

ManuriaI Value of Wood Ashes.
New land is proverbially good mol
that it has more largely the elements OIL
fertility in general, as the trees take care
that this is not the case, using up wha
nutriment is annually furnished by the
10 ayes but it owes it value to the potash
left after tho land is burned over, as i.
the case also in breaking up the prairie
The principle will he clearly seen by Civ.
ing it single thought. The ashes furn
ish the mineral, or inorganic part, the at
mosphere the rest, the soil containing suf
fcient other material, (humus, clay, sand
etc., for basis. But science or philoso
ply aside, it has been found that ashes
are a superior benefit. Around an cd
heap of spent ashes there will always be
circle Of rank growth, Usually Of grass
and weeds of blush color. This is
found to be tho case whatever the soil
may be. In the strongest garden soil
have noticed it, and also in very poor
land Unleached ashes have still more
marked effect, showing the Importance oil
potash as manure. the tests that have
been made, so far as am cognizant. al.
ways show that the growth, especially Of
grass, corresponds to the amount of ashes
applied and the amount may be large
seventy to eighty bushels per acre, and
even more. The benefit will show at
once, but not all of it, as the ashes do not
give up at once oil they contain, being
dissolved slowly, SO as to supply potash
for several years, This is my experience
and l believe the uniform experience Of
every one. The reason why ashes are
not moro highly valued-are not valued
for what they are worth-is that they
are too sparingly used. When sown on
meadows. few bushels to tho acre are
all that are used. AS but part is dis
solved, the first year it will be readily
seen that the effect must be small-less Sc
than that of plaster, though plaster is one
of the ingredients of ashes.
But there are not enough ashes to SOW
largely, and large proportion Of what
we have are permitted to 60 to waste
particularly is this the case with leaehed
ashes, yet they are nearly as good as un
leached, and equally lasting. We ought
to save every particle Of our ashes, incud
ing the SCOT from the stovepipes and chin
Deys. We want them for special uses
to manure our grapevines and fruit trees
and to use in our gardens, dooryards and
lawns. Each farmer or owner of land, i
he burns wood, makes enough ashes fol-
these purposes. The extent of land on
which they are used being circumscribed
they may be used plentifully, in which
case the effect will not fail to be highly
satisfactory. | have used them on grape
vines with the most gratifying results, ap
piled mostly as a cover to the mulch, hav
ing the property to keep this moist al
well as to impart fertility; hence the!
are particularly excellent in drouth
Not only is the growth Of wood advanced
but that Of the fruit also, and | have be
come convinced that by the use of ashe
the flavor of fruit in general is improved
know that in connection with thorougl
drainage this has proved t, be the case
Particularly are lawns and dooryards il
grass benefited by ashes. Apply at tn
rate OF sixty to eighty bushels per acre
more or less according to whether tn
ashes are made of hard or soft wood
hard wood ashes being the best. A Goa
applied once in three or four years wi
do. On grapevines, fruit trees, and tn
garden in general, find yearly or bier
n ial applications most satisfactory. c
course less quantity is to be used {
each application.
Now is the time to begin to save ashe
just as they are beginning to be made
Save all carefully during the winter, an
apply early in the spring. Rcmembe
the leached article is nearly as good o
the uneached. Let the scap.making b
done early in the spring, so as to appl
the spent ashes early.-Country Gent.