Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-04-15
Wood Ashes as a Fertilizer.

How CAN | best utilize that big heap
of ashes out by the wood-pile? This is
question which we have no doubt that
hundreds of the some odd thousands of
farmers who read this paper have sug-
gested to themselves, now that the
milder weather renders drafts on the
wood-pile less frequent. In nine cases
out of ten we wager that the speakers
excellent spouse Immediately remarks
that she is about to sell them to the soap
maker; and the money? well, that is her
perquisite, and it would be very ungal-
liant on our part to venture a suspicion
as to it's outlay. Still we dislike to see
these ashes go to the soap-boiler, and
perhaps word as to their value to our
farmer friend may cause him to think as
we do; so, with word of apology to both
madam and the soap-man for our I'M
warrantable interference with their little
traffic, we venture to suggest that those
ashes are very much more valuable as
fertilizer than for I've.
We suppose that every agriculturist
nowadays has some general idea Of the
principle of restitution; that is to say,
the elements necessary to the growth of
vegetables must be replaced; and If they
are not the crop either fails utterly, or at
best is deficient in health and growth
The amount of these clements, phospho-
rus, lime, potash and several others, to
be replaced varies according to the veg
OF
from seven and half acres of land takes
away the seed constituents Of four whe at
crops, besides about 600 pounds of potash
The average turnip produce of the same
area removes the seed constituents of
four wheat crops and about 900 pounds
of potash. Similarly also grapes, clover,
peas, beans, lucerne and nearly all
leguminous vegetables remove potash in
immense quantities. It is evident that
in such cases potash is the material
which the land most requires to produce
a new crop. To buy potash and add it
to the soil would be expensive; true, it
may be procured in combination with
other substances in various fertilizers,
but there is much simpler source for it,
and that source is the ash heap, which
otherwise the soapmau purchases
Prof Storer, whose recent paper on
the fertilizing properties of wood ashes
we ind in the Bulletin Of the Bussey In
stltutiOn, gives the latest information on
the value of this most useful material.
He says that the analysis of thirteen
samples OF house ashes shows range of
from to 1913 per cent. of potash and
from GA to As per cent. of phosphoric
acid. The lowest percentages of potash,
to 60, were from ashes of mixture of
maple, oak and white pine wood, col
lected by a soap-boiler in country
village. The highest percentages, 10 to
1913, were in ashes of mixed beech, birch
and maple IN one case, and in those of
pitch pine in the other. Eight of the
samples ranged, as to potash, from IA to
80, the average Of them, as well as that
OF all the thirteen samples, being about
81 per cent. This, st must be borne in
mind, is the proportion of the chemists
potash or oxide of potassium, and cor
o'ponoo W duout 1o2 per cent. or the |
potash of commerce, which is an impure |
carbonate and hydrate of potassium. |
The average of phosphoric acid in dry |
al wood ashes, whether un-
leached or leached, is about 2 per cent
a much less quantity than would be in
ferred from the composition of tie "pure
ash" of many woods.
This phosphoric acid is also valuable