The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-01-09
COAL ASHES.
Their Value - . Puiverizer Of stif Clay
SOIL Equal to MI,

tucI VaI0S
Soil Equal to MI,
Coal ashes are highly recommended
by some agricultural journals as a pull
yerizer for stiff clay soils. Several
years ago / read an article on the SUBJ
iect wherein the writer described the
action of the ashes upon the soil, n
the benefits accruing therefrom, in
such a vivid manner that I Immediately
determined to employ them for loosen
ing up a piece Of stiff ground upon
which 1 desired to plant beans and
squash. After spreading them to the
depth of three inches over about hall
of the piece l thought it might be advis'
able, in employing an agent l knew
nothing about, to go a little slow at
first. There would be time enough
afterward to use it in a wholesale man.
ner. if it proved as valuable as the
writer declared.
The ashes spread upon the ground
were thoroughly incorporated with the
soil, the whole piece prepared. the
rows laid out and the beans planted.
They all came up about the same
time, but l soon noticed that those
planted among the ashes had m
thing the matter with them; they ap-
peared weary and sad-like. One after
another dropped, laid over and with
cred away. Those planted where there
we're no ashes looked strong and thrifty,
and grew without any hesitation. In
less than two weeks the ash-treated
land was as bare as the day it vas
planted. I then planted it with squash
seed. The plants came up all right
and appeared to be healthy, but before
long they seemed to be stricken with
malaria, turned pale, dropped and
evaporated. l was then fully per.
suaded that coal ashes were not what
that writer had asserted they were.
Nothing would grow on that patch
until late in summer, when l sowed
some corn upon it which yielded an at
tenuated crop of fodder. In the fall !
covered the whole patch with rotted
barnyard and plowed it in.
The following spring 1 planted it to
strawberries, and they succeeded fine.
ly.
So far as rendering the land friable
was concerned l could not distinguish
any difference between the part where
they had been used and that where
they had not. When l hoed the ground,
however, l remarked u very consider.
able difference. When my hoe cncount.
cred the ashes its sharpness disappeared
in short order; its edge assumed the
appearance Of a badly used saw, and l
was compelled to carry a file to trim its
Jagged teeth off at the end of each
round. I have ploughed the land over
several times since the ashes were ap.
piled, and they have entirely disap.
peared.
Coal ashes are very useful when phi
to a proper use. They make the best
of walks if confined with an edslng Of
bricks, tiles or boards. They should
be laid to the depth of six inches or
more, beaten down solid and smooth,
and then nothing will grow through or
among them. They are also useful
for flooring stables. If mixed with a
little dry clay, and wetted as they are
put down, they may be beaten
solid almost as a rock. They should
never be piled up in unsightly heaps
about the kitchen or back yard. Put
them into a box or barrel, and if not
needed on the place use them to repair
bad spots in the public road. For this
purpose they are especially valuable,
and on application of two hundred
tons to the mile wouldn't hurt some Of
II roads. For several months J. have
run my ashes through a coarse sieve
every morning, while dry, and spread
the finer portion wei the constable
floor to absorb the moisture, and they
answer the purpose admirably. The
coarse ashes and cinders are thrown
upon apermanent roadway. There is
another use for the large cinders: put
them into a barrel, and next time the
posts for the clothes-line or hitching.
rack are set, use them to fill in around
the posts instead of earth, and lamp
hard. The posts will stand firm a long
iimn Gar ~ Y Ea.nao1a,n,