The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-10-02

and some soft coal was used for incl
In gathering the specimens, an effort
was made to exclude the coal ash as
far as possible. Forty-fve per cent
OF the ash was soluble in acid. The
potash was found to be 2.5 and the
phospholic acid IL per cent. The
prolonged sleeping OF the tan bark an.
pears to have extracted some of the
potash and phosphoric acid. The
value OF 100 pounds OF tannery ash
proved to be 2215 cents.
Soft-coal ash was obtained from the
furnace III the ollegelaboratorv. where
bitumlnous coal is used for fuel. A
small amount of wood ash was pres.
ent from wood kindlings used in start
ing the fire. Eighteen per cent. was
soluble IN acids. The potash was one
hfth OF one per cent. and phosphoric
acid one-seventh of one per cent. I
| also found trace OF lithia in the ash
The lnsoluble residue of eightv-two
| per cent. consisted of silica and in
| soluble silicates. The small amount
OF valuable manurial materials present
came IN part from the wood kindlines.
| Sott-coal ashes have very little vaIne
for manure. Of the specimens ex-
amined, the value OF 100 pounds was
| but two cents.
| Hard coal ashes were obtained from
the anthracite burned in a stovein the
college laboratory. Four and q half
] per cent. were soluble in acid. The
| potash was found 20 be one-tenth OF
one per cent. and the phosphoric acid
one-twentieth of one per cent. The
soluble part contained q small amount
OF sulphate OF lime. The insoluble
part, 9412 per cent, consisted OF CLAW
and other lnsoluble silicates. Estimat-
ed by It's chemical analysis, 100
pounds OF hard-coal ashes are worth
less than one cent. 1t contains less
| plant food than the same amount OF
common coal. It's value for most
purposes springs from it's physical
| properties. 1t Is a good absorbent
and well adapted to use in earth
closets. 1t makes good roads and
walks, and would make a good filling
for hollow wall space to prevent the
passage OF heat. Two parts OF sifted
coal ashes and one OF common salt,
moisteped with water, makes q good
| cement to close open cracks IN stoves
or furnaces; but as a source of plant
food hard-coal ashes are practically
valueless.
DIscarding ashes OF mineral coal as
valueless for manure, [ may say in
general terms that the ashes of wood
and OF land plants OF every kind are of
value Tor manure on every kind of soil
which has been reduced by cropping.
The greatest benefit, however, is shown
upon sandy and porous soils. On
these eight Soils crops of every kind,
but especially root crops and corn,
will be benefited by q dressing of wood
ashes. Fruit trees and fruit. bearing
plants having q woody structure will
be benefited by wood ashes. Thirty
to fifty bushels TO the acre of fresh
ashes viii be 81 full dressing, and three
or four times that amount of leached
ashes may be applied with permanent
| benefit.
Based on the above analysis of
ashes, similar samples of hard wood
ashes would be worth $50 per ton, of
leashed ashes 5000 per ton, and OF
soft-wood ashes $16.S0 per ton.
Corn-cob ashes would be worth $50
per ton, tannery ash es 81 so, soft-coal
ashes forty cents and hard-coal ashes
| sixteen cents per ton.-PrOf r. c..
Kedzie, of the agricultural College OF
Michigan.