The record-union., 1891-12-01
FARM And ORCHARD.

Notes With Respect to Wood
Ashes as a Fertilizer.
Do Not Grumble-The Japanese Lac
quer Tree-Plant Acorns-The Cam
phor Tree-Fruit Drying in Cali
fornia-Interesting Farm Notes.
A ton of wood ashes contains a variety
of plant food that serves to supply plants
with all the important elements with the
exception of nitrogen. Much of the
value of ashes as potash fertilizer is lost
when the ashes are leached, but even the
leached ashes contain large share OF
lime and fair proportion of phosphoric
acid and potash. There are about go
pounds of water in the dry, unleached
ashes and 600 pounds in the leached, and
in buying the unleached ashes the haul
ing of much of this large amount of water
is avoided. The labor required to trans
port ashes and apply them to the soil is
one Of the most expensive items In their
purchase. The amount of lime in ton
of unleached ashes amounts to about l ,20C
pounds, and in leached ashes to about
LOCO pounds. This lime is in very fine
state of divisibility and also in a caustic
.e,I ,o4 hoe hnf n,.d
done service as plant food, and comes
from the plants being reduced to ashes
the primitive elemenJS-Some OF the lime
being ready to Immediately act on the
vegetable matter of the soil and hasten
chemical combinations.
There are also about 100 pounds of pure
potash in ton of unleached ashes, and it
is readily soluble. Nearly 400 pounds
of sand and earth are estimated as exist
ing in each ton also, which is of no value
to the farmer whatever, which, with the
water, renders about one-third of the
whole quantity useless. There are five
times as much potash in unleached ashes
as in the leached. OF phosphoric acid the
unleached ashes contain about 50 pounds
per ton, and the leached about 20 pounds.
When we compare these substances with
manure, we find that ton of horse ma
nure contains over 400 pounds of water,
four pounds of lime, 104 pounds Of potash
and five and one-half pounds of phos-
phoric acid. Leaving out the nitrogen
in the manure, the ashes, even after be-
ing leached, are more valuable than ma
nure so far as the mineral matter is con-
cerned. and they supply to the soil the
mineral elements in a fine and available
condition. The use of ashes, therefore.
largely increases grass crops, because
they contain lime in large proportions, as
well as potash, and also contain no in
II N<Nf 4
all of which substances are among the
principal ingredients of high-priced fer
hlizers.-Philadelph Record.
Do NOT GRUMBLE, BUT PLANT.
The Japanese lacquer tree, Rbus Uerni-
ciferG, is perhaps already growing in
California and would doubtless thrive in
most parts of the State. There is no rea-
son why California should not add the
famous lacquer yarnish to her products.
AS this varnish is not acted upon by fruit
acids it would be a magnificent thing
with which TO cover our fruit trays, but
as 1t is ve"y expensive in Japan it cannot
be utilized for this purpose. Why not
plant the trees and IN a few years have
plenty of the varnish for our own use?
Our wine men are clamoring for corks
and our yineyardists for cork dust in
which to pack their grapes, when all in
the world they have to do is to plant
acorns, and in few years they will have
all the cork dust they will want. This
tree thfives magnificently in California
and grows without culture or care as
soon as the plants become established.
Camphor is becoming dearer in price
every year and is almost prohibitory for
some purposes for which it has hitherto
been used. But few imported trees grow
better in California than the camphor
tree, and it can be found quite generally
distributed over the State in ornamental
grounds. Why not plant camphor-tree
groves and produce our own camphor?
All three of these trees are adapted to
our climate and soil and willing hands
and intelligent heads are all that are re-
quired to plant them and build up great
ndustries.-California Fruit-Grower.
FRUIT-DRYING IN CALIFORNIA.
Fruit-drying is now one of our recog-
nized industries. That judgment, expert
ence and money are required in this
branch of the fruit business in California
goes without saying. The dried fruit
markets of the United States furnishe
the greatest and most available outlet for
the vast output of dried fruit, which is
increasing in volume year by year.
The markets of the South Pacific is
lands and Australia have been partially
developed and are taking fair quantities
of dried fruit this season. Our dried
fruits are also being gradually introduced
in the various large cities of Europe, sew
eral trial trips, consisting of carloads OF
choice apricots and peaches, having been
distributed in the old world at good prices.
A very large, profitable trade will GER
tainly result from the proper introduction
of California dried fruits in England.
The output of dried fruit in this State
from the crop of 1890 was As, 200. 900
pounds, or 2, 435 carloads, classified as fol-
lows:
Pounds Pounds
Apples........,.. 100000 Prunes..... 100000
Apricots S,500,000 Grapes. 10,001 600
Peaches ......... L, 2,250,0 600 Nectarines 100000
Pears............ 100000 Figs. $4,000
Plums............ 100000
FARM NOTES.
1t is claimed that the State of Ohio alone
produces more wheat than all South
America, Mexico, Central America and
the West Indies.
If you cannot pulverize or grind refuse
bones, place them around the fruit trees
and vines, burying them deep enough to
avoid having them turned up by the
plow.
The difference between sharp plow
and dull one may not appear very inn
portant, but it may make the difference
IN labor of three horses compared with
two. When the implements are in proper
order less power is required.
Government investigations seem to in
dicate that the total sugar crop in the
United States this year will be in the
neighborhood of 500,O00,00O pounds OF
this yield about ninety three per cent. is
from sugar cane; five per cent. from
sugar beets; one and a half per cent. from
the maple tree, and the rest from
sorghum.
To keep steel ornaments from rusting
when not in use sift powdered starch
through fine muslin, place in a paste
board box and plunge the articles of steel
into the starch, quite covering them