The Bossier banner., 1893-10-05
FARMER AND PLANTER
ASHES OF PLANTS.
Their Value as a fetgisizing Agent Briefly
Considered.

When any organic substance, with
few exceptions, is burned in contact
with the air, there remains an incom-
bustible residium called ashes, consist
ing of that portion of the plant which
is exclusively mineral. The ashes vary
according to the nature of the plant,
the portion consumed and the locality
in which it grew. The mineral part of
the substances composing the ash are
more essential than the organic or
combustible portion of the plant. Most
of the plants which grow in sea water,
or near the ocean, contain soda and
also potash. Etefi wheat, when grown
near the borders of salt water, though
in soil containing little or no soda, is
found to yield soda. These substances
have very similar properties, and
are to a certain extent inter-
changeable in certain plants; but
this is the exception, and not the rule.
Sea plants, though always containing
soda, are never without potash; in most
cases, indeed, it predomlnates. (Sea
weed makes an excellent manure when
composted.) AS like causes produce
like effects, plants that are similar, and
grown under similar conditions, pro-
duce ashes that are similar. Different
parts of the same plants, as the leaves
the branches, the trunk and root, yield
ashes of different composition. The
difference of the mineral contents of
wheat straw will vary from three to
fifteen per cent, and in cat straw from
three to ten per cent, and under GER
tain circumstances is greater at the
bottom of the stem than at the top.
The amount of mineral food is greater
in the leaves than in any other portion,
and it is precisely in that part of the
plant where assimilation is most active
(fermented or deeayed leaves make a
good vegetable fertilizerJ.
The tuber of the potato coiitaftis in
its ashes as much as eighty-six parts id
the one hundred of the salt of potash,
while the ash of the top contains only
four parts of these substances. The
tnber gives only fourteen parts of lime,
and no silica, while the tops contain as
high as thirty-six parts of silica. Anal
ysis has shown that the ashes of
grain give different result from
those of straw, and this is particularly
illustrated in the wheat plant. The
grain, especially the husk or bran part
of wheat, is rich in phosphoric acid and
in magnesia, while the straw yields but
a small portion of either substance.
The straw contains much silica, and
some potash; the grain but little. 0at
straw contains more than double the
quantity of potash than wheat straw.
BY exporting the grain from the farm,
therefore, the soil is impoverished
of certain minerals, especially phos-
phorfa acid, which are not re-
turned to the land in the
straw. The mineral portions of all
vegetable and organic matters exist in
the ashes and in the plant in different
conditions. In the latter case they are
more or less combined with vegetable
acids, which are com bustible, and when
the plant is reduced to ashes they are
destroyed, leaving the minerals them
selves more or less altered and differ
emily combined. In the decaying
plant they are in assimilable condition,
passing from one state to another, not
having been segregated by the effect
of heat, which, according to its in
tensity, has a disadvaf1tageous effect
upon their action as fertilizer. Thus
slick, which in the plant may have
been in atomic division and soluble, by
the effect of heat becomes gritty and
insoluble. The alkalies may by the
same agent enter into insoluble con-
ditions with that substance, and
thus be rendered inert for an in
definite period. AS the ash of a
plant represents the mineral food
which has once been assimilated, so
far as their nature in this capacity has
not been destroyed by heat, so far are
they useful and valuable for fertilizer
All plants yield ash residuums, but
they differ in their richness and guam
tity. The amount of ash residuum of
the tobacco plant is very large and
especially rich in potash, and is there
fore trying and exhausting to the soil
of this mineral. No plant can be use
less in this respect, and vary in value
according to certain constituents which
are of more value than others. Be
sides, as has been stated, their value
may be deteriorated by the degree of
heat to which the organic matter has
been subjected, although a large
amount of carbonaceous matter not
perfectly combusted is no disadvan-
tage, as we know that charcoal is a
good condenser of gas, and will be
valuable for this property as fer.
tilizer. Ashes are more or less greatly
injured by being left exposed to damp
ness, by the loss of the alkali, very
important constituent of their value
The ash of plant yielding large
amount of phosphoric acid, potash or
soda, is more valuable than those poor
in these elements. Ashes can only be
used as auxiliaries to other manures,
and should be used or applied to soils
containing. much organic matter, for
Notwithstanding that the atmosphere
contains the store of organic elements,
it must be- borne in mind that the soil
also furnishes part of the organic
nourishment to plants. Ashes also
houo c,oaoiaI