St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-10-28
| FARMER AND PLANTER
ASHES or PLANTS.

TAslr valos - . Rsstsll.ang Aesas Dsss10
- air eCsoaDaseo0.
When any organic substance. with
few exceptions, il burned in contact
with the air, there remains IN incom-
bustible residium called ashes. eoosiste
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 tho LEGALITY
In which Il grew. The mineral part of
the substances composing the ash are
more ESSENTIAL than the orGsnic q
combustible portion of the plaat. Most
Of the plants which grow In sea water.
or near the ocean, contain soda and
also potash. Even wheat when grown
near the borders Of salt water, though
in soll containing litGle o. no eoda, =
found 20 yield soda. These substances
have very similar properties. and
are to certain extent inter
chsngeable in. certain plants; but
this Il the exception. aad not the rule.
Sea plants, though always containing
soda, are never without potash; in most
cases, indeed, Il predomlnateG (5ea
weed makes IN excellent manure when
eomposted.) A like causes produce
like effects, plants that arc similar, and
grown under similar conditions. pro-
duce ashes that are simslar. Different
parts Of the asme plants. as the 1eaves.
the branches, the trunk and root. yield
ashes of different competition. The
difference of the mineral contents Of
wheat straw will vary from three to
fifteen per cent, and in oat straw froW
three to ten per cent, and under ees.
tain circumstances h greater at tho
bottom Of the stem than at the top
The anoant Of mineral food b greater
In thA leaves than In any other poetioa,
and Il is precisely in that part of the
plant where assimilation 10 most aetive
(fermented or decayed leaves make =
good vegetable fertilizer).
The tuber Of the potato contains b
its ashes ss much - eiehty-six parts In
the one hundrod Of the salt Of potash,
while the ash Of the tnp contains only
four parts Of these substaacss- The
timber givcs only fourteen partA VI lime.
and no silica, while the tops contain ~
high - thirty-six parts of silica. Anal
ysis has shown that, the ashes Of
grain give . different result froW
those Of straw, and this IS particularly
illustzatsd. in the wheat plant The
grain, especially the husk or bran part
Of wheat, 10 rich in phosphoric acid and
In magnesia, while the straw yields but
. small portion Of either substance.
The straw contains much silica, and
snsne potash; the grain bat. little. Ost
straw contains more than double the
quantity Of potash than wheat straw.
BY exporting the grain from the farm.
therefore. the soil u Impoverished
Of certain numerals. especially phos.
phoric acid. which are not re-
turned to the land in the
straw. The mineral portioas q ali
vegetable and organic Dstters ssist In
the ashes and in the plant in dinerent
conditions. In the latter cass.they are
more a. lehs combined With V1O0tAble
acids. which are combsstihle, ,A41NkAen
the plant Is reduced to ashessthe1 ~
destroyed. leaving the minerals. t4e1A>
selves moro Or less altered and dnlG
entity, combined. In the dAoetiA&
plant they are in axsimilable e6udff II,
passing from one state 70 anoth1Et h6e
having been segregated By the eflast
of heat, which. according 10 it, In
teusity. has Q ,disadvsutsgeous efEest
upon their action - fertilizer. Thus
silex. 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
aame agent enter into insoluble COM
ditioas with that snbstaace. and
tins b rendered inert fer. aa In
definite. period. A. the asA ef .
plant representa the mineral food
which has once been essimilated. 90
far q their nstnre in this capacity has
not been destroyed BY heat, 90 far are
they useful and valuable fpr fertilizer.
All plants yield ash residuums, but
they differ in their richness and oman.
tity. The amount Of ash reaiduum Of
the tobacco plant Is very large and
especially rich IN potash. and il there
fore trying and exhausting 70 the soil
of this mineral No plant can Be uss-
less in this respect, and vary In tslue
according TO certain constituents which
are Of more value than 0therA He.
sides, rs has been stated, their value
may be deteriorated BY the degree of
heat 70 which the organic matter hes
been subjected, althoogh . large
amount Of carbonaceous matter not
perfectly combusted IL no dissdvsp-
taae, - We know that ehsrcoal - .
GOOD condenser Of gsA and, will be
valuable for this property ss . fer
tilizer. Ashes are more OF lcss greatly
injured by being left exposed 70 damp
ness, by the. loss OF the sllEAli. . very
important constituent Of their values
The ash Of . plant yielding . large
anount Of pAoaphogie ac3d. potash o.
soda, is more valuable than those poor
in these elements. Ashes can only be
used q auxi1isries TO other msaureA
end should b uaed or applied b. spils
containing. much organic matter, for
notwithstanding that the atmosphere
contains the store Of organic ele0ents,
Il must Be borhe In mind that the soil
also furnishes . part Of The organic
pourishment 70 plants Ashss also
have . special effect On heavy. .stiR
clay soils, in causing . separation q
the dvsieles, their adhesive nature
esuptsraeting tie teaaeitD ef sch
soils, while ipdapendent Of thiD
mechanical eject, their chemical eo0r
poat3ou has IL sune valne IN theo1 -
= other applicstionA ..f.a-- se..
In the manufaeture of sshes st hoDo
on the fhrn, Il must Be rumeD6esUd
A&>A ~ ~sAz~n~p>A q AaunuanvnA 4.