Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-12-25
Wood Ashes . valuable Farm Asset.
THEY coHrAIH Ln1x. POTASH And pHos.
PH0RIc ACID.

WOOD contains about 4 per cent al
ana oark contains from 8 to s DER cen,
ssn' Good merchantable cord wood
| carries about ono per cent of ash. WOOD
nom Limbs has relatively moro bark and
ni&ner ash content. Wood ashes vary IN
composition with the kind Of wood bu,
on shs average good wood ashes carry
soons % per cent Of lime. 8 per cent OF
potash and one per cent OF insoluble
pnosphoric acid. The ashes from q
cord OF hard wood will carry about %
pounds OF lime, moro than s pounds oi
potash and about half . pound OF phos.
phoric acid. At present market prices
these are worth rather moro than q
dollar. A cord Of limb wood would
furnish more ashes and have q higher
value. Taking the potash shortage into
account coupled with the fact that on
some soile and with some crops potash
70 tne limiting factor In plant growth
ana crop production the agricultural
value OF potash may greatly exceed its
monetary value.
Potash 10 volatile at . not very high
temperature 90 that in the case Of fires
that are pushed to make hot fire there
10 always some loss In potash. For
this reason ashes from . fireplace or
from wood furnace used for house
heating will usually carry more potash
than cook stove ashes and far more than
furnace ashes from mill boilers.
AZ potash 10 water soluble ashes must
be stored In . dry place protected from
rain in order to be Of the highest value.
Most of the wood ashes of commerce
have been exposed to the elements and
have thus lost quite q part Of their
value. Ashes come under the fertilizer
law and one should purchase Car lots Of
ashes only under definite guaranty for
potash and lime Some ashes sold in
Maine In Car lots In 1917 a. unlsached
ashes carried less than two per cent
of potash. These were vet and either
had been exposed to rain or were leach
cd ashss.
The potash in ashes 10 In the form of
potassium carbonate. Ashes are strong
ly alkaline. This tends to make land to
to which ashes are applied alkaline. As
alkaline soils are favorable to growth Of
the fungus that causes potato scab.
under normal conditions the use of
ashes for growing potatoes has been dis
But potatoes require potash
for their growth. Scabby potatoes are
just as nutritious and from . food
standpoint - valuable as smooth
potatoes.
At the present time where the i'm
portant thing is to grow food one should
not hesitate to use wood ashes on
potatoes when potash in other forms
cannot be had. For potatoes they
should be applied broadcast at the rate
of about 25 bushels per acre. They can
be put on with some makes OF manure
spresders but it must be possible to
regulate tho delivery so that they will
not be applied too heavily.
Ashes have always been valuable
farm asset and in these times OF war
necessities are Of special importance for
agriculture. They are just a. good on
the village or suburban garden az on
the farm. Coal ashes carry no plant
food that 10 available. They may I'm
prove rhs mechanical condition OF light
sandy soil but otherwise have no agri-
value.
Burn wood for cooking and for warm
ing the home. Save the ashes and ap-
ply them to the soil In which potash
crops are to be grown This
will save GOAL for the industries such as
munition factories and railroad trans
portation of war freight. It will also add
to the amount of home grown food
CHAs. D. WooDs, Director, Maine tx
pertinent Station.