WOOD ASHES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9820, 17 November 1917, Page 3

WOOD ASHES

fertilising value. In these days of scarcity of imported fertilisers, scarcely too much stress can be laid upon the value of common mott ashes. This local source of potash is almost entirely neglected, altnough there are very few selections and orchards that have not. hundreds of tons ot this highly valuable manure, easily available, especially on forest Iwws. carrying, hardwood. Even without felling n. single tree, most selectors have thousands of tons of hardwood lying rotting on the gioiyid. To have this burned and cleaned up would almost, it not quite, double llio area of land for grazing purposes, also a large quantity of potash would be liberated. Japan has considerably over 20,000 saunro miles of cultivated land, and every acre annually receives 3S.6ib of potash and 12.8 Lb of phosphoric acid, derived from wood ashes, contributed by the non-arable hills and mountains ot that country. More than 2.000,000 tons of wood ashes are annuall- spread upon tho arable soils of Japan—a. fertility tribute exacted by those painstaking and thrifty farmers from lands that are unsuitable for the production of crops. 'What an obiect lesson this presents to the orchardist and tho farmers generally. It should bo noted that tho source of wood ash affects its composition and value: thus hardwood ashes are more valuable than those from softwood. Softwoods are probably as valuable as the heavier timber, pound for pound, but they yield a very much smaller amount of ash in proportion to their bulk. Deciduous trees also generally yield more ash. and are higher in potash content than the conifer family. Ashes owe their principal agricultural value to tho lime, carbonate and potash that they contain. In the United States of America much attention is giyen to inanurial experiments with wood ashes. Especially is this die case at the great agricultural colleges in Connecticut and Wisconsin, where it has been demonstrated, for example, that the crop of potatoes has increased by li tons per aero by an. application of ashes, which worked out at an increase of 50 bushels of potatoes per ion of ashes, making the ashes worth about .£3 2s 6d per ton when potatoes were at average prices. The great value of wood ashes as a fertiliser will be very evident to any-' one who lino broken up a. few acres of virgin forest land, burned off the timbers, and ploughed in the ashbs. Even the very poorest soils yield amazing remits for one or two .seasons; but after that the plant food must bo replenished or down goes the yield. *