ASHES. The earthy residuum, from the combustion of any organic substance as vegetable matter, wood, coal, etc., is termed ash or ashes. In an agricultural sense they are valuable as containing pot ash, one of the important constituents in all fertile soils. The ancients were well acquainted with the use of ashes as ma nure, even to the burning of twigs and dry branches, for the sake of the ashes they contained. The burning of stubble, for the same purpose, was practiced both by the Jews and Romans, and also by the ancient Britons. Ashes vary in potash, according to the wood employed. The wood of the oak, divested of the bark, contains but about 2 parts of ash in 1,000 parts, while the bark contains 60 parts. Poplar wood contains 8 parts of ash, and the bark 72 parts. The wood of the mul berry 7 parts in 1,000, and the bark 89 parts. The wood of horse chestnut con tains 35, and wheat straw 43 parts in 1,000. Yet this is no criterion of their value as manure, since it is no index to the potash they contain. The following
table will show the potash,(parts) contained in 10,000 parts of some well known substances, compiled by Davy, as follows: Poplar, 10,000 parts produced 7 Beech, 012 Oak, " 44 15 0 Elm, 4439 Vine, ,. 4455 Thistle, " " 53 Fern, ll 4462 ' Cow Thistle " 1 0 196 Beans, ?.? 210 Vetches, ., 275 Wormwood, " lf'730 Fumitory, " 44790 , Corn-cobs are so rich, that the ash has keen used as a substitute for saleratus, for raising bread, and the ashes are now carefully saved in many of the great corn regions of the 'West, as a manure for the land. Coal ashes contains but little potash—the constituents of value being lime and gypsum, abo'ut two per cent in a hun dred of each.. They are valuable, however, as a divisor of the soil, and on stiff clays may be used until it composes about one quarter of the soil. (See articles, Alkali and Potash.)