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Show Wood Asbrs for Dry Wcathtr. President SmiuVof theJYitcon-sln theJYitcon-sln Horticultural Society, reporting through the J'ratrie xarmcr,ot Chicago, Chi-cago, articulars as to an acre of po tatoes dressed with comjest manure and anotlier with unleashed wood ashes, the two lying side by side and treated In other respects precisely precise-ly alike, makes a statement of notable nota-ble value, especially for a dry season: sea-son: "Tho acre fertilized with ashes jicldeil Efly-ono bushels the most, and if there was any difference in quality it was in fa or of those that had the ashen. Now, the fair inference infer-ence would be that the ashes were much the best manure for potatoes. pota-toes. Let us look a little further: The last half or May and the tint half of Juno were wet and cold, and so far the two acres seemed to keep Just about even. After June IStli the weather became very dry, and there was little rain upon the plants until they were ripe. Very soon alter the ground began to gel dry It could be plainly seen that those manured from the compost heap were suffering for want of rain, while those manured with ashes were growing very rapidly. They continued until they were ripe. The simple fact is potatoes or strawberries manured with ashes stand drought that would bcrulnous to crcia fertilized with any other manure I have ever tried. To this fact I attribute the failure of tho compost-heap acre to hold its own with the acre upon which tlio ashes cre ued. I hat u tried the experiim i many times, alwajs with pneu y the same result, provided we hau u ry season during the growing of the crop. I don't know but the rule will hold good with all farm and garden crojw, but with the above named there Ii no doubt. Do not understand me as underrating ashes as manure. I have used them iu preference to any fertilizer I could get for potatoes for many years, and one of the principal reasocs has beentnat.1 could rely uponagocd crop even In dry weather." |