SAVE THE COAL ASHES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1274, 7 May 1880, Page 2

SAVE THE COAL ASHES.

"It is not thoroughly appreciated," says Tick's Magazine, " how much heavy soils oan be benefited by the use of the ooal ashes, now generally wasted or applied to the roads. It is quite satisfactorily shown that coal ashes, though not having manurial value sufficient to warrant any expense for carriage or long hauling, may, with advantage, bo spread upon the ground where they are produaed. Mixed with heavy soils their mechanical effect is to lighten it and make it porous and friable. A number of experiments with coal ashes, publicly reported within the last year or two, leave no doubt that they have, at least, some slight value as manure, and that mixed with heavy land their effect is very beneficial. Upon this subject a practical cultivator, through the columns of a late number of a British journal, gives the following advice and corroborative testimony ' A third part of ashes to two*thirds of soil will not bq too muphi You will very likely not have enough to do this at once, therefor© use what you have, and repeat the dressiryj again and again till the soil, however wet it may be, parts readily from the tool. It may require three or four years tq accomplish this if you have only the asihest , of an ordinary household at your disposal* But pray remember that once well donoifc will give you no further tvovble j for aofc only do ashes lighten a heavy soil, but they also render material assistance to itsi drainage, and it becomes so porous that the passage of rain water is hence it is comparatively dry attd warns* it is open to the action of the air, and W therefore sweetened made more fer-» tile.'"