Ashes In Reclaiming A Farm

We have often spoken of the value of ashes, both leached and unleached, as a fertilizer - have given inany instances of the good resulta that have followed their use as a top dressing and repeatedly urged farmers to make larger use of them thnn they do. And yet they are carried out of the State by the ship load and the truck farmers of Long Island think themselves lucky to get them, even at the outlay of time and money to which they are subjected. Not long ago wo were riding with a most intelligent and well informed gentleman in one of the sea shore townB in Maine - a town whioh contains a considerable portion of light, flat, sandy land - aa do most of our coast towns. The land for some miles east had been of this character, being rather hard looking, and supporting but a scanty burden of grasa and weeda. But we carne to a farm in the midat of this barren sand that was " aa green aa a leek." The fields wero nicely swarded, the growth of grass was rank, stout, and of a deep, healthy green and the cultivated land looked as though it was capable of producing good yields of almost any farm erop. lt was a relief to the eye to glanco over the boundaries of this farm, so closely defined was it, and in such rnarked contrast to the barren sand about it. " Here," said our traveling companion, " is a farm that has been brought up by the use of leached ashes. Kennebec ashes, I auppose, from some of the soap works in your river.'' We were at the time riding to take the cars and had no spare moments, otherwise we should have stopped and inquired of the owner about his method of using the ashea. We learned, however, that none had been applied in recent years, so the condition of his farm must have been due to the lasting qualities of the ashes. The 'appearance of the grass fiolds and pastures on this farm were enough to convinoe any one of the value of leached ashes as a fertilizer; and it was ccrtainly a pretty sight to look at these green fielda in contrast to the general poverty of the surrounding soil. And we made up our niind then and there to again warn our river farmers against letting " Kennebec ashes" be aeut out of our river to distant parts of the State, and even to other States, by the vessel load. You who are within a day's drive of a soap factory set your teams hauling leached ashes for your grass lands, if you have nothing else to do, and great will be your reward. - Maine Farmer.