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Letter to Editor
July 2, 1805
Alexandria Daily Advertiser
Alexandria, Virginia
What is this article about?
A farmer writes to urge fellow farmers to apply wood ashes directly to corn hills as fertilizer to boost yields, rather than selling them cheaply to merchants, based on long-term experience and anecdote from an elderly gentleman.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
From the Weekly Wanderer.
Mr. Printer,
I would beg leave, through the medium of your paper, to solicit my brother farmers, to make use of their ashes on their corn land, instead of selling them to the merchants for twelve cents a bushel. I will warrant them 45 cents a bushel clear of all expense, if rightly managed. The method is this:
When your corn first comes out of the ground, put one half pint of ashes around the hill; if your ashes are not good put the more. In conversation with a venerable old gentleman the other day on the subject he assured me that he had made use of ashes in this way for many years past, and had never failed of having one bushel of corn extraordinary for every bushel of ashes. It is the opinion of some men, that half a pint of good ashes is rather too much for a hill, but this must be left to the discretion of the farmer. I am sensible it is not customary to pay much attention to what is read in newspapers, but my Brother farmers let us try one bushel this year and if it has the desired effect, we shall be rewarded for our trouble, and can well afford to try the experiment another year.
A FARMER.
Mr. Printer,
I would beg leave, through the medium of your paper, to solicit my brother farmers, to make use of their ashes on their corn land, instead of selling them to the merchants for twelve cents a bushel. I will warrant them 45 cents a bushel clear of all expense, if rightly managed. The method is this:
When your corn first comes out of the ground, put one half pint of ashes around the hill; if your ashes are not good put the more. In conversation with a venerable old gentleman the other day on the subject he assured me that he had made use of ashes in this way for many years past, and had never failed of having one bushel of corn extraordinary for every bushel of ashes. It is the opinion of some men, that half a pint of good ashes is rather too much for a hill, but this must be left to the discretion of the farmer. I am sensible it is not customary to pay much attention to what is read in newspapers, but my Brother farmers let us try one bushel this year and if it has the desired effect, we shall be rewarded for our trouble, and can well afford to try the experiment another year.
A FARMER.
What sub-type of article is it?
Informative
Persuasive
What themes does it cover?
Agriculture
What keywords are associated?
Wood Ashes
Corn Fertilizer
Farming Method
Yield Increase
Agricultural Advice
What entities or persons were involved?
A Farmer.
Mr. Printer,
Letter to Editor Details
Author
A Farmer.
Recipient
Mr. Printer,
Main Argument
farmers should apply wood ashes to corn hills to increase yields by at least one extra bushel per bushel of ashes used, rather than selling them for twelve cents a bushel, as this method yields a net value of 45 cents per bushel if managed correctly.
Notable Details
Conversation With A Venerable Old Gentleman Who Used Ashes For Many Years
Suggestion To Apply Half A Pint Per Hill, Adjustable Based On Ash Quality
Encouragement To Experiment With One Bushel This Year