POTASH-MAKING IN ESSEX : A LOST RURAL INDUSTRY.
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had percolated through the ashes. Usually near the very large
hearth was a hole in the ground formed by sinking a large tub, and
this was also full of water or "lye." Surrounding the building were
heaps of the materials from which the potash was made ; stalks of
turnips, remaining alter the seed had been threshed; bean straw ;
pea straw, too much washed by the rain for feeding purposes ; rough
waste faggots; weeds, nettles and bushes from the clearings of hedge-
rows and ditches, called "bill draggings," by the farm labourers ;
and lastly, there was usually a rough heap or stack of wheat, oat, or
barley straw. In fact, no woody material or vegetable fibre that
would burn seemed to come amiss, and heaps of such refuse might
generally be seen near the "Potash." As far as I remember, and
my recollections are borne out by the evidence of some old people,
the processes adopted were these : The Potash-makers visited the
farm houses and cottages in the district, and purchased any wood
ashes the inhabitants had for disposal. At this time, before the
trade began to decay, plenty of ashes might be had, for in every
farm house baking was done at home, and the brick oven which was
then in use was invariably heated by a wood fire. Not only did the
farmer's wife bake her own bread, but almost every cottager had an
oven also, and this was heated by wood ; and thus it came about
that there were always plenty of ashes for sale to the potash-maker.
Occasionally, in those districts where the water happened to be
very hard, there would be but few ashes for disposal, as they were
used by the cottagers' wives to make the water "soft" for their
weekly or fortnightly washings, as they were unable to afford soap.
But if the potash-makers could purchase ashes, they were always
willing to do so at a good price. I remember seeing Mr. Townsend,
or his man, of the Rochford "Potash," pay about five pence a bushel
for good dry wood-ashes. All the ashes bought were carried to the
"Potash" and put into the tub with the perforated bottom ; and on
the ashes water was poured, which gradually filtered through and ran
into a vat underneath, called the "lye-letch." This resulting lye was
either poured into the sunken tub before mentioned or it was put
into another large tub, and in it wheat, oat, or barley straw was
soaked, and then this saturated straw was burned on the hearth under
the large chimney, care being taken that the fire only smouldered.
As I recollect, the ashes produced by this burning were again
washed, and the resulting "lye," now become very rich and strong,
was again used to soak straw, which, in turn, was burnt on the hearth :.