204 Manuring Grass Lands." 



The amount of Increase for a given quantity of food consumed 

 was in both cases good. It is obvious, however, that so far from 

 there being less total food consumed when the manufactured meal 

 was employed, there were 9 lbs, more of the mixture eaten when 

 one-sixth of it consisted of the expensive manufactured food ; 

 whilst the amount of increase in weight was exactly the same in 

 the two cases. In fact, the results are so nearly absolutely 

 identical that the difference cannot perhaps be fairly attributed 

 to any intrinsic difference in the character of the food. But it 

 is, at any rate, clear that nothing was gained by adding to the 

 barley-meal and bran, one-fifth of its weight of food, costing 

 about five times as much money. 



The general observations that have been made above are, 

 then, fully borne out by the results of this experiment. In con- 

 clusion, I feel bound to say, that I should require much clearer 

 evidence than any that has hitherto been adduced, to satisfy me 

 that the balance-sheet of my farm would present a more satis- 

 factory result at the end of the year, were I to give to each horse, 

 ox, sheep, and pig, a daily allowance of one of these costly foods. 



Rothamsted, July, 1858. 



X. — Manuring Grass Lands. By J. DiXON. 

 Pkize Essay. 



Having had more than twenty years' experience in the improve- 

 ment of grass lands in \ orkshire, Lancashire, and Cheshire, 

 under the great variety of circumstances in respect to soil and 

 subsoil, altitude above the sea, and other natural conditions of 

 surface which so peculiarly appertain to these counties, I have 

 ventured to record my own practice, and what has come imme- 

 diately under my observation in the practice of others, in this 

 important part of agricultural improvement. 



For the last twenty years I have had rather extensive oppor- 

 tunities of examining the results from the use of bones, and I 

 have no hesitation in pronouncing them to be pre-eminent above 

 all other manures for the improvement of grass lands when per- 

 manency as well as cost are considered. Some farmers prefer 

 them Iwiled on account of their more immediate eff'ect, and 

 consider them equally lasting ; but from my own experience, I 

 am decidedly in favour of raw bones : only allow them to be 

 ground fine, and the effect will soon be evident, particularly if 

 thrown on the land in early spring, and in showery weather. 

 Of the permanent power of the raw bone I can instance a case 

 on land of which I was the tenant for sixteen years : it was old 



