210 3Ianurwf/ Grass Lands. 



Water 8-0 



Matter, organic 27'4 



Carbonate of lime 5*1 



Phosphates 49-3 



SiHca or sand 9*96 



"From the above you will perceive the proportion of sand, which exhibits 

 chiefly in the small powder-like portion of the bones, is much larger than it 

 ought to be. The above examination was made at Chester College. The 

 bones were not sawings, but ordinary raw bone. I had transactions with this 

 man some j^ears ago of a less satisfactory result than the last ; but, from mis- 

 management, I was not in a position to make out a proper case, though to myself 

 it was clear as day. I hope you will succeed in bringing him to justice. 



" Yours most truly, 

 " Dec. 28, 1857." " W. Atkinson. 



In a wide range of country round Knutsford, and extending 

 to Chester, there is perhaps not more than one-fifth of the land 

 in tillage : it is a great dairy district. Bones have been used 

 here to a great extent, and with great satisfaction in every in- 

 stance which has come to my knowledge. 



I was over a farm in the township of Toft, some weeks since, 

 of about 160 acres in extent. The present tenant has occupied 

 it for ten years ; the first year he expended 300/. in bones, which 

 were applied to pasture land at the rate of 15 cwt. to the acre ; 

 the price of the bones being 11. IQs. per ton. The whole of 

 this farm has been bone-dusted ; and a great proportion of it, at 

 least the pasture, has had a second dressing of about 8 cwt. to 

 the acre. The stock formerly kept consisted of 20 dairy cows, 

 and 3 or 4 horses and colts. On this farm there were depastured 

 the last summer, 35 dairy cows, and 8 feeding ditto, with 16 head 

 of young stock, besides 5 horses and 3 colts ; and one- fourth of 

 the farm is in tillage. Similar results have been produced on 

 almost every farm in this neighbourhood ; and, indeed, all over 

 the grass-lands in the county, where bones have been applied, 

 although the soils and subsoils are as varied in natural character 

 and appearance, and apparent fertility, as can be imagined to 

 exist in any one section of a country — fiom good strong loam 

 resting on red sandstone, and soils of good staple resting on clay 

 or on a mixture of clay and calcareous gravel in different propor- 

 tions, to the very poor cohesive surface resting on a bottom of 

 clay mixed with calcareous earth, so close and unbroken in its 

 texture as scarcely to admit of water percolating into it. 



Bones are at present scarce at the importing towns, and few 

 now reach this country from abroad which have not had a con- 

 siderable quantity of the more soluble constituents, fat and cjela- 

 tine., taken out, as these particular parts of the raw or fresh bone 

 are extensively used in the manufacture or the finishing of various 



