Manuring Grass Lands. 211 



fabrics in our commercial districts. Twenty years ago I bought 

 scores of tons of boiled bones at 3/, f)s. to 4/, per ton ; the price 

 is at this time hi. 10s. to 6/. per ton : imported boiled bones are 

 sold at 11. to 9/. per ton ; and sound leg and thigh bones, used 

 by button-makers or for knife-handles, at 14/. to 18/. per ton. I 

 always prefer using boiled bones soon after they are taken out of 

 the digester. In that state they are wet, and of course heavy in 

 proportion to their bulk. Many farmers would rather have this 

 description of bones more dry, which they will soon become if 

 allowed to remain in a heap of many tons together ; but in the 

 fermentation and drying which take place under these circum- 

 stances I have always found a corresponding loss of power in the 

 manure. 



Lime is extensively used in many parts of England and Scot- 

 land for top-dressing grass-lands not intended for tillage ; and 

 also on lands in tillage on clay soils it destroys to some extent 

 the cohesive character of the soil, making it more porous and easy 

 to work. On very dry grass-land, subject to burn in hot weather, 

 I have found great benefit from an application of 8 tons of lime 

 to the acre. On sandy, ferruginous soils, containing much fox- 

 bench or iron-band, it is a permanent benefit ; this I know from 

 at least twenty-five years' experience. In the years 1847, 1848, 

 and 1849, I used more than 1000 tons of Derbyshire lime : it 

 was brought by water-carriage about 80 miles, and cost V2s. per 

 ton. On the side of the grass-park, on which most of it was 

 used, 108 acres of extremely poor old grass pasture were covered 

 over in three years with about 8 tons to the acre. The subsoil 

 for the most part was a poor arid red sand, nearly such as is 

 used for building purposes. The surface soil had a very light 

 vegetable covering, mossy and almost like wild moorland. The 

 whole extent of this grass-park at that time Avas 280 acres, lying 

 at an altitude of nearly 400 feet, and appropriated as a public 

 pasture for cattle. The average yearly receipts from the cattle 

 on this pasture for ten years previous to a great breadth of it 

 being limed,* were 126/. In 1848 that portion limed in 1847 

 was much improved, and more stock was put in the pasture. 

 A marked improvement from the lime was always seen in 

 later autumn, if applied in spring or the early summer months. 

 In 1850, 420/. was received from parties having cattle in this 



* Sixty acres were covered with compost of peat-earth, night-soil, and sweep- 

 ings from the streets of Manchester. I'hese manures are sooner in full action 

 than either lime or bones, but of shorter duration ; they cost about the same per 

 acre as lime, taking into account horse and other labour. We dressed with 26 

 cart-loads to the acre. I prefer using putrescent manures on grass lands in the 

 spring or autumn months, at a time when there are indications of rain after 

 dry weather. 



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