218 Manuring Grass Lands. 



ing, and its effect is visible for several years. The cotton 

 manufacturers, wherever they are established, produce much 

 waste in their manufacture, particularly from coarse cottons. 

 Vast quantities of the seeds of the cotton-plant are dressed out 

 of the cottons, and these seeds contain much oil. Some esta- 

 blishments are entirely employed in cleaning coarse cottons, and 

 perhaps produce 1200 to 1500 tons of manure in a year. If it 

 lies together for a few days, with moisture added, it becomes 

 quite as hot as horse-dung. Many of the seeds vegetate and 

 grow several inches, but, of course, soon die, even in our 

 summer. There must now be some thousands of tons of this 

 manure made in the cotton-manufacturing districts. It is used 

 in mixture with the soil made at the mills ; Ijut as there is 

 much more than can be employed in that way, a great quantity 

 is carted away, even for 8 or 10 miles, sometimes to be used as 

 an absorbent of the liquids about a farm-yard, or in cattle-stalls, 

 and very frequently to be spread in a dry state on grass lands. 

 Its common price is 2s. to 2s. 6r/. per ton, and 7 tons are a good 

 dressing for one acre, either to pasture or to cut for hay, and its 

 value is now so well understood that I have seen many carts 

 waiting at one mill to get loaded. 



A great extent of grass as well as tillage land is maintained 

 in a highly-productive condition from the refuse of our manu- 

 factories, which is of course advantageous to the purely agri- 

 cultural districts, by lessening the demand for bones, guano, and 

 other more easily transportable manures. 



I occupy two farms about 20 miles distant from each other, 

 one about 100 feet above the sea level, the other at an alti- 

 tude of 400 feet. I have also had the superintendence and 

 direction of important improvements on grass lands lying at an 

 altitude of 600 feet, and I find, from observation and experience, 

 that every description of manure — even lime and marl — are 

 much less lasting on high lands than on lands situated at lower 

 altitudes, the difference beginning to be perceptible at an ele- 

 vation of 250 to 300 feet. 



On the high range of country where I used lime 12 years ago, 

 I have observed that the land then limed has shown a less 

 marked effect in the last two years. I have not found this to be 

 the case where bones were used, but they were applied in nearly 

 twice the quantity on a given space which has produced such 

 decided and permanent results in lower altitudes in the same 

 and adjoining counties. 



Ashley, Altnncham, Cheshire. 



