22 PRACTICAL GARDENING. 



time. Bones cruslied or ground to powder are a favourite 

 manure. K tlie effect is to be immediate, the powder is the 

 better, because it more rapidly amalgamates with the soil; 

 but if permanent, the bruising or using them coarse makes 

 them last much lonejer. Bones are now such an article of 

 commerce for farming and gardening purposes, that they are 

 ground at mills for the purj)ose, and shamefully adulterated ; 

 but they may be purchased broken or ground to any size, for 

 by means of sieves they are easily separated ; and we prefer 

 very much to have them with the fine powder taken out. 

 'V\'Tien, however, they are broken by ourselves, we know 

 there is nothing wrong about them, and the size may be just 

 what we please. "We do not like lumps larger than horse- 

 beans ; and all that come smaller give instant effect. Yery 

 little of this dress goes a great way, and there is nothing per- 

 Tiicious in it. They should either be mixed with something 

 that is to be spread all over, or sown by hand all over the 

 surface, to be forked in a very little way. 



Chalk is a good dressing to poor lands, and therefore 

 should, if possible, be provided among other subjects, to be 

 handy in the manure ground. This may be spread over the 

 surface, and be mixed with the soil pretty evenly, but it may 

 lie on the surface for a time. Burning it, to make lime of it, 

 is well worth the trouble, for the benefits are sooner felt, and 

 it is sooner mixed, because it falls into a povvder "with the 

 mere action of the atmosphere. Lime, in moderate quantity, 

 LS of great »use in the destruction or discouragement of vermin, 

 especially slugs, snails, and grubs underground. 



Soap- ASH is a very common dressing for land, especially if 

 poor and foul. It is destructive of the grub, and has rarely 

 any bad effect on any soil, though of less use on some than 

 other land. It consists of the refase of the soap-boilers, and 

 is a strong alkali, used a good deal in some districts. We 

 believe there is hardly any refase of any kind that might not 

 be made available, if applied moderately and properly. Al- 

 kalis generally have the best possible effect in destroying 

 vermin ; but they must be moderately used, or they may be 

 too strong for the well-being of vegetable as well as animal 

 life .' and Wood-ashes are of great service, spiead on the 

 ground and dug in. 



Guano is so much an article of commerce, that all we need 

 say of that part which relates to its real or supposed origin is 



