128 Earth-burning. [Part II. 



with the two former; or under circumstances which 

 make it profitable to add to the land under cultivation, 

 what can be so convenient, what so cheap, as ashes 

 procured in this way ? 



197. A near neighbour of mine, Mr. Dayrea, 

 sowed a piece of Swedish Turnips, broad-cast, in 

 June, this year. The piece was near a wood, and there 

 M^as a groat quantity of clods of a grassy description. 

 These he burnt into ashes, which ashes he spread over 

 one half of tl)e piece, Avhile he put soapers ashes 

 over the other part of the piece. I saw the turnips in 

 October ; and there was no visible difference in the two 

 parts, M Jicther as to the vigourousness of the plants or 

 the bulk of the turnips. They were sown broad-cast, 

 and stood unevenly upon the ground. They M'ere har- 

 vested a month ago (it is now 26th November), which 

 was a month too early. They would have been a third, 

 at least, more in bulk, and much better in quality, if 

 they had remained in the ground until now. The piece 

 was 70 paces long and 7 paces wide ; and, the reader 

 will find, that, as the piece produced /br/^ i?/s/ieZ«, this 

 was at the rate of fmir hrindred bushels to the acre. 



198. What quantity of earth-ashes were spread on 

 this piece it is impossible to ascertain with precision ; 

 but, I shall suppose the quantity to have been very 

 large indeed in proportion to the surface of the land. 

 Let it be four times the quantity of the soaper's ashes. 

 Still, the one was made upon the spot, at, perhaps, a 

 tenth part of the cost of the other ; and, as such ashes 

 can be made upon a.ny fann, there can be no reason 

 for not trying the tiling, at any rate, and which trying 

 may be eflected upon so small a scale as not to exceed 

 in expense a half of a dollar. I presume, that many 

 farmers will try this method of obtaining manure ; 

 and, therefore, I will describe how the burning is 

 effected. 



199. There are two ways of producing ashes from 

 earth : the one in heaps upon the ground, and the 

 other within Malls of turf, or earth. The first, indeed, 

 is the burning of turj, or peat. But, let us see how 

 it is done. 



200. The surface of the land is taken off to a depth 



