Chap. IV.] Earth-burning. 133 



be cut out in the shape of bricks, as much longer and 

 bigs;er as you find convenient, and set up to dry, in the 

 same way that bricks are set up to dry previous to the 

 burning. This is the only fuel for houses in some parts 

 of England. I myself was nursed and brought up with- 

 out ever seeing any other sort of fire. The ashes used, 

 in those tiines, to be sold i'or fovr pence sterling a bushel, 

 and were frequently carried, after the purchase, to a 

 distance of ten miles, or more: At this time, in my own 

 neighbourhood, in Hampshire, peat is burnt in large 

 quantities for the ashes, which are sold, I believe, as 

 high as sirpence sterling a bushel, and carried to a 

 distance even of twenty miles in some cases. 



211. Nevertheless, it is certain, that these ashes are 

 not equally potent upon every sort of soil. We do not 

 use them mucIi at Botley, tliough upon the spot. They 

 are carried away to the higher and poorer lands, where 

 they are sown by hand upon clover and sain-foin. An 

 excellent fanner, in tills Island, assures me, that he has 

 tried them in various Avays, and never found them to 

 have effect. So say the farmers near Kotley. But, 

 there is no harm in making a trial. It is done with a 

 mere nothing of expense. A yard square in a garden 

 is quite suflicient for the experiment. 



212. With res])ect to earth-ashes, burnt in kilns, 

 keepiny in the smoke, I have proved their great good 

 effect ; but, still, I would recommend tryiny them upon 

 a small scale. However, let it be borne in mind, that 

 the proportioii to the acre ought to be large. Thirty 

 good tons to an acre ; and why may it not be such, 

 seeing that the expense is so trifling \ 



