100 SCIENCE WITH PRACTICE, 1812 TO 1845 



1840 Liebig recommended, and in 1848 Sir John Lawes 

 obtained superphosphate of lime by dissolving bone-dust 

 in sulphuric acid.^ Geology contributed its quota In 

 1843 Professor Henslow proved that coprolites, similarly 

 dissolved, would produce the required superphosphate. 

 Eight years later Odams showed the value of the blood and 

 refuse of London slaughterhouses. The use of guano, 

 phosphatic, and ammoniacal manures completely revolu- 

 tionised the old rules of cropping. It stimulated not only 

 produce, but drainage. Manures and drainage acted and 

 reacted upon one another ; the first encouraged the second. 

 Both together enabled farmers to carry more stock, and 

 taught the lesson that he who puts most into the land gets 

 the most out. Manure, like charity, proved a blessing 

 alike to the giver and receiver. 



Other changes helped to mitigate the force of the blow 

 from which English farming tottered. Eailroads, steam 

 navigation, joint-stock banks, assisted agriculturists in 

 their difficulties. Parliament passed Acts for the Amend- 

 ment of the Poor Law, the Commutation of Tithes, the 

 Repeal of the Beer Duty, the Enfranchisement of Copy- 

 holds, the Enclosure of Common Fields, and reduced forty 

 millions of taxation.^ Agricultural implements were im- 

 proved or more widely diffused. Small's plough, the 

 subsoil plough, Meikle's threshing machine, and the drill 

 machine rendered labour more effective. The art of ' setting 

 corn ' is said by Sir Hugh Plat to have originated with a 

 ' silly wench,' who accidentally dropped some wheat seeds 



1 The declared value of bones imported into the country in 1814 was 

 under 550Z. In 1837 it had risen to 255,000Z. In 1815 the quantity of 

 rape cake and linseed cake was only 16,000 cwt. ; in 1837 it rose to 

 800,000 tons. In 1841 the guano imported was only 1,700 tons; in 1847 

 it amounted to 220,000 tons. 



■^ The poor rates fell in England from 6,317,255Z. (1834) to 

 4,044,741^. (1837). 



