174 ON THE USE OF 



they were too forward, but the crop throughout the field 

 (considering- the late period of their being drilled, and other 

 unfavourable circumstances) was a very fair one, about 14 

 tons to the acre. The bones and acid portion was fiiUy 

 equal to the rest, and indeed somewhat better than where IG 

 bushels of bones had been applied to the acre. 



Every alternate ridge was carted oif, and the remaining 

 half fed off by old ewes with no other food, with the excep- 

 tion of a little inferior hay. The field was then sown with 

 dredge (a mixture of beans, barley, and peas), and the crop 

 "was a very excellent one ; that where the vitriolized bones 

 had been used was at the least fully equal to any portion of 

 the field, and indeed somewhat superior to that dressed with 

 bones alone. Thus it will be seen that the manure answers 

 perfectly well so far as the second crop is concerned j and 

 there is now the prospect of a good clover crop. 



The result of the preceding year having fully satisfied me 

 as to the value and economy of vitriolized bones, I did not 

 think it necessary to test their merits against other manures 

 during the last season, particularly as other equally suc- 

 cessful experiments had been tried and published. 



But wishing to ascertain the most economical proportion 

 of acid to be employed, I prepared two lots for a field of 6 

 acres. In one the bone-dust was at the rate of 4 bushels to 

 the acre, and the acid one-third ; and in the other the acid was 

 half the weight of the bones ; but the latter was diminished 

 so as to reduce the cost of both lots to the same sum. The 

 mixture in each instance extended over half an acre more 

 than was intended, and was mixed with equal portions of 

 ashes, viz., about 20 bushels to the acre. 



The Swedes came up well, and though attacked b}^ the 

 fly soon got out of its way, and proved a very good crop. 

 The average of the field, however, was very much reduced 

 by the great quantity of hedgerow timber by which it was 

 surrounded, and which spread its blighting influence a con- 

 siderable distance. However much these trees might add 

 to the beauty of the landscape, they certainly destroyed 

 most efiectually the beauty and uniformity of the turnip- 

 crop, and reduced the average of the field several tons per 

 acre. A good portion of the field appeared to average about 

 22 tons per acre, and the half where the larger quantity of 

 bone-dust with one-third its weight of acid was used, 

 proved superior to the other, though whether to be attri- 

 buted to the difference in the manure, or to the fact of that 



