EXPERIMENTS WITH SPECIFIC MANURES. 187 



cliemical knowledge being* insufficient for the purpose ; but 

 the fact is interesting-, at least to myself, and may be so to 

 others more experienced, if it do not come under that class 

 of facts which derive their interest solely from the ignorance 

 of their discoverer. This conclusion, however, is clear, that 

 guano and night-soil mixed, and in combination with other 

 substances, is an excellent top-dressing for barley, and I 

 have no doubt eqiially so for other grain-crops ; and that 

 the two substances mixed and applied to turnips, with bones 

 dissolved in sulphuric acid, effects a vast saving in the first 

 cost, secures a larger crop, and is more satisfactory in econo- 

 mical results, than a much larger quantity of dissolved bones 

 applied alone. 



Nitrate of soda individually applied, has not produced 

 equally favourable results in this locality as in others. Pro- 

 bably its liigh price may have assisted in producing this 

 unfavourable result, as certainly the a|)pearance of the crop, 

 when growing, did not indicate any failure in the manure 

 itself In mixture, it has been of great utility, and, no 

 doubt, is worthy of considerable attention. 



The experiment recorded in Table F, is an interesting 

 proof of the fact, that farm manure combined with guano 

 affords the largest amount of vegetative and economical 

 results, when applied in the proportion of fifteen carts-load, 

 of the former to 3 cwt. of the latter. It would be inter- 

 esting and instructive to enlarge on this experiment, and by 

 the application of various quantities of guano, respectively 

 applied to 10, 1.5, 20, and 2-5 tons or cubic yards of farm 

 manure, ascertain correctly, and beyond possibility of doubt, 

 at what rate applied these manures Avould he most pro- 

 ductive. The same remarks a]iply to the experiment on 

 potatoes. Night-soil might also be conjoined in the experi- 

 ment by itself, and with other substances, and the results 

 might elucidate facts of some importance 



I attach some importance to the experiment with hones on 

 the turnip crop, exhibited in Table H. Bones, as a manure, are 

 most important articles in agricultural economy, and they 

 are most deservedly so. No experiment, therefore, tending 

 to enlighten as to their improvement can be unimportant, 

 especially if, from their improvement, they can be economized. 

 Dissolving bones in sulphuric acid has tended greatly to 

 advance this great object, namely, the improvement and 

 economy of bones as a manure. The facts, however, elicited 

 by these experiments tend to prove it still further possible 



