1836.] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



509 



pastured on lands thus manured, are so much im- 

 proved in condition, that they will produce about 

 twice the quantity of butter, than when feeding 

 upon land of similar quality, but not boned: and 

 the pasture, in regard both to quantity and quality, 

 is greatly ameliorated tor a number of years. 

 When the field is in hay, the crop is likewise more 

 abundant— the aftergrass more nutritious — and the 

 herbage it produces is so peculiarly sweet, that 

 cattle and sheep wdl hang upon it, as long as they 

 can find a blade of grass to devour.* 



But we are told, that bone manure is an article 

 that may be exhausted, and that a supply cannot 

 be confidently relied on. That idea however, can- 

 not be admitted. Bones might be brought, even 

 in considerable quantities, in ballast, from the most 

 distant countries; and from the Brazils, where cat- 

 tle are so cheap, as to be killed for the sake oftheir 

 hides alone, the supply would probably be abun- 

 dant. Besides, there are many other substances, 

 as horns, the shells of sea-fish, coral, and shell 

 marl, which may answer the same purpose, and 

 the produce of which is perfectly inexhaustible. 

 Horns are found to be a more powerful manure 

 than even bones, for they contain a larger quanti- 

 ty of decomposible animal matter, but being much 

 used in various manufactures, their shavings or 

 turnings alone, are applicable to agricultural pur- 

 poses; and though they form an excellent manure, 

 yet they are not sufficiently abundant to be much 

 used. They are sown by the hand, as a top-dress- 

 ing for wheat, and other crops. f 



Shells of Sea-Fish. — As bones are likely to be- 

 come rather a scarce article, it may be difficult to England, instituted some comparative expert 



The addition which this plan would make, to 

 the value of the counties of Caithness, of Forfar 

 and other districts in Scotland, where shell-marl 

 abounds, is hardly to be credited. 



Corals. — If every other substance of a similar 

 quality were to fail, it is a fortunate circumstance, 

 that corals might be obtained in inexhaustible quan- 

 tities. Banks of them have been found in some of 

 the Western Islands of Scotland, and in the parishes 

 of Southend in Argyleshire, and of Loch Broom 

 in Ross-shire. It is well known that corals are of 

 animal origin, and wherever they have been tried, 

 their effects have been highly gratifying. 



Conclusion. 



By these important discoveries in the art of ag- 

 riculture, an end is put, to all the fanciful divisions 

 of our soils, by political economists, into a certain 

 number of zones, according to their supposed fer- 

 tility. All these zones, by means of these discove- 

 ries, may be rendered equally productive. Alrea- 

 dy, it has been completely ascertained, that, by 

 means of bone-dust, the poorest,coldest, and most 

 humid lands, in various parts of England, have 

 been brought into the highest state of cultivation, 

 and improved in regard to their produce and in— 

 tenseness of fertility. It can no longer be doubted, 

 that, by means of bones, and the other substan- 

 ces above enumerated, the coldest clay, and poor- 

 est heaths, may be rendered productive. 



A foreign agriculturist, astonished at the im- 

 mense exportation of bones from the Continent of 



supply them in quantities adequate to the demand 

 it is a most fortunate circumstance therefore, that 

 the shells of oysters and other sea-fish, when pro- 

 perly reduced in size, have been found equally 

 useful as a manure. Their utility would be much 

 increased, if they were sprinkled with sulphuric 

 acid, by the addition of which they would be con- 

 verted into gypsum. 



Shell- Marl. — Among the articles that may be 

 used in aid of bone-dust, there is none better cal- 

 culated to raise abundant crops of turnips, than 

 shell-marl. It consists of calcareous matter, the 

 broken and partially decayed shells of fresh water 

 fish, found often in morasses, and at the bottom of 

 lakes and ponds. It possesses great stimulating 

 properties, and is highly beneficial in fertilizing 

 the soil. There can be no doubt therefore, that it 

 furnishes the means of producing various crops, 

 and turnips in particular, if employed in the same 

 way as bone-dust, namely, inserting it into the 

 drills, with the turnip seed. There is every rea- 

 son indeed to hope, that its growth would thus be 

 rendered so rapid, as to prevent the attacks of the 

 fly. The field should be put in drills in the usual 

 style; a moderate quantity of fish manure, or fer- 

 mented dung, say at the rate of two tons per acre, 

 put in the centre of the drills, and the turnip seed 

 and shell-marl mixed together, sown by a drill 

 machine above the fish or dung. 



By this simple process, immense crops of the 

 Swedish, as well as the common turnip, might be 

 obtained; and perhaps that sull more valuable 

 plant, the mangold wurtzel, might likewise be suc- 

 cessfully cultivated. 



*Worgan's Survey of Cornwall, p. 130. 



t Davy's Lectures on Agricultural Cliemislry, p 253. 



ments, the results of which prove, that bone-dust 

 acts in the cultivation of grain, when compared to 

 the best stable manure, — 



1. In respect to the qualify of the corn, 



as 7 to 5 



2. In respect to quantity, as 5 to 4 



3. In respect to durability of the energy 



of soils, as 3 to 2 



It is a strong argument also, in favor of bone 

 manure, that it is found to benefit, not only the 

 particular crop to which it is applied, but that it 

 extends its influence to the succeeding ones, and 

 that, even in the following courses, its effects are 

 visible, in the improved quality of the soil, and 

 the efficiency of a smaller quantity of bones, than 

 was at first necessary to insure a crop. 



It may be proper to conclude this interesting in- 

 quiry, with some general remarks on the utility of 

 manures. 



It has been justly observed, that all vegetables, 

 naturally incline to that state in which they existed, 

 when sown and produced by the hand of nature, 

 without any artificial aid; and that the great ob- 

 jects of agriculture are, 1. To keep up vegetables 

 in that unnaturally luxuriant state, in which they 

 are brought by cultivation; and, 2. To preserve 

 their health, and distinct character and proper- 

 ties, while they are in that state. For these im- 

 portant purposes, the application of manures is 

 necessary. It is not essential however, that the 

 manure applied should, in all cases be sufficient to 

 maintain that unnatural luxuriance of the plant, 

 which it has acquired in the course of its cultiva- 

 tion, lor many plants, in particular turnips and po- 

 tatoes, draw nourishment from the atmosphere as 



