112 Farmers' Miscellany. [July, 



knows that bis hay will contain the most nutriment if cut when it 

 is in full blossom. The fiist effort of nature in ripening seed is to 

 create a storehouse of food upon which it can draw during this 

 highly important process. In grasses this storehouse is the stalk; 

 in beets, carrots, and many other crops, it is the root, or what is 

 called the root, perhaps an underground stem. Now in the case 

 of the beet, the root becomes entirely worthless during the ripen- 

 ing of the seed, and *o the stems of grasses lose their value when 

 the seeds begin to ripen. The wisdom of a farmer is seen as 

 strongly in the time and mode of gathering his harvests as in 

 growing large crops — for what is the use of growing much, if 

 the best order is not observed in savino; them. 



BOXES OR PHOSPHATE OF LLME FOR A MANURE. 



The difficulty, as certainly it is one difficult}', of using bones 

 for a manure, is the want of a mill for grinding or crushing them. 

 A large quantity of bone may be obtained in the vicinity of our 

 villages, from the small slaughter yards ; but as the farmer has no 

 means by which they can be crushed; they are suffered to lie 

 about those places as a kind of nuisance. A partial remedy, 

 however, may be resorted to in these cases. Procure a quantity 

 of oil of vitriol and subject them to its action in a tight half hogs- 

 head of oak, which, if the acid is diluted, will not be materially 

 acted upon it. Of the dissolved bones make a compost with peat. 

 Using peat if possible, or if not, the best of loam; that which 

 contains an abundance of vegetable matter. To the sulphuric acid 

 add bones as long as the acid is dissolved in them. The product 

 is a super-phosphate of lime, and sulphate of lime. The object 

 attained by the the addition of sidphuric acid to the bones, which 

 consist of phosphate of lime and animal matter, is the greater so- 

 lubilit)- of the materials. The animal matter is in the condition 

 of gelatine, and may be seen retaining the form of the bone. This 

 will also now undergo decomposition, during which ammonia will 

 be exhaled, which may be secured by the absorbative powers of 

 peat and sulphate of lime. When mixed with the above mate- 



