302 On burning Clay for Manure. 



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" On burning Sods, and Clay, by means of Quicklime, 

 without Coals or any other Fuel. 



" Workington- Hall, September 2, 1815. 



" Sir, 

 " On my return from Scotland yesterday, I found your 



favour ; and am happy to afford you, as far as in my pow- 

 er, the information you require, as to the mode of burn- 

 ing surface soil, and clay, by lime. 



" Mounds of seven yards in length, three and a half in 

 breadth, are kindled with seventy-two Winchester bush- 

 els of lime : — First, a layer of dry sods or parings, on 

 which a quantity of lime is spread, mixing sods with it, 

 then a covering of eight inches of sods, on which the 

 other half of the lime is spread, and covered a foot thick ; 

 the height of the mound being about a yard. 



" In twenty-four hours it will take fire. The lime 

 should be immediately from the kiln. It is better to suf- 

 fer it to ignite itself, than to effect it by the operation of 

 water. When the fire is fairly kindled, fresh sods must 

 be applied. I should recommend obtaining a sufficient 

 body of ashes before any clay was put on the mounds. 

 The fire naturally rises to the top. It takes less time, 

 and does more work to draw down the ashes from the 

 top, and not to suffer it to rise above six feet. The form- 

 er practice of burning in kilns was more expensive ; did 

 much less work ; and, in many instances, calcined the 

 ashes, and rendered them of no value. 



" I have recently seen a good deal of burning in vari- 

 ous' parts of Scotland, most of which was ill done, being 

 burnt into lumps. I question whether clay can be made 

 into ashes advantageously, without a mixture of surface 

 soil. It is either calcined, or not sufficiently burnt. 



