BONES. 



BONES. 



to the proposed fertilizer, must be of necessity | 

 taken into the agriculturist's consideration;! 

 and these observations particularly apply to 

 those manures of a purely animal nature, 

 whose value I have been endeavouring to il- 

 lustrate. Thus, with regard to bones, the 

 quantity applied per acre must of necessity 

 vary with circumstances ; but, by many care- 

 fully conducted experiments, at some of which 

 I have personally assisted, it has been found 

 that the bones remain in the soil for a length 

 of time proportionate to the size of the pieces, 

 the dust producing the most immediate effect, 

 the larger description showing the longest ad- 

 vantage ; thus, on arable lands, the good ef- 

 fects of the half-inch or inch bones are obser- 

 vable for four or five years ; while, on pasture 

 land, the advantage derived from their appli- 

 cation is observable for eight or nine. But, as 

 practical experience is alone the substitute for 

 our want of general scientific knowledge 

 founded on experiments, the farmer should, in 

 experimenting upon all manures, for the sake 

 of correct information, apply them in varying 

 quantities per acre, and on no account omit to 

 leave, by way of comparison, a fair portion of 

 the field without any manure. 



There is no delusion more common than that 

 a correct agricultural experiment is easily ac- 

 complished that it may be taken up as a 

 mere amusement, carried on without care, and 

 concluded without any laborious attempts at 

 accuracy. Some experience in these delight- 

 ful pursuits, amongst some of the most talented 

 farmers of the east of England, has long con- 

 vinced me of the folly of such a conclusion, 

 and of the extreme care and caution necessary 

 for such valuable researches ; for, otherwise, 

 all kinds of errors are almost sure to arise. In 

 applying weight and measure, also, to the crop, 

 there is no need for the farmer to weigh and 

 measure large plots ; a square rod or two care- 

 fully examined, furnishes results nearly as ac- 

 curate and valuable as the examination of 

 acres. 



The application of bones to grass land is 

 very common in Cheshire and Lancashire. I 

 have already noticed its effect in the produc- 

 tion of white clover, a phenomenon well known 

 to the farmers in the neighbourhood of Man- 

 chester, who are also fully aware of the amaz- 

 ingly increased produce of their grass lands 

 by the application of the refuse bones of the 

 size makers. The quantity which they em- 

 ploy is very large, varying from forty-five to 

 eighty bushels per acre. The result, however, 

 is fully commensurate with the outlay, for they 

 calculate that the produce of their grass fields 

 is nearly doubled by the application. 



I cannot give a better account of its applica- 

 tion for grass than that very kindly communi- 

 cated to me in March, 1836, by Dr. Stanley, the 

 present Bishop of Norwich. " Bone-dust has 

 been used in Cheshire," said his lordship, " as 

 a manure, to a very considerable extent, for 

 the last seven years, but partially for a much 



tiger period. Formerly, it was laid on pas- 

 re ground only, and in large quantities, and 

 large pieces, which rendered it very ex- 

 pensive, and the advantage comparatively 

 slow ; but some pastures that were bone-dusted 

 200 



twenty years ago now show, almost to a yard, 

 where this manure was applied. Bones are 

 now used on every description of soil in Eng- 

 land with the best results, provided the wet 

 sands are first effectually drained. Some 

 thousands of tons are annually consumed, and 

 the demand is daily increasing. The quantity 

 per statute acre varies ; but the average may 

 be, on pasture, from 30 to 40 cwt. of Man- 

 hester or calcined bones or 20 cwt. of raw or 

 ground bones, to the statute acre. For turnips, 

 from 20 to 30 cwt. of calcined bones. For 

 oats or barley (of this latter, however, the 

 quantity grown in Cheshire is very trifling), 

 with clover and grass seeds, 20 to 30 cwt. of 

 calcined bones, or one ton of raw or ground 

 bones. Pasture ground should be well scari- 

 fied or harrowed previous to sowing the bones, 

 and immediately afterward rolled with a heavy 

 roller. For turnips the bones should be 

 pounded, or ground very small, and drilled in 

 with the seed. With spring grain they should 

 be rolled in with clover and seeds. It should 

 be here remarked, that raw bones particularly 

 should be allowed to remain for some days in 

 heaps to ferment before they are applied. 

 They have been used for potatoes ; but expe- 

 rienced persons say they prefer dung. I am 

 also informed, though my informant states his 

 observations to be limited, that on old mea- 

 dows the result has not been found to be so 

 satisfactory as on pastures. On clover, bones 

 have a most extraordinary effect. On old pas- 

 tures that have been boned, although previous- 

 ly the clover was not to be seen, luxuriant 

 crops have soon shown themselves. The best 

 proof, indeed, of their beneficial effect, is the 

 fact, that the farmers, six years ago, in this 

 immediate neighbourhood, had so strong a 

 prejudice against bones that it was with some 

 difficulty they were induced to use them, al- 

 though given byway of reduction of rent; but, 

 for the last three years, they have been most 

 anxious to obtain them, and are now quite 

 willing to be at half the expense. The rents 

 have latterly been well paid, and there is good 

 reason for believing that it is in a great mea- 

 sure owing to the advantage they are deriving 

 from the boned land. On some estates in the 

 county, the proprietors have boned a consider- 

 able quantity of the pasture land, the tenants 

 willingly agreeing to pay, as an increased rent, 

 from eight to ten per cent, on the cost of bones. 

 There is some difference of opinion as to the 

 most advantageous sorts of bones for use, 

 some preferring the dust to the ground bones. 

 The dust, or calcined bones, are 31. per ton, 

 and the ground bones 7/. per ton. For turnips, 

 the dust is generally preferred, as being more 

 immediate in its effects. On a very poor peat 

 soil, about 35 cwt. of bone-dust was applied to 

 a statute acre for Swedish tnrnips. The crop 

 was a fair average one. The turnips were 

 carted off, and the ground sown with wheat, 

 which produced nearly twenty-five measures 

 (of 75 Ibs. per measure) to the statute acre. 

 Oats succeeded with seed, principally red 

 clover, a most excellent crop of oats ensuing. 

 The clover, also, proved a very heavy full 

 1 crop, and was mown twice. No manure was 

 ! applied for this course, except the first set of 



