No. 9. Puudrette as a Manure. — Ag. Anecdote. — Bone Dust. 



289 



I gave some of the same seed to a neigh- 

 bour of mine, who had planted it by mixing 

 one shovel full of good yard manure to each 

 hill, — the soil was the same as mine, and 

 the largest melon produced in the patch, 

 did not weigh over 18 pounds. When he 

 discovered the difference, he at once made 

 up his mind to subscribe for a share of your 

 stock, which he has done, and is well pleased 

 , with his bargain. E. Fullagar. 



The following letter is from Mr. Joseph 

 Tyrrell, of Trenton, New Jersey, dated 9th 

 of August, 1842, he says: 



" I have used poudrette on my farm near 

 this place, the last and present year: and 

 am quite satisfied in regard to its virtues as 

 a manure. My soil is a sandy loam. Last 

 lyear I applied it to corn on rye stubble, 

 fploughed under the previous fall, say a 

 small handfull to each hill, at the time of 

 ^planting, and in immediate contact with the 

 [seed. But I had not as much as was neces- 

 [sarv for the whole piece. After the corn 

 came up, and during its growth, the differ- 

 ence in the appearance of the part to which 

 poudrette had been applied, and that winch 

 [had none, was very great ; the former was 

 luxuriant in its growth, the colour a rich 

 nark green, while the latter was rather 

 [sickly in appearance, and the plants less 

 wgorous. The effect produced on the corn 

 ay the application of poudrette, was noticed 

 ny several of my neighbours who came to 

 [look at it. Being unfortunately sick at the 

 ■time of cutting up and husking the corn, I 

 ivas prevented from noticing the returns 

 particularly, but I am satisfied that they 

 livere increased by the application of the 

 looudrette, no other manure being applied to 

 mv part of the land. I have applied it to 

 iforn this year under similar circumstances, 

 aid so far as I can see at present, with most 

 I avourable results. I have also used it in 

 I ny o-arden with great success. In March 

 , ast, I planted six rows of early peas, four 

 i )f the rows were manured with poudrette, 

 ;prinkled liberally over the seed. These 

 tame up five or six days before the others, 

 • hey grew more luxuriant, came in blossom 

 10 days sooner, and yielded much more 

 ibundantly than those which had no pou- 

 lrette. I have tested its merits as a ma 

 mre for cucumbers and melons, and prefer 

 lit to any other for those articles. Early in 

 he spring of the present year, I applied 

 ome to a strawberry bed, planted out in 

 September last. I sprinkled it pretty freely 

 n the bed, and worked it in with the prongs 

 ■fa small hoe. Its effects were visible after 

 he first shower of rain. The plants grew 



steadily and rapidly, and produced large 

 and clean fruit." 



Agricultural Anecdote. — A knowledge 

 of the habits of animals is sometimes of great 

 service, even in the saving of cities. James, 

 in his recent history of the Black Prince, 

 gives an amusing instance of this in the de- 

 fence of Rennes, a town of Britanny, be- 

 sieged by the Duke of Lancaster. In order 

 to effect the surrender of the place, the Duke 

 enforced a strict blockade, which soon reduced 

 the garrison to great straits; but he knew they 

 would hold out to the last extremity, and de- 

 termined to try a trick of war. For this pur- 

 pose, he drew off his soldiers, as if he had 

 left the place, and formed an ambuscade in 

 some bushes behind the town. He then 

 caused a number of hogs to be turned loose 

 in the plain, in the hope that the starving 

 garrison would rush out for the prize. But 

 they understood his trick, and turned it to 

 their own advantage. They opened one of 

 the sally-ports, and hung up a young sow by 

 the hind legs to the lintel. She of course 

 made a great outcry, and the hogs came rush- 

 ing up to the place from whence the noise 

 proceeded ; she was then cut down and driven 

 through one of the streets, and forced to keep 

 up her music. The soldiers sprang up from 

 their ambuscade, in order to try and if pos- 

 sible prevent this unlooked-for termination 

 of their experiment; but James says, the 

 hogs, with that intuitive perception of the 

 way their masters do not wish them to go, 

 which has ever marked their nature, went 

 rushing tumultuously into the town, and af- 

 forded the garrison very seasonable relief. 



Bone Dust, May be applied broadcast, 

 as gypsum is sown; or placed in drills with 

 the seeds, and this is, doubtless, the best way 

 of using it. In this way, its influence is felt 

 at once in the germination and quick growth 

 of the plants, a thing of much consequence 

 with the turnip and other plants, liable to be 

 destroyed when young, by insects. In Eng- 

 land, it is always, or generally, sown in drills 

 with turnips; and in quantities varying from 

 10 to 30 bushels of dust per acre. It has been 

 recommended to ferment the bone dust before 

 sowing; and Mr. Colman, in his Report, says : 

 "the most successful application of bone ma- 

 nure which I have known, was where they 

 were mixed at the rate of about one part to 

 eight, with leached ashes, or mould, and a 

 fermentation brought on, before they were 

 applied. They were then spread lightly in 

 the furrow, where carrots were sown. The 

 effects were most favourable, and surpassed 

 a free dressing of barn manure, to the same 

 kind of crop." Mr. C. does not name the 

 quantity used per acre. — Cultivator. 



