28 FARMERS' REGISTER— POWDERED OYSTER SHELLS AS MANURE. 



bly those who first manufuctiired, and used it in 

 Scotland, did too much blazon it forth, and rate too 

 highly the benefits to be derived from the use of 

 it — thus creating in men's mhids expectations that 

 could not be realized, the disappointment of which 

 might cause them to abandon it in disgust, ne- 

 glecting the comparatively humlde advantages 

 which it really may, and, I believe, does possess. 



As a ground ibr the favorable opinion expressed 

 of this agricultural auxiliary, I shall, with your 

 leave, state here my experience respecting it. 



In the winter 1814-15, notices of the practice 

 were given to the public by a Mr. Craig ; and, if 

 I recollect aright, by other gentlemen of Gallo- 

 way, which excited a good deal the curiosity and 

 interest of agriculturists in this quarter. I for one 

 felt so much, as made me as soon as possible take 

 a journey to head quarters, that I might see and 

 hear all particulars concerning it. 



The process of burning, I could not at that time 

 of the season see. The effect of the ashes was 

 visible in some very fine fields of turnips near 

 Kirkcudbright, and more particularly at Mi'. 

 Craig's at Cally, where I saw a fine crop of Ruta 

 Baga that had been produced by them; and this 

 excellent vegetable, every one knov>s, requires an 

 abundant alloAvance of dung, and that of good qual- 

 ity, to make it arriv-e at any tolerable ])erfection. 



I came home, determined to set to burning as 

 soon as the weather would admit. As tlie opera- 

 tion was imported from Ireland, I naturally in- 

 quired among laborers, natives of that country, 

 (and of whom we have al^undant store,) for a jier- 

 son skilled enough to undertake the job. There 

 was not one of these worthies to whom I spoke but 

 professed thoroughly to understand the Avhole pro- 

 cess. I engaged some of them ; but their per- 

 formances, as may have sometimes happened with 

 gentlemen in a higher sphere, by no means ac- 

 corded with their promises: — they were dismissed. 

 New hands came, who knew it better than their 

 predecessors ; — they in their turn Ibund it neces- 

 sary to walk off. In short, there was nothing but 

 blundering the whole season. However, in the 

 end of June, and by dint of fuel, I had got seventy 

 or eighty single horse-cart loads, at an expense 

 probably of half-a-crown for every cart. These 

 "were applied to part of a turnip field left purposely, 

 at the rate of filty-live to sixty cart loads per acre. 

 The turnips Avere sown on the 6th of July, and 

 proved by no means a heavy crop ; nor was it to 

 be expected they would. In 1810 the whole field 

 was sowed with barley ; — that part on which the 

 ashes were laid pi'oved fully equal to the rest of the 

 field, which had been dunged rather heavily. I 

 could observe no ditference of the hay crop in 

 1817; and this year, the appearance of the whole 

 field in pasture is exactly similar. 



In spring 1816 I was lucky enough to get a la- 

 borer who really understood what he professed to 

 do. He burned for me, during the summer, 500 

 or 600 cart loads, but too late to be used for tur- 

 nips. Some of these ashes, in the end of the year, 

 were spread on a field of natural bog meadow. I 

 dare say sixty cart loads at least were applied to 

 an acre; but I cannot speak very precisely to that 

 point : — whatever was the quantity, the change ef- 

 fected on the meadow was most gratifying. In- 

 stead of the ghost of a crop of hard coarse grasses, 

 which was formerly reaped, I had, in 1817, a luxu- 

 riantly abvmdaut crop, consisting of AoZc«s lanatus 



(provincially Yorkshire fog,) and of all the finer 

 meadow plants. In a word, I had more than tiiree 

 times the quantity, and the quality entirely altered 

 for the better. 



I had more land in bare fliUow in 1816 than I 

 had dung for; and when ihat was^finished, I be- 

 took myself to clay ashes for the remainder of the 

 break. The whole was in oats last year ; and the 

 division manured- Avith ashes certainly proved not 

 hiferior to the other parts of the field. It is now 

 in pasture, and no distinction discernible : — the 

 quality of the soil is perfectly alike. 



I prepared a considerablequantity of ashes early 

 last sunmier — they were mostly applied to turnip : 

 and truth obliges me to say, that they produced a 

 much better crop than dung on the same field and 

 soil. I am certain I do not overrate the superi- 

 ority at 30 per cent. The field is wholly in bar- 

 ley this year, but in that crop I cannot distinguish 

 the least shade of difference. 



If you think that I have not already intruded too 

 much upon your room, I shall nov/, in a {ew sen- 

 tences, acquaint you with my jnodns operandi, or 

 manner of converting the raw material into the 

 useful article. 



A considerable proportion of the farm which I 

 possess, is, from its elevated situation, and the bad- 

 ness of the land, not fitted to be profitably culti- 

 vated ; and it is therefore occupied entirely by 

 sheep. The rough and coarse boggy part of it is 

 the place whence the ashes are procured. The 

 soil a stiff clay incumbent on a stiffer till. This, 

 after being properly marked out, is cut by the 

 spade into slices of about a foot in length, eight or 

 nine inches in depth, and three inclies in thickness. 

 These pieces are then set up by the hand, and al- 

 lowed to stand to dry for a week or longer, ac- 

 cording to the weather. When in tolerable order, 

 they are burnt in kilns, formed in the manner 

 which have already been too often described to 

 need repetition here. The earth, thus prepared, 

 consumes incomparably quicker than that burnt 

 without any previous })rocess. I have now given 

 up the use of the subsoil, as I think it cannot af- 

 ford ashes of equal fertility with the surface earth. 

 The land used of the nature I have described, is 

 only injured for a year or two, as it soon regains a 

 sward, when sown with ryegrass seeds, and co- 

 vered with a few of the ashes. Indeed, it is rather 

 improved than deteriorated by the operation. An 

 essential part of the business yet remains — the ex- 

 pense ; and, on that head I can speak positively. 

 The ashes have never yet (the first year excepted) 

 cost me more than 6d. each single-horse cart load ; 

 generally they am.ount to 4d. ; and this season I am 

 certain they will not exceed threepence. 



I hope I have now satisfied you that I at least 

 have reason to think well of these respectable 

 ashes; and shall only add, that I would be much 

 pleased if any of your correspondents or readers 

 would take the trouble of giving us the result of 

 their experience on this subject. I am, sir, &c. 



yinnandale, 13th July. j. h. s. 



Oil jPotmlercd Oyster Shells 



As a Maniu-e. 



From the Edinburgh Farmers' Magnzine. 



Sir — An important discovery has recently been 

 made in the preparation of oj'ster shells as a ma- 

 nure, the particulars of Avhich, from respectable 



