On Bones as a Manure. 143 



This circumstance merits particular attention, for bones in wet 

 weather do not act, whereas if composts are applied with bones, some 

 of the articles employed will operate; and when the land becomes 

 dry, the bones will probably take effect, and the crop will hardly fail 

 in any season. When employed in compost also, the manure may be 

 more equally spread, and more confidently relied on. 



Captain Barclay uses a mixture of bone-dust, and farm- yard ma- 

 nure, in the proportion of ten loads of farm -yard manure, to fifteen 

 bushels of bone- dustier Scotch acre. He puts the land in ridges in 

 the usual style, with the dung in the centre, and the bone-dust is sown 

 with the turnip-seed, by a drill-machine. Under this excellent system, 

 his crops are never injured by the fly. It is important however, that 

 the dung should be two years old, as it will be less likely to be infest- 

 ed with insects. 



Others recommend a dressing of eight cubic yards of ashes, and twenty 

 bushels of crushed bones per acre, applying them separately. The 

 ashes would first operate, and the bones would complete the produc- 

 tion. 



On the various modes of preparing Bones. Mr St Leger, who 

 originally pointed out the advantages of bone manure, was accustomed 

 to mix a cart load of ashes, with thirty to forty bushels of bones. After 

 they had been heated for about twenty-four hours, and begun to smoke, 

 the whole heap was turned, and about ten days after it became fit for 

 use. Others have found, that covering bones with quicklime, is an 

 excellent mode of preparing them for use. As soon as the lime be- 

 comes effete the bones are picked out, and though retaining their form, 

 they are easily reduced to powder by a hammer, and in that state, 

 they may be thinly spread by hand, or by a machine *. 



Dr Fenwick of Durham, an eminent agriculturist, has suggested to 

 the author, the adoption of the following plan : Where there is no mill 

 to crush bones within a reasonable distance, after chopping the bones, 

 he recommends spreading them between two layers of earth, near a 

 pond, or other supply of water, and to let the heap thus formed, be 

 kept moist, by occasionally sprinkling it, till the manure be wanted. 

 Fresh soils, thus mixed with bones, and watered, will heat as a dung- 

 hill, and the bones will be rendered so tender by the process, that 

 they are quickly dissolved. As the whole substance is thus sooner 

 applied to the plants, a smaller quantity at a time will suffice, and thus 

 the first outlay will be diminished. The bones wanted for turnip 

 manure, may be thus prepared, even some months before they are 

 wanted. 



But the general mode of preparing bones for use, is by crushing 

 them. Bone mills, for that purpose, erected at an expense of from 

 L.100 to L.200, are very common in the northern parts of England. 

 They are chiefly in the hands of persons who make a trade of it. They 

 are mostly driven by steam engines of from eight to sixteen horse 

 power. Some machines however, are driven by water, and some by 

 horses ; but it requires three relays, of two horses each, to reduce 



* Oyster shells have been advantageously treated in the same way, and have 

 proved fully equal to bone-dust. 



