134 AMERICAN HUSBANDRY. 



importance ; for one wagon-load of a hundred and 

 twenty buslirls of small drill-bones is equal to forty 

 or fifty carf-loads of field manure." 



"Upon very thin sand land," say the committee, 

 " its value is not to be 'estimated ; it is not only 

 found to benefit the particular crop to which it is 

 applied, but extends through the whole course of 

 crops, and even in the succeeding course its effects 

 are visible in the improved quality of the land, and 

 the efficiency of a smaller quantity than would have 

 first ensured a crop." Numerous facts are here cited 

 in proof of this declaration of the committee. Where, 

 for instance, in a district of many thousand acres, 

 turnips would produce only tops, and those very 

 small, the use of bones alone has increased the tur- 

 nip-crop in some cases ten, and in few cases less 

 than five fold ; and all the succeeding crops of grain 

 and grass were amazingly improved. 



On light loams, provided they are dry, bones were 

 found preferable to yard dung ; but they do not seem 

 to benefit wet soils at all. 



On heavy loams and clays the experiments were 

 unfavourable; and the committee infer that clay 

 soils are, in general, too moist to receive any con- 

 siderable benefit from bone manure. 



Upon peat soils, thoroughfy drained, the advanta- 

 ges of bone manure were very striking. Fifteen to 

 twenty bushels per acre were found to surpass, very 

 far, the ordinary dressing of farmyard dung, and 

 even lime and pigeons' dung. 



Upon gravels, the opinions of its efficacy are con- 

 tradictory. Upon wet ones it does not succeed. 



As to its durability three acres were boned with 

 one hundred and fifty bushels per acre by mistake. 

 Fourteen years after, the land had not forgotten it, 

 but was nearly half as good again as the other part, 

 farmed precisely in the same way, witli the excep- 

 tion of this single dressing of bones. 



To the question, Do you continue to use bones 1 



