From the Journal of Agriculture, and Transactions of the Highland and Agricultural 

 Society of Scotland, March 1851. 



The Effects of Burnt Clay as a Manure. By Dr VOELCKER, 

 Professor of Chemistry in the Royal Agricultural College, 

 Cirencester. One of the best means of improving stiff clay land, 

 next to thorough drainage, is the practice of soil-burning an 

 operation which must not be confounded with paring and burning. 

 The latter affects merely the surface soil, whilst in the former, the 

 soil under the vegetable mould is also burned with faggots, brush- 

 wood, grass-sods, all kind of vegetable refuse matter and coal, 

 where it can be obtained at a cheap rate. The advantages result- 

 ing from burning clay land are so manifest, that in districts where 

 such land abounds, as in the counties of Suffolk, Essex, Gloucester- 

 shire, and in localities situated on the 'Oxford clay, the system of 

 soil-burning has been long since introduced with the best effects. 

 Properly burnt clay is, therefore, justly considered by many farmers 

 as one of the most valuable fertilising materials, which not only 

 improves the first crop, but likewise decidedly benefits several 

 succeeding crops. We have the testimony of several good farmers, 

 that the effects of burnt clay are shown in some instances, even 

 after a lapse of eight years, by the more luxuriant growth of crops 

 and land dressed with burnt clay, when compared with those 

 growing in soils which had not received such a dressing. It would 

 be easy to cite many experiments made both on a small and on an 

 extensive scale in Britain and on the Continent, together with 

 the opinions of high agricultural authorities, all tending to prove 

 the advantages resulting from the application of burnt clay, were 

 such arguments necessary to convince the sceptical on the subject. 

 To produce such conviction is not, however, the object of the 

 following observations. I shall, therefore, merely refer to one or 

 two experiments conducted under peculiar advantages, and afford- 

 ing much instruction. Those who desire further information on 

 the subject, may find it in the valuable papers published in the 

 Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, by Mr 

 Pym, vol. iii. p. 323 ; Mr Randell, vol. v. p. 113 ; Mr Pusey, vol. 

 vi. p. 477 ; Mr Mechi, vol. vii. p. 297 ; Mr Poppy, vol. vii. 

 p. 142 ; and Mr Long, vol. vii. p. 245. 



Mr Pusey testifies to the good effects of burnt clay, chiefly, as 

 he says, on account of the very bad quality of the land on which 

 the burning succeeded. The soil was like bird-lime in wet weather, 

 and in a dry summer like stone, and was purchased for 14 per 

 acre. It was drained with 34 inch drains, at first at 10 feet apart, 

 and then at 30 feet apart. After burning the clay with Essex 

 labourers, a field of 8 acres yielded the following returns of wheat, 

 the natural soil yielding only 16 bushels per acre : 



One acre. Wheat. 

 With no manure, ..... 37| bushels. 

 . . 80 yards of burnt clay, . . . 45 

 and sheep folded, . 474 



