207 



XV.— MANURES. 



FROM a very early date lime has been used as a dressing for land, 

 and the remains of the cup-like hollows on the limestone forma- 

 tions where it was burnt, may still be clearly seen on the Troutbeck beds ; 

 as early as 1723 the carting of lime is recorded on the hill allotments 

 near Wansfell, and 100 years ago lime was burnt at Halhead Kiln 

 and used on Brundrigg, Fellgate, Capplerigg and Park House estates 

 by direction of the landlord, Alan Chambre ; and at the same date 

 it was burnt in Ravenstonedale by John Handley and his partner 

 at the kiln at the top of Rathay Row, coaJ being brought from Stain- 

 more for the purpose. 



Bones were introduced about 1815 round Kendal as a manure 

 for growing crops, but it was not till 1833 that bone dust was on sale 

 there, it having to be brought at that time from the bone mill at 

 Carlisle. 



About 1825 salt and ashes mixed was used at the rate of 3 cwt. 

 per acre as a manure, it was applied in dry weather after the hay was 

 removed ; the price of salt at that time was 30/- per ton. 



Guano was used by several farmers about 1843 at the rate of 

 4 cwt. per acre for turnips, it was spread on the land before making 

 the drills — for potatoes 4 to 6 cwts. was mixed with peat earth, and 

 sown broad-cast and then stitched up ; the price was 13/- per cwt. 



In 1840 the price of bone-dust at Kendal was 21/- per quarter 

 of 8 bushels, |-inch bones 20/- for the same quantity, salt (dirty) 

 £2 5s. per ton, nitrate of sodae 20/- per cwt., nitrate of potash 27/6 

 per cwt. 



In 1850 Peruvian Guano was offered at £10 per ton, but in i860 

 it had risen to £13 5s., while the price of mineral superphosphate and 

 raw bone meal were respectively £6 los. and £S 5s. per ton. 



The price of lime at the Kendal kiln in 1872 was iid. per bushel ; 

 at the same date pure dissolved bones cost £y los. per ton. 



With the introduction of gas-works, gas-lune was applied to grass 

 land about 1860-65, a-^d the waste from the steel works, in the 



