ON MANURES. 167 



ferments, and evolves a considerable degree of heat, when 

 they soon become fit for use. 



Turnips raised with this compost, he affirms to have always 

 possessed the same characters of a close crop, firm root, and 

 hardiness to resist the rig-ours of winter, that turnips raised 

 with bone-dust alone evince; in proof of which, lie has sold 

 them for 11. per acre to be eaten off by sheep. He, however, 

 supposes that it is the bone-dust alone which secures to the 

 crop whatever nourishment may be imparted to it at the 

 future stages of its growth, in which he is doubtless correct ; 

 but in imagining that he has thus discovered a more economi- 

 cal mode of their application in their effect upon succeeding 

 crops, we imagine that his further experience will show him 

 that he has been deceived; for although the fermentation of 

 the bones, occasioned by the application of the ashes, may in- 

 crease their power upon the actual crop, it will be propor- 

 tionably diminished in those which follow, and we think that 

 the instances which we have already stated must convince 

 practical men that the durability of their influence upon the 

 Boil depends on the quantity in which they are applied. 



Application. — Independently of the decided fertilizing pro- 

 perties of bones, when applied to dry and light soils, they have 

 the great advantage of being procurable at a small expense 

 of carriage, which diminishes the labour of teams to a great 

 extent; for one wagon-load of 100 bushels, broken small, will 

 in most cases be found equal to 40 cart-loads of yard manure. 

 They are also capable of being preserved during a long time, 

 when kept dry, without incurring damage, and thus may be 

 stored up during the winter season, when farm business is not 

 pressing ; added to which, they leave the land freer from 

 weeds than when it is manured with dung. This and their 

 suitableness to the drill husbandry, renders them peculiarly 

 adapted to the cultivation of turnips — to which, indeed, they 

 have been the most universally applied ; and we need not 

 remind our readers, that on the success of tliat crop generally 

 depends those of the whole succeeding course. The instances 

 are also numerous, upon all soils, of turnips being destroyed 

 by the fly when sown in drills, having had the manure placed 

 directly under them ; when turnips sown in the same field, 

 and on the same day, with bone dust, have entirely escaped 

 their ravages. Their value to the holders of light soils, in 

 thus enabling them to procure the certain means of improving 

 the returns from their land, by this increase of their quantity 

 o3 



