186 A PRACTICAL TREATISE 



acre. They are also frequently employed as top-dressing's foi 

 clover-leys, and are sometimes ploughed into the land before 

 winter, when intended for turnips; for, if applied at the time 

 of sowing-, they will not work tor that crop. If used for other 

 crops, they should be spread before the last ploughing, and 

 laid well into the soil, or otherwise they are apt to be raked 

 out by the harrrows. We have also heard of their being 

 steeped in a reservoir of urine, kept in the farm-yard, and 

 applied to barley and clover with very good effect. 



Sugar-Bakers' Scum is the skimmings of the sugar during 

 the operation of refining, m which process it is boiled with a 

 portion of bullock's blood and lime-water. The albumen con- 

 tained in the blood coagulates on the application of heat, and 

 rises to the top of the pan, carrying with it the impurities 

 contained in the solution which is thus clarified, and the dregs 

 are used as manure. This refuse is of a very caustic nature, 

 and is therefore not well adapted to light soils ; nor, indeed, 

 has it been found to answer upon arable land of any descrip- 

 tion ; but it has very considerably enriched meadows of cold 

 retentive clay, and is therefore used to some extent in the 

 vicinity of the great seaports which trade with the West 

 Indies, 



The mode of applying it is to break the lumps, and to spread it 

 evenly and thinly, if laid on in its raw state ; but a better method 

 is to mix two or three cart-loads of road sand with one of scum, 

 and to apply the mixture, without waiting for its fermentation, 

 at the rate of about 30 loads per acre; a few more or less, ac- 

 cording to the state of the land. It may be had at most sugar- 

 bakers at about four to five shillings the cart-load, containing 

 at least a ton. 



[Guano, owing its fertilizing properties to its uncombined 

 ammonia, is coming much into use. The best system for 

 using it, is to spread and plough it in. About 500 lbs, to the 

 acre is a proper paying proportion. For Indian corn, it is un- 

 surpassed. For turnips, after bruising and powdering it, apply 

 it by hand in the drills. Care must be taken that it does not 

 come in contact with the seed. The guano should be applied, 

 and after the falling of the earth in the drill covers it, the seed 

 are planted. The proportion for turnips, you may apply about 

 450 lbs. to the acre. It is valuable as a top-dressuig to green 

 or growing plants, especially to grass. But bone-dust treated 

 with acid, as before-described, is a preferable manure for 

 turnips, especially Swedes.] 



