DANIELL'S ARTIFICIAL MANURE. 287 



series of years on this subject. In 1839, Mr. Prince, Jr. 

 carried the process to England, and, with Mr. J. Mercer and 

 Blyth, took out letters patent. Mr. Prince sold his right to 

 Messrs. Mercer and Blyth, who introduced the process into 

 the establishments on the Continent. The article is now 

 made by M. Kestner, of Thann, who observes, in his letter 

 to the "Societe Industrielle de Mulhouse," accompanying 

 a sample, and on which their committee reported. Bulletin 

 No. 63, that "the article is the invention of Messrs. Mercer 

 and Blyth, printers of calicoes near Manchester." 



Dr. Liebig probably derived his knowledge of this im- 

 provement from the Bulletin referred to above, and his 

 statement is only partial respecting the effects of cow-dung. 

 The discovery of the principle of its action has led to the 

 employment of other salts, which produce effects equally 

 good as phosphates. 



daniell's artificial manure.* 



The basis of this manure is wood reduced to powder, 

 sawdust, which is to be thoroughly saturated with bituminous 

 and animal matters of all or any kind ; to this is to be 

 added small proportions of soda and quicklime. The 

 sample exhibited to the Royal Agricultural Society, was a 

 coarse black powder, having a strong smell, somewhat 

 resembling coal tar. In England its price will be about 

 one third that of bone dust. It is a kind of artificial 

 bituminous coal. It should be buried two or three 

 inches under the surface of the soil. For grass land, 

 it is to be well mixed with a considerable portion of 

 ordinary unvalued mould. The quantity to be used will 

 vary with the crop. About twenty-four bushels per acre 

 are recommended for wheat, and half as much more, 

 or thirty-six bushels, may be carefully applied for turnips 

 or mangel-wurtzel. Its direct effect is thought to be the 

 conveyance to the soil of the direct nutriment of future 

 growth. This effect is produced by the supply of ammo- 

 nia to the soil in substances calculated to retain it for a 

 time, — to again absorb it from the atmosphere, — as they 

 give it out to plants during their growth. It will probably 

 prevent also the ravages of insects. 



* Abridged from notices in the New Genesee Farmer, Vol. III., by 

 J. E. T. 



