BLUBBER. 117 



unnecessary for it to be manufactured in a 

 more expensive way. 



We would recommend, as the best means of 

 preparing these substances for manures, that 

 one or two gallons of either of the above oils 

 should be mixed with five or six bushels of 

 fresh coal ashes or charcoal, or a mixture of 

 both. After laying a few days in this state 

 fermentation would take place, the oil would 

 be decomposed, and the carbon thus set free, 

 would be at once absorbed by the charcoal or 

 ashes, and as soon as ever this had taken place 

 they should at once be used. 



If to this mixture it were possible to add, as 

 there is every reason to hope soon will be the 

 case, some of the apatite or native phosphate of 

 lime, we conceive that such a mixture would 

 answer admirably for turnips ; as it would fur- 

 nish every requisite for the young plants and 

 stimulate their growth, so as to render the ef- 

 fects of the fly, the black caterpillar, and the 

 other enemies of this plant, quite abortive. 



If these substances are mixed with lime, as 

 is or has frequently hitherto been the case, de- 

 composition speedily ensues, and the carbon 

 resulting from such decomposition is at once 

 absorbed by the lime to form carbonate of lime ; 

 a substance which it is not at all necessary thus 

 to manufacture, seeing that it exists already 

 abundantly in nature as chalk and limestone. 



Fish, such as sprats, cockles, muscles, which 

 in various parts of England are extensively 

 used as a manure, are only valuable for the 

 oil they contain, and being applied at once to 

 the soil, the oil that is yielded during decom- 



11 * 



