S^o. 12. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



181 



nto the finest poetible dust, which, howeYer, is o 

 ifiicuU opoiDiion, on nccoHnt of the toughness of 

 heir cartilage. 'I'ho oporntion iaperlormed by pound- 

 ng or grinding, sit'iiivg the duet, nnd pounding nnd 

 r.nding the coarse pieces again. Fine pulverisation 

 9 absolutely necessary, in order iViot ihc ennilnge may 

 the sooner dissolved in water, nnd the phosphate 

 t' lime in the neida of the soil. The coarser the dust 

 he more it will take to manure a certain area ; the 

 iner, the leas ; however, the coarser powder wdl act 

 luring a longer period. Of tiuo boue dust, 700 Uis. 

 1)800 lbs. will suffice for the Magdeburi; acre; of 

 oarse, 1200 lbs. to I-'OO lbs., especially it an immc- 

 iateefieci 18 expected. Heavy clayey soils will re- 

 uire more than light loam or sandy fields; and if 

 ones are to be us.:d efiiciently upon dry sandy eoil 

 oor in humus, the bone dust must he first mixed with 

 lUinous earth, and be left to rot, as we shall state 

 reatver. Bone dust always acts best if brougbt into | 

 loseconiact with the roots, and should therefore either ; 

 harrowed in with the seed, or us d as a top-dress- 

 ng. In England, it is dnlled in the ridges, where 

 iirnipa are sown. 700 lbs. per acre will net even 

 Iter three years, as I have lound by several e.\peri- 

 lents ; the tirsi year, however, the notion will bo the 

 reatest if the season has not been too dry. It has 

 ecu aisumed, that 000 lbs. of bone-dust are equiva- 

 ntio their action to 5l)0 lbs. of dry manure, which, 

 owever, is a very uncertain calcnlaiion, for the qual- 

 .y of the manure must be taken into account. 



If bone-dual is to act properly, it is nejessnry that 

 le soil should not be deficient in humus and moisture; 

 ccauEe both cartilage and phosphate of lime are sub- 

 ;ances with ditfieuUy dissolved in water; the latter 

 ipecially being only soluble in water by the acid of 

 le humic or carbonic acids derived from humus. 

 'Toisture is also indispensable, because it is necessary 

 ') bring about the change ol cartilage into ammonia 

 nd carbonic acid. Humic acid is of equal impor- 

 iince, for ibc sake of neutralising the ammonia sen- 

 rated from the cartilage and fixing it. If then ma- 

 uring with bone dust has been occasionally found to 

 e unsuccessful, it may have been caused by the defi- 

 lencY of humus or moisture. To be certain, then, 

 lat done-dust will produce the desired effect in a dry 

 >il devoid of humus, it is always best to mix it with 

 unius earth and to throw them into a hole. This 

 lixture being kept wet will become rotten, mnch 

 urnate of ammonia will be formed, and ii may then 

 s used as a top-dressing, or be harrowed in with the 

 •!ed. Bone-dust will become equally efiicient if pre- 

 ioiisly put into a urine-tank and permitted to decay, 

 'be phosphate of lime will thus be decomposed by 

 le carbonate of ammonia that arises from urine, the 

 !SUU of which will be the generation of phosphate of 

 mmonia and carbonate of line. The former salt is 

 ery soluble in water, and will therefore — even if there 

 B but little humic acid in the soil — easily provide 

 ..ants with the necessary amount of phosphorus, as 

 ell as nitrogen- Experiments which I have made 

 ith the phosphate of ammonia have shown that it is 

 ;ry beneficial to plants. It has been also recom- 

 endcd, when bones have been merely crushed, to 

 IX them with quicklime in a ditch, and to let them 

 ■1 there ; but this process is bad. The consequence 

 it is, that the whole of the ammonia developed 

 am the cartilage will escape as gas. Equally objec- 

 onable is the plan of packing bone-dust in heaps he- 

 re using it, welting it, and letting it rot in that state ; 

 :cauae, in this instance also, the ammonia will as' 

 :uic the form of gaa. If, on the contrary, as shown 

 lOve, humous earth is mixed with the bone dust, all 

 e ammonia will be fixe. I by humic acid. If the 

 • nca contain much fat, a sort of amraoniacal soap, 

 sily soluble in water, will be produced. Those 

 ■gi.ubles will be most advanced by manuring with 

 ■ ae dust in which much nitrogen, phosphorus, and 

 iloriae are to be met svith, to which class belong all 

 rt3 of cabbages and turnips, wheat, trefoil, beans, 

 ;as, nnd vetches. Used on meadows, bone-dust 

 ings up different species of trefoil and retches, and 

 the same time generates a rich herbage, much rel- 

 lied by cattle. It has been objected to bone manure, 

 at it brings to the land worms and insects which de- 

 my the crops ; but this will not be the cose if the 

 me Jiiat has been previously mixed with humus 

 rih, and is thoroughly rotted ; because, in that case, 

 e cartilage, which attracts the worms and insects is 

 (Loinposed. To lighten a clayey soil by coarsely 

 ushed bones, as some have suggested, is, at the high 



Iiee of bones, quite out of the question on account 

 ' the expense. — Farmers' Journal, Eng. 

 Goor> Reason. — A secretary of state being asked 

 / an intimate friend why he did not promote merit, 

 n\y replied, " Because merit did not promote me." 



Btdge i-ersas Tint Drill. 



To Md Editor of the DoncasUr Gazette : 

 Having hcttrd vnrions discuss ons on the relative 

 merits of ridging rrnd tlat drilling white turnips, I re 

 solved this year to bring the matter to the prool, by 

 trying the e.\periiiieiit in two or three fields. 1 tried 

 ill one iiiaiaucc lint drilling on land whii h had laid a 

 fortnight, ngninst ridgingand drilling on fresh m»uld ; 

 the fiat 1(5 inches apart; the dulled or ti;lyed U7 in. 

 apart. They were both carefully hoed and singled ; 

 but the flats yellowed very early and stopped growing; 

 whilst the ridged luxuriated in ilicirniopie npnce, nnd 

 grew to an iincoinnion size: the difference in the 

 weight of crop per acre is to the amount of some 

 tons. Adjoining these I ploughed down manure, and 

 drilled on the fint, but tlicy scarcely did better than 

 the other, though they had all ihc same top dressing ; 

 whilst the ridged ones, immediately eoniigiious, with 

 the same quantity of manure, did exceedingly well. 

 A few further observations I made on these cxpori- 

 menia may not be without interest ; we took n few 

 loads of dung, or rather litter, fresh from the fold, the 

 exact eoil that modern science so greatly approves, 

 hot the turnips rejected the new fashioned views, and 

 grev/ both sulkily nnd tardily ; indeed the difteience 

 was astonishing between this nnd Christmas-led and 

 once- tumid manure. In the same field some were 

 not rolled, -ome done with a wooden roller, and some 

 with a heavy stone one, ncroes. The effect on the 

 turnips waa i-Iigiit. Um on the weeds important : for, 

 j«6t according to luc tvtiglit of the rcller, had the 

 weeds been repressed in their growth. 



S'jould these observations be worthy a place in the 

 Gazette, you will, by their insertion, greatly oblige 

 yours, &c. 



AN I LONIAN. 

 p. S. — I venture an neeumption for the purpotc of 

 eliciting remnrks from some of your numerous read- 

 ers, that fold manure acquires more vegetative quali- 

 ties during the process of fermentation than it loses 

 by the escape of ammonia. 



From the Albany Cidtitaior. 

 Water Ijime"-Clsteriis. 



Charles Merriwetber, of Graysville, Ky., requests 

 some " information as to the burning water or hydrau- 

 lic lime, the best sand to mix with it, and the mode 

 of making cisternB.'' 



Hydraulic lime is burned in the usual manner, but 

 as it Will notsluke like common lime, it is ground to 

 fit it for use. Hydraulic lime varies eo much in 

 quality, that no general rule can be given as to the 

 quantity of sand it will hear in making cement. — 

 When good, thrie bushels of sand to one of lime, 

 will be the proper qnoniiiy, although some use more 

 sand. The sand should be sharp nnd clean. There 

 should be no clay or loam among it ; since if these 

 are present, the cement will not have the requisite 

 hardness, or set quickly. The best method of making 

 cisterns, is to dig the excavations of the proper size 

 and depth ; then make over the bottom a firm floor of 

 stone, or brick laid in cement, (a single fiat stone like 

 those used for paving, that will make an entire bottom, 

 is the beat,) and on this foundation build the wall of 

 stone or brick for the reservoir. Whnttver may be 

 the material of the wall, it should receive one or two 

 coats of cement on the inside, to insure its being v;a- 

 ter tight. Some, in making cisterns, place the cement 

 on the earth of the pit, using neither stone or bricks. 

 Where the ground is very dry, and the sides can be 

 made smooth, this method, where two or more cover- 

 ings of cement arc used, may answer ; but in gener- 

 al, the best way is to construct a wall as abeve direct- 

 ed. The cistern when made must be covered so ne to 

 be secure ngainet frust. In making the cement, it 

 must not be wet up, or prepared, faster than it is 

 wanted for use, ae lying for any considerable time 

 spoils it. 



Vfe recognise below the hand of an old friend, 

 whose authority is unquestionable. 



From the Jfete England Farmer. 

 Seeding ou Green-sward Fnrrows. 



Mr. Tutsam — In your paper of the 31st of August, 

 there is an inquiry, in what part of the State the ex- 

 periment has been made of seeding on green-sward 

 furrows, nnd how the farmers liked the practice. We 

 are disposed to give " Essex" information concerning 

 our experience nnd practice, without participating at 

 all in the dispute whether this be old or new hue- 

 band ry. 



Some twenty er twenty-five years since, tde writer 

 was told that Mr. Z. Estis, of Hanover, practiced 

 ploughing sward bound fields, manuring and seeding 

 with grass, without any intervening crop. The first 



suggestion of such n course was sufTicicnt inducement 

 to make nn experiment, as much fruitless labor nnd 

 expense had been given in ntiempts to raise gram 

 Clops on cold and clayey soils. Every experiment 

 made has been attended with very satisfactory results. 

 There is no loss ol ciop in the course, and yet most 

 of the purposes of naked fallow are fully accomplish- 

 ed. The gradual dissolving of the sod prevents the 

 soil from falling into too compact a stale, (a common 

 evil on low lauds ) and imparls nonrishment for many 

 years to the new grara. We have a field which was 

 pl.iughed and seeded in Auguei, 1325 ; it has not been 

 very frequently or copiounly dressed with manure, nnd 

 is still in better condition than mowing fields general- 

 ly. Another field, seeded twelve yearp ago, and dress- 

 ed once in two years, produced this year a very largo 

 first crop nnd n second is now ready for mowing. — 

 This practice is worthy of all commcndntion on land 

 not suited to grain crops. Where Indian corn would 

 be likely t3 grow well, we should think it a more eco- 

 nomical and belter course to plow in the spring, ap- 

 ply manure, plant with corn, cultivate with a level 

 surface, and sow grass seed at the last hoeing. 



" Essex" seems disposed to blame farmers for neg- 

 lect in communicating to the public, if the system 

 concerning which he inquires, has been pursued " for 

 a long course of years." Remissness in communica- 

 tion is no doubt an easily besetting sin, nnd the writer 

 will not deny that it sometimee lies at bis door ; but 

 on this subject there is no conBcientiousncts of any 

 improper reserve on his part ; all suitable occnsionB 

 hnve been embrnced to direct the attention of farmers 

 to a practice so intimately connected with their inter- 

 ests nnd prosperity. All practicable publicity hat 

 been given to views entertained on the subject. In 

 nn account of the cultivation of the writer's farm, 

 which was published in the N. E. Farmer, vol. z., 

 page 360, this practice was mentioned as part of the 

 system pursued. In the county of Plymouth, tha 

 practice has not been extended proportionate to its 

 utility ; but we have the satisfaction of teeing a good 

 number of farmers every year adopting it, and where 

 one experiment hcs been fairly made on a farm, an 

 intelligent owner will be very certain to repeat it. 

 M. ALLEN. 



Pembro ke, Sept. '2d, 18 42. 



ErieConuty Agricultural Society. 



The second fair this season, of this Society, wss 

 held at Buffalo, Nov. 16th, for the exhibition of grain 

 and root crops. The following are the awards of the 

 viewing committee : 



ROOTS. 

 Best one quarter acre carrots, 13!^ bushels to the 

 acre, Manning Cnae, Blurk Rock, §3. 



Second best one quarter acre of carrots, 1040 bush- 

 els to the acre, Abner Bryant, Black Bock — Diploma. 

 Best one quarter acre ruta bags, 1000 bushels to 

 the acre, Abner Bryant, Black Rock, $3. 



Best one quarter acre beets, 1280 bushels to tha 

 acre, Abner Bryant, Black Rock, $2. 

 JOHN WEBSTER, ) 

 JOHN CARPENTER, > Committee. 

 DAVID P. WHITE, ) 

 GRAINS. 

 Best acre corn, 57 bushels to tha acre, Thomas C. 

 Love, Newstend, $4. 



Best ncre barley, 42 bushels to the acre, John Car- 

 penter, WaleS) $3. 



Best acre oats, 67 bushels to the acre, John Web- 

 ster, Hamburgh, $3. 



DISCRETIONARY PREMIUM. 

 To Manning Case, Black Rock, one-haif ocre corn, 

 51 bushels to the acre — Diploma. 



A. CALLENDER, ) 

 A. BRYANT, } Committee. 



WM. HODGE, Jr. ) 

 The attendance was very small, owing probably to 

 the bad state of the roads. There was no application 

 tor the premiums on wheat, rye, buckwheat, pens, 

 beans or potatoes. And on the articles to which pre- 

 miums have been awarded, there was no competition. 

 The samplescxhibitcd, however, were superior. 



WARREN BRYANT, Sec'y. 



The late Thunder Utorm. — A curious incident oc- 

 curred in a crowd ; the finger of an individual sud- 

 denly beenme light, nnd was conducted with electrical 

 velocity into another person's pocket, when being at- 

 tracted by the metnl, it struck upon the whole of il, 

 and then glided off, so that the bolt which usually fol- 

 lows was quite in another direction. — Punch. 



