BONE-MEAL AND ASHES. 375 



bones are composed goes directly to the nourishment 

 of vegetable life. The ashes of all grains are very rich 

 in phosphate of lime. This shows the importance of 

 furnishing this element for their use. 



A mixture of crushed bones and ashes, or leached 

 ashes, forms a valuable top-dressing. Nor will this ap- 

 plication, in small quantities, be thought expensive, if 

 what is said be true, that the animal part of bones, 

 which amounts to about one-third, contains eight or ten 

 times as much ammonia as the manure of the cow. A 

 small quantity of bone-dust will answer the purpose, in 

 some respects, of a larger quantity of manure from the 

 stable. We can but hope that every farmer will try 

 the experiment. It may be done on a small scale at 

 first, though in the vicinity of every butcher's estab- 

 lishment bones can commonly be procured in any 

 quantity. 



Thus far I have spoken of manures which belong 

 more peculiarly on the surface, as a top-dressing for 

 grass. For, though they are sometimes used, especially 

 plaster, on ploughed land, with potatoes and other 

 crops, yet their influence on the surface is thought to 

 be far more effective. Indeed, the benefit of lime, 

 plaster, and charcoal, would, in a great measure, be lost, 

 were they to be buried to any depth in the earth. But 

 there are other manures which are often used as top- 

 dressings. 



One of the best practical farmers in the country says: 

 " I top-dress almost all of my mowing in the fall, cut 

 two crops on all of them, and on some a third. I make^ 

 a compost of earth and manure ; make in the lot where- 

 it is used, by ploughing off a thin turf on the lower 

 side of a small hill or knoll, taking the turfs to the hog- 

 yard, and then cart from the stable three, five, or ten 

 loads, or more, as I have the manure. Drop the manure 



