92 On the Application of Bones to Grass Lands. 



It is ROW 20 years since I first saw bone-dust applied to 

 pasture land, on a field adjoining Lord Combermere's estate. 

 At the time the bones were put upon the land it certainly was 

 not worth more than 10^. an acre, and though so long a period 

 has elapsed since the field was manured with bones, it is now 

 wwth 355. per acre, though I think the land is not quite so good 

 as it was five years ago. 



I consider bones the cheapest of all manure for mowing-grounds. 

 Eight years ago I manured part of one of my mowing fields with 

 bones o5 cwt. to the acre, the land has produced me a good crop 

 of hay every year since, quite equal to the other part of the field 

 which has been manured with good farm -yard dung every two years. 

 Once in eight or nine years is quite often enough to manure 

 mowing lands with bones ; and I am quite certain that pasture 

 land on which bones have been applied never will (so long as it 

 remains in grass) return to the state it was in before the bones 

 were put on. 



The price I paid for bones last spring was 2.9. 8d per bushel ; 

 or if by weight, Ql. 15s. per ton. They are now a little loAver; 



1 can purchase them at 2.9. Qid. per bushel, or 6Z. 6s. per ton, 

 that is for the raw bones. 



The boiled bones are at Al. 15s. per ton, but I do not con- 

 sider them any cheaper than the raw ones^ as being wet they 

 weigh much heavier ; 2 tons of boiled bones are not more than 

 equal to 30 CAvts. of the raw. I give the preference to the latter, 

 if they can be got pure ; but I have not had such long experience 

 as to assert confidently that they are the best as to durability. 



In the year 1828 one of Lord Combermere's tenants manured 

 5 acres of pasture land with boiled bones, and in the same field 



2 acres with raw bones ; both answered well, and at this moment 

 I do not observe any difference ; both still equally retain their 

 fertilizing qualities. 



I find a great difficulty in procuring good fresh bones, as the 

 manufacturers buy them up to make size of ; old bones (such as 

 the greater part of those are Avhich are imported from Ireland 

 and the continent) will not do for this purpose, and it is my 

 opinion that the fresh bones are not so much deteriorated by 

 boiling, but that they are quite equal as a manure to those 

 Ave get from the bone-dealers as fine bones, most of Avhich are 

 old, and consequently have lost a great part of their fertilizing 

 poAvers. 



I have the honour to be, my Lord, 

 Your lordship's most humble and obedient servant, 



Edav. Billyse. 



Haijivood Farm^ Nantivich, Cheshire, 

 October 2d, 1840. 



