Burning Land for Manure. 



79 



some are of opinion it tends to lessen the quantity of the soil, con- 

 sequently injures the real staple of the land, and that, however 

 desirable it may be once, it ought not to be repeated. I am not 

 of this opinion, and should say_, if repeated at distances of 10 or 

 12 years, it would make no perceptible difference in the staple of 

 the land. It produces more straw, therefore a larger bulk of 

 manure returned to the soil. I should certainly not recommend 

 it three or four years in succession ; besides, the benefit would not 

 be so decided in that case, I do not know that I can better an- 

 swer these objections, and at the same time show the opinion of 

 the benefits arising from it, than by quoting the report of a far- 

 mer's club, of which I am a member, on this subject, arising as 

 it does from a number of practical farmers, residing in the centre 

 of the heavy-land district of Suffolk. 



Report. " The general feeling of the meeting was decidedly in favour 

 of clod burning. A calculation was made, that if 25 loads per acre was 

 burned and carried off the field, it would not reduce the soil more than 

 one quarter of an inch : this, however, is not done ; the soil when burned, 

 is again restored to the field, although in an altered and more desirable 

 form ; by the operation of the fire it is rendered light, friable, porous, 

 and highly absorbent of gaseous matters, and therefore well calculated 

 to improve the texture and fertility of heavy retentive land ; it makes it 

 more pervious to both air and water (two grand supporters of vegetable 

 life), it increases the efficiency of the drains by letting the water more 

 freely to them, and being more friable, the land works better and at less 

 expense. It further promotes vegetation by converting into soluble 

 matters available to plants, vegetable remains; which in consequence of 

 the usually wet impervious nature of the soil, have become as it were 

 indigestible and therefore inert and useless : it likewise has the eff"ect of 

 insuring the future benefits of such substances. It was also advocated 

 as being destructive of the roots and seeds of weeds ; of insects, their 

 larvse and eggs; and, as was pretty clearly demonstrated, it enabled land 

 to bear the same crop in quicker succession, by its supposed effects on 

 the exudations left by former crops." 



Only one trial in Suffolk has come under my observation of 

 burning clay in a pit. The person who tried the experiment states, 

 that during the dry weather, the clay appeared to burn almost 

 immediately it was broken up from the side of the pit ; that he 

 could burn it with only a little wood to begin the heap. The pieces 

 of clay were broken small when thrown on the fire ; but a wet day 

 or two following prevented him proceeding with the experiment. 

 He is of opinion coals and wood are too expensive for this work 

 in Suffolk, if a constant supply is requisite to make the clay burn, 

 and with our uncertain climate it would be necessary to have a 

 roofed building to prevent the clay getting wet. That the attrac- 

 tion of burnt clay for ammonia must render this a most useful 

 manure for heavy soils ; but at present the expense of preparing 



