70 
Action and Practical Application of Bones 
food than a crop of rape, and let us get a crop of wheat after it quite as 
well. By sowing late occasionally, we are able to get a weedy fallow 
clean ; and this is of importance to a ivhole rotation. Weather also, and 
other circumstances, may make us in some cases later with sowing than 
usual. The means of hastening and securing a crop are therefore of 
some value. 
But again, we may want to get two green crops after wheat, that is, 
by sowing a crop of autumn turnips as soon as wheat is cut, and another, 
or a crop of rape, next spring; or by sowing rye and tares, &c., in the 
autumn for spring feed, and turnips in the ensuing summer. There are 
other crops which, sown in autumn or early spring, afl'ord a chance for 
a late crop of turnips after the first is gathered. In all these cases, then, 
the dissolved bones come to our use, and enable us to do effectually 
that which we have hitherto only attempted to do ; for, owing to its 
forcing effect, it may be said to give us an extra month of growing 
weather. 
14. That it is worthy of notice, as regards the preparation of 
the mixture, that, in order to render the solution more complete, 
the bones should be pulverized as much as possible before they 
are mixed with the acid ; but that should this, through any means, 
not be the case, and a few of the larger portions of bone be left 
undissolved, this will have no injurious effect, as there will be 
sufficient dissolved for the plant in its early stages, and the larger 
particles will operate towards the end of the season. 
And that it is not necessary to apply the seed and the liquid in 
contact, or at the same time. Instead, therefore, of an expensive 
and complicated drill-machine, any simple vessel that will deposit 
a muddy liquid in the bottom of a furrow will serve the purpose. 
These are two important considerations, as the preparation and ap2>li- 
cation of the mixture are the only points on which a shadow of objection 
can be urged against the manure; and these difficulties will be found to 
be rather the effect of our own inexperience than the unavoidable results 
of the system. Thus, as to preparation, the foregoing trials with weak 
acid (Nos. 11 and 12) prove that one-third and one-fourth the weight 
of the bone will serve ; and that, though the solution be not perfect, tlie 
final results are not affected. Thus No. 11 (with 6 st. instead of 12 st. 
of acid) began a little behind the other plots with a larger share of acid, 
but stood, on second inspection, in the first rank (October 1, 1844). 
As to the second jioint, I trust that another year will not pass without 
a simple and cheap drill-cart, fur the purpose of distributing tiiis peculiar 
mixture, being exhibited to the members of the Royal Agricultural 
Society. The object to accomplish being simple, I hojie that economy 
in construction will not be lost sight of, as the farmer cannot afford ex- 
pensive drills for each description of manure. In such case the public 
will soon both appreciate its use, and tiie value of the application. 
I dwell on this point because I am aware tiiat a little practical difli-- 
culty of this sort often retards the spread of a beneficial practice, and 
that the only way to promote it is to give the farmer an economical 
means — a cheap and easy way of trying it. 
