Trials of Sulphuric Acid and Bones for Turnips. 245 
Field No. 2. — Soil, stone brash upon old red sandstone, limed in 1841. 
T. cwt. lbs. 
One acre, manured with 15 bushels of coal-ashes and 15 
bushels of charcoal-dust, drilled in with the seed, 
produced . . . . . . . 4 8 64 
One acre, manured with 80 lbs. of brown acid and 2 
bushels of fine bone-dust dissolved, mixed with 500 
gallons of water, and sprinkled with a water-cart over 
the land before ridging up; and 15 bushels of coal- 
ashes, and 15 bushels of charcoal-dust, drilled in with 
the seed 12 11 48 
The swedes (Skirving's) were planted on the ridge, the first and second 
weeks in July, at 24 inches; the plants thinned to 9 inches; horse 
and hand hoed three times. 
Pulled, topped, tailed, and weighed, 14th January, 1845. 
I had the brown sulphuric acid, strength 1 • 750, at \d. per lb., from 
that highly respectable manufacturer Mr. James Gibbs, Bristol ; and 
the fine bone-dust, of excellent quality, from Messrs. H. and T. Proctor, 
Bristol, at 26j. per quarter. 
The acid and bones for field No. 1 were treated as follows: — for 1 acre, 
an empty hogshead of about 100 gallons, with one head out, was used : 
2 bushels (or 16 gallons) of bone-dust was put into the cask or tub, 
then 80 lbs. (or about 4i gallons) of acid, the mass being well stirred ; 
to this was added 24 gallons of ioi7?«^ water ; the mixtuie being well 
stirred the whole time the water was being put in, to keep down the 
violent ebullition that ensued. In a few minutes the bone-dust was per- 
fectly dissolved, and fit for use. The mixture was then taken in the 
tub into the field, put by the heap of turf-ashes, which being very dry, 
about 500 gallons of water were gradually added to the mixture, and 
thrown over the ashes ; which, being well mixed, were then put into 
carts and distributed with a shovel into the drills, the ground ridged up, 
and immediately sown. 
I put in about 3 acres per day, using three old hogsheads or tubs 
i (worth about 5^. each) ; and, when taken to the field, two lots were put 
I together, the empty tub being used to mix the proper 'quantity of 
1 water before throwing over the ashes. 
A neighbouring farmer had one carboy of acid last year ; he used 
dried mud from a horse-pond to mix with the acid and bones : and he 
is so satisfied with the result that he has ordered 10 carboys of acid this 
year. My friend says the acid and bones beat every other manure 
(guano, dung, &c.) ; and are the cheapest and best of all manures for 
growing turnips. The soil, a poor sand, was limed with 108 bushels 
per acre, immediately before the mixture was put on. 
I am convinced that, without lime in the soil, acid and bones will not 
act ; this I witnessed in a neighbour's field last year — the field six years 
ago was part of a common, it was then bioken up, and part limed the 
following year. Last year the whole field was planted with turnips — 
using 2 bushels of bone-dust and 80 lbs. of acid per acre ; put on as on 
