92 
The Farming of Cheshire. 
tity; but I have not heard of its application since that period. 
One extensive farmer in the Hundred of Nantwich applied it in 
the same year to a wheat- crop ; and he stated at an agricultural 
meeting, that it had been a loss of 50Z. to him, in consequence of 
forcing his crop too much into straw. 
Upon the subject of artificial manures an intelligent corre- 
spondent from the Hundred of Eddisbury thus writes : — 
" In the winter of 1836, I laid upon a field of eleven acres 1 ton of 
boiled bones, crushed small, to the statute acre ; the field had not been 
ploughed for a great many years, and produced a coarse bad grass, which 
I could only get eaten down during the winter or spring. In 1837 1 mowed 
the field, and had a very good crop with much red and white clover. But 
in 1838, I had a most extraordinary crop, and perhaps the most extra- 
ordinary thing was, that it was an entire mass of wild red clover, I never 
saw a field of common clover a fuller crop. I continued to mow it for 
three years longer and had fair crops, but not very heavy ones. I may 
add, that the field was not then drained, which has been done since. 
"Guano I have used for turnips at the rate of 2 cwt., and half a ton of 
bones to the acre, and I should have had a capital crop of Swedes had not 
the first sowing been killed, soon after they came up, by the drills having 
been too much crushed down by the drill in putting in the bones, &c. 
But I soiled the drills up again, and sowed again, and the last sown did 
not grow to a great size in consequence of the late sowing, June 20th: the 
growth was so rapid, that in six weeks the leaves met across the intervals 
of the drills, and what turnips remained of the first sowing were 12 and 
14 lbs., and the whole a very fair average crop ; this was on stiff clay land, 
in 1842. I intend following the same plan ; as last year the w etness of the 
season prevented my getting my land in order. If Swedes are not sown 
upon my land in May they never get to a good size. The very great ad- 
vantage of using on my land manures so easy of removal, enables me to 
take advantage of weather, which the long time required for carting ma- 
nure from the yard often precludes one from doing. I last year put 2 cwt. 
of guano per acre on ray oats, and had a very fine crop, on one field 91 
acres 260 threaves, and one field of 7 acres, and a poor field, and one part 
thin in soil on a steep slope 148 threaves. In 1840 I put nitrate of soda 
on a field of wheat, at the rate of 200 cwt. to the acre ; on 300 square yards 
I put none, and the diff"erence the whole time it was green was clearly 
seen at a great distance. I had this cut and thrashed separate, and 300 
yards adjoining on the same butts separate ; that with nitrate produced 
35 sheaves, and 125 lbs. of wheat : without, 20 sheaves, 86 lbs. of wheat ; 
The first at the rate of 27 bushels of 75 lbs. to an acre ; 
The second „ 18 bushels and 26 lbs. to an acre. 
The whole crop was very indifferent and thin (before applying the nitrate) 
and a poor field, and I consider the crop was throughout as good as the 
300 yards I cut against that on which I had used no nitrate. I have also 
used it on grass lands without any experiments of comparison, but the crop 
was good ; without any precise data to go upon, I think it leaves the land 
poorer a second year, nor does it improve the after-grass. After all, for 
our clay land, bone at the present price of 4/. 10s. per ton is the cheapest 
and best manure, and will pay well at that price : I hope I have met your 
wishes, and shall at all times be very glad to communicate any of my ex- 
rerience of farming on as stiff a clay as any in Cheshire ; in the year 1840 
grew as fine a crop of Swedes as is often seen in a field, in ploughing of 
which it was so thin of good soil, that we brought up such as farmers are 
