Bones and Sulphuric Acid as Manures. 449 
of bone-dust, mixed with 400 gallons of water, at an expense of 1 Is. 6d., 
produced 12 tons 4 cwt. 
5th, One ditto, manured with 83 lbs. of sulphuric acid, mixed with 8 
bushels of bones, and sown with the hand, at an expense of 1/. 5s., pro- 
duced 1 1 tons. 
(Signed) Thomas Bell, 
Farm Stexoard. 
Spynie, 20th October, 1843. 
In offering myself a candidate for the premium to be given this 
year for the best tuniips raised by means of sulphuric acid and bones, 
I may, in the first place, mention that my field of 21 acres was last 
autumn deeply ploughed with three horses out of oat-stubble, it having 
previously carried a wheat-crop, after two years' ley, well manured. In 
the spring it underwent the usual process of cleaning, and received, 
about the 1st of June, 25 quarters of Linksfield lime. Drilling and 
sowing commenced upon the 10th, allowing 4 bushels of bones and 96 
lbs. of sulphuric acid, properly diluted with water, to the acre. The 
manure was prepared by putting into a large vat, placed in a corner of 
the field to be sown, 32 bushels of bone-dust, and for each bushel was 
added 96 lbs. of water and 24 of sulphuric acid : there were thus in 
the vat at once 32 bushels of bones, 384 gallons of water, and 47^ 
gallons of sulphuric acid. The whole was allowed to lie for a fortnight 
previous to use, when it was found that the acid had nearly dissolved 
all the bones. The mixture was then drawn off, and added to water in 
a large water-cart, in the proportion of 1 gallon of the mixture to 50 of 
water, and which was distributed to the drills from 3 spouts into 3 
drills at a time. The drills were previously slightly harrowed down, 
and immediately drilled up on receiving the liquid manure. Owing to 
the great drought which prevailed at the time of sowing, and the very 
recent liming, very few of the seeds vegetated till after the rain, which 
fell about a month from the time of sowing. The heavy gale which 
prevailed about this time cut down the greater part of the early plants, 
and has thus left the field deficient in some places. I observed that 
after the field came to be singled that it underwent that process in the 
order in which it was sown, — 13 acres having been sown with farm- 
yard manure, and the remaining 8 with the bones and sulphuric acid — 
the plants from the acid keeping the lead of those sown with court 
manure, and are to-day a heavier crop, though not looking quite so 
healthy in the blade, owing to their having come earlier to maturity. 
The expense per acre, viz.: — 4 bushels of bones, at 2*. &d. — 10*.; 
sulphuric acid, 96 lbs., at \\d. — 10*. : if. Those laid down with court 
manure received 20 cart-loads per acre, at 2*. Qd. per load — H. 10*. 
Weight, per imperial acre, as ascertained on the 15 th of November, the 
date of weighing : — 
Tons. Cwt. Lbs. 
Sulphuric acid and bones . . . 12 5 80 
Court manure. . . . . 10 17 104 
(Signed) D. D. Manson. 
