230 
MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
Fringing the flowers to perfection on tlie 
specimen now growing in our nursery, I 
found it necessary to protect the flower- 
buds from the smallest amount of mois¬ 
ture, as cluster after cluster kept falling, 
which I found, upon close observation, 
was caused by the dew. Since then, I 
have protected many of the buds, by 
placing large bell glasses over them at 
night and removing them in the day time ; 
tliis plan I have found to answer admir¬ 
ably—the protected buds opening beau¬ 
tifully, whilst those left exposed to the 
night moisture wither and fall without 
expanding. Should any further feature 
appear, peculiar to the cultivation of this 
very interesting plant, I shall be happy 
to lay the same before the members of this 
society. 
P. L. C. SHEPHERD. 
Darling Nursery, 
Sydney, March 2, 1858. 
OX BONE MANURE AND SUPERPHOSPHATE 
OP LIME. 
Read at Agricultural Society’s Meeting, March 2nd, 1858. 
By Mr. Henry Wayraouth. 
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen,—Soon after my arrival 
in this colony, now some five years since, it appeared to 
me that few places presented greater facilities, from the 
abundance of animal refuse alwaj's at hand, for the manu¬ 
facture of patent manures than Sydney. 
At that time, however, trade, and trade alone, occupied 
the attentiou of the community. I believe and hope that 
the trading-mania has to a great extent exhausted itself, 
and that wc arc now beginning to pay some attention to 
the producing of vegetable food. 
1 therefore beg this evening to call your attention, and 
bring under your notice a few facts, hurriedly brought to¬ 
gether, respecting manures, the manufacture of which I 
purpose, should sufficient inducement be offered me. 
These are bone-manure and superphosphate of lime. 
The superphosphate of lime was first introduced into 
England about fifteen years ago. Its consumption has 
since then increased yearly, a sufficient proof of its efficacy 
as a fertilizing agent. Bone-manure i3 now extensively 
used in Victoria, as an advertisement in the " Horticul¬ 
tural Gazette (which I shall read to you presently) will 
shew. 
Rather than detain you with a long original paper on 
the value of the substances to the agriculturist. I will con¬ 
clude this notice of them by reading a few extracts from 
eminent works. 
««The importance of manuring with bones must be 
obvious to all. The bones of animals in general have 
their origin from apatill (phosphate of lime) which is 
never absent from fertile land. The bone earth passes 
from the soil into hay, straw, and other kinds of food, 
which are afterwards consumed by animals. Now, when 
wc consider that bones coutain 55 per cent, of the phos¬ 
phate of lime, and if we assume that hay contains the 
same quantity of the salt as wheat-straw, it follows that 
8 lbs. of bones contain as much phosphate of lime as 1000 
lbs. of hay or of wheat-straw, and 20 lbs. as much phos¬ 
phoric acid as 1000 lbs. of the grain of wheat or oats. By 
manuring an acre of land with sixty lbs. of bones* we 
famish sufheimt manure io supply three crops (wheat* 
oats , and mangle-wurzel ) with phosphates.” * 
A solution of bones in H. Cl. placed on land in winter 
would therefore not only restore a necessary constituent of 
the soil, but would give to it the power of retaining all 
the ammonia falling upon it in the rain for a period of 
SIX months.” —Liebeg Agricultural Chemistry. I beg 
particularly to call your attention to this sentiment. By 
it we learn that bones not only act itself as a fertilizer, 
but also as an absorbent and reservoir of the most im¬ 
portant of fertilizers. “ Experiments on bones as a 
manure were made long before their use was extensively 
adapted, and these in general were not attended with a 
very favourable result, in consequence ot the bones not 
being broken into sufficient small pieces, or being put 
on the land in too fresh a state.” * # 44 The ad¬ 
vantage of this manure In distant and uncultivated spots, 
where the carriage of common stable manure would be ex¬ 
pensive, and where it could not be made for want of food 
for cattle, is incalculable. By means of bones large tracts 
of barren sands liavc been converted into fertile fields.” 
-S m “ On very sandy soils and in dry summers the 
bones produce the best turnips, aud when the comparative 
cost is taken into consideration, and the saving of time in 
the light carriage of bones, it will be seen that the bones 
are much more economical.” “ Many large tracts of waste 
land have been brought into cultivation by means of bones 
as the only manure that could be procured, and without 
which they must have remained in a barren state.” * * 
“ Whatever difference there may be in the opinion of 
some of the numerous agriculturists who have sent answers 
on tliis subject, as to the effect of bones on different soils, 
all who have tried them to any extent have continued the 
use of them. This simple circumstance says more in 
favour of bonea than the most elaborate argument."—, 
Dictionary of the Farm. 
“ By Its use the introduction of weeds Is avoided (which 
are invariably produced by stable manure) and the ease 
with which a large extent of land may be dressed with it 
is a great saving of time and labour—most important con¬ 
siderations in this colony. This valuable manure is held 
in high favour throughout Europe, aud its advantages are 
beginning to be appreciated in this colony, as is proved 
by the increased demand. * Bone-dust in fact 
is deemed by many experienced persons to be eqival*»t to 
thirty times the quantity of farm yard manure,” &c.— 
Advertisement in Agricultural Gazette” for Victoria. 
In conclusion, I would observe that I think both bone- 
dust and superphosphate of lime could be furnished at 
much lower rates than those named in this journal. 
H. W. 
THE ORIGIN OF VEGETATION. 
(By Mr. Lewi? Markham, Armidale.) 
To nature we are indebted for all the 
products of tlie soil, and, consequently, 
the study of lier laws, in order that we 
may assist her, is tlie true science of agri¬ 
culture. 
Taking nature for a guide, and those 
sacred writings as authority, I feel perfecty 
justified in stating that air and water were 
the beginning of all material tilings ; they 
alone are tlie fountain from which creation 
sprung. In tracing the origin of vegeta¬ 
tion we must lead the mind back to that 
beginning when those two elements alone 
existed, when all was void and darkness 
without form, when, by divine command, 
the waters divided from the waters and the 
dry land appeared, lifeless, barren, and 
unproductive ; no living animal upon the 
earth, no creeping thing in all the waters, 
po earthly sound, no cheering light; a 
