AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY AND GEOLOGY. 145 



the reign of Charles the Third, aboiit the latter end of the fourteenth century, the waters of 

 the lake fell so low that the ruins of the ancient Valeria were exposed to view. The statues 

 of Claudius, of Agrippina, and of Nero, were found there, and now adorn the Palace of 

 Caserta. Among other objects, have recently been discovered the ruins of a house on the 

 borders of the lake, and a large stone bearing an inscription, on whioh is recorded the name 

 of a freedman of Tiberius Ca?sar. The curiosity of the antiquary will, therefore, be now 

 especially directed to the lake of Fucino. 



On the Collection and Preservation of Liquid Manure. 



A correspondent of the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, England, describes 

 the following method adopted by him for the collection, preservation, and distribution of liquid 

 manure. He says — 



Knowing something of the value of urine, and the profit to be derived from it, I am the 

 more anxious to induce others to try it, and will, therefore, take this opportunity of saying 

 something about the mode I have adopted to collect it, and the expense of the tanks to retain 

 it, which may be useful to those who have not yet set about so important an operation in 

 agricultural pursuits. 



My land is clay, two hundred and fifty deep ; in this soil only have I had experience, so 

 for this only do I prescribe. Having well considered where the liquid is to be used, as well 

 as where it is to be made, and resolved upon the most convenient situation, I have a hole 

 dug full seven feet in diameter and twelve feet deep, the bottom being shaped like a basin, 

 and well rammed, with a little water, into a good puddle. The construction of the tank is 

 commenced by the bricklayer forming a circle with bricks (four-inch work) round an opening 

 of five feet, leaving a space behind the brick-work to be filled and rammed well in with clay- 

 puddle by the laborers as the building is worked up, no mortar being used with the bricks, 

 or any thing else till the dome is to be formed ; mortar or cement is then required, the roof 

 is then arched in, a man-hole left in the centre of each tank, and covered with a three-inch 

 yellow deal cover, (two-inch oak would be better.) One of these tanks, containing one 

 thousand gallons, cost £2 17s. 6c?., (about $14.) 



Several of these tanks should be made adjoining each other ; they then form a most excel- 

 lent filter to keep back any hay or straw that would prevent the egress of the liquid from 

 the water-cart, receiving it into the first from the stables, and pumping it out from any other 

 one of them. It must be observed, also, the tanks being formed, the drainage into them is 

 the next feature to be considered. I have adopted a mode economical and effectual, by laying 

 down in the pavement what is called at the iron-works an angle-iron gutter of very small size, 

 and covering the surface of it with a flat iron bar, just to lie within the surface of the gutter, 

 wherein all the urine is received and conveyed away immediately, and all the straw, dung, 

 and dirt is kept out. This is highly advantageous, as the urine is conveyed away immediately, 

 without escape of ammonia, and the little gutter may be uncovered as often as you please, 

 and swept out with a broom. There is no under-drain to get stopped; all can be seen and 

 kept in order by a commonly useful person, without the aid of what is called a tradesman. 

 I should like to see three of these little gutters down a stall, whereby all the urine would be 

 caught ; three gallons per day from each moderately-sized horse, more from cart-horses that 

 drink freely, considerably more from cows, and a much larger quantity from pigs than is 

 usually calculated. If all the water is caught from farm-horses, cows, pigs, farm-servants, 

 and household-people, the tanks would be filled very quickly; and, whenever the tank con- 

 taining one thousand gallons of urine is filled the second time, and properly applied to Italian 

 rye-grass, the result will show it is not too high an estimate to calculate the tanks and drains 

 paid for. The first application will convince the grower of ten acres of this grass, that his 

 present stock is insufficient to eat it. He must add to it, and thereby increase the quantity 

 of urine considerably, and so go on to keep a much larger farming stock altogether. The 

 often-asked question, "How shall I obtain urine enough?" will cease to be asked, and the 

 amount of solid faeces so much increased as to obviate the necessity for a constant outlay of 

 capital to procure it." 



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