18 04* thoughts on the Applicaihn of Dung. \6-^ 



was filling ; and to avoid fuch evils, many farmers, at this day, 

 in the neighbourhood of great towns, decline laying manure up- 

 on their fallows, knowing that tlie vegetable food contained in 

 thefc lands, if reinforced with an additional fupply, would, in 

 nine cafes out of ten, prove deltruillive to the enfuing wheat 

 crop. It is alfo often obferved, that where a heavy co,u of dung 

 has been given to a well wrought fallow, fuch a degree of fer- 

 mentation takes place in the fucceeding fpring, as altogether to 

 free the roots of young wheat from their natural hold ; thereb/ 

 eccafjoning them to ftarve for want of nourilhment, though fur- 

 rounded with abundance of food. 



But, paflmg over thefe evil^, and even under the fuppofition 

 that they never cxifted, flill the pra6tice of adminiftcring ma- 

 nure in an economical manner may be fupported by arguments 

 of a different nature. If a quantity is bellowed fuflicient to 

 impregnate the ground, all above that quantity deferves to be 

 confidcred as profufely ihrov^n away ; at lead the benefit thereof 

 is in a great meafure facrificed. Manure, upon many foils, is 

 foon deprived of its enriching powers \ upon all, its llrength is 

 difiipated and carried off by heat, wind, and rain ; therefore, 

 the oftener it is repeated, the greater will be the benefit derived 

 from the application. Miitake me not here. I am not arguing 

 under the fuppofition that the farmer has it in his power to 

 dung land at his pleafure, as may be the cafe in the vicinity of 

 great towns. No •, my arguments merely relate to the fituation 

 of the ordinary farmer, who muft a6l upon his own fupplies ; 

 who poiTelTes out a limited portion of manure, and whofe care 

 fhould be dire6led to manage that portion in fuch a way as to 

 derive the greatell poifible advantage therefrom. To make my 

 meaning clearr — If one hundred carts of dung, each containing 

 one ton, or thereby, are laid upon four acres of land, and the 

 fame quantity, and of fimilar quality, is laid upon eight acres, I 

 maintain that a very confiderable advantage will be derived in 

 the latter way, more than in the former ; independent of the 

 Urefs that might be laid upon the circumfcance of keeping a 

 great part of every farm in a penurious, confequently in an un- 

 productive flate, when a profufe fyflem is pra6lifed. 



Another general remark occurs ; that is, concerning the utility 

 of fpreading dung with accuracy, in other words, dividing it 

 into the minutell particles, thereby giving every part of the 

 ground an equal fupply of food. This practice was ihaiferably 

 negletted in former times, and is ftill lefs attended to than its 

 importance deferves. In fac^, I know of few operations v\hich 

 call more loudly for the attention of the farmer, and none in 

 Vv'hich a more general improvement has taken place. The fu- 



L 2 perfici:\l 



