E 183 J ^ 



and pat it down clofc with the back of a fliovcl, 

 fbas to exclude both the rain and the air. In a few 

 days, the moifture of the earth will have diflblved 

 the lime, and reduced it to a powder. A work- 

 man, however, fliould from time to time infpedt 

 the heaps, for they will foon begin to heave and 

 fwell, and have large fiffiires in them, which muft 

 be carefully filled up by having more earth thrown 

 upon them, and patted down clofe. This muft be 

 repeated as often as occafion may require j for rain 

 would caufe the lime to run into a kind of irredu- 

 cible calx, and the air would rob it of its fertilizing 

 quality, as it is well known it does of its medicinal 

 virtue. When the lime is perfe6tly reduced to a 

 powder, the earth and lime muft be chopped down 

 with a fpade, and intimately blended and incorpo- 

 rated together. This is moft conveniently done in 

 form of a long bank or ridge, in the middle of 

 which a large furrow or opening muft be made 

 fufficient to receive five cart-loads (forty bufiiel? 

 each) of good fat fpit dung; then the earth and 

 lime muft be thrown over the dung fo as to cover 

 the whole. In this manner it muft lie fome months, 

 or till the dung is in a ftate of difiblution, which 

 it will foon be by means of the lime. When ar- 

 rived to this ftate, it muft again be turned over, 

 and incorporated as intimately as pofTible, and then 

 formed into a heap to be kept for ufe. Earth, 



lime, 



