224 Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



to poor people, and as it abounds in all marsh ditches and 

 uncultivated swampy ground, an abundant supply may be ob- 

 tained by every one. — Trans. Soc. Arts, xxxix. 52. 



11. On the Preservation of Manure. — The following is part 

 of a letter from M. de Fellenberg, of Hofwyl, to the editors of 

 the Bibliotheque Universel, on the important point of preserving 

 manure, with the least injury to it, or loss, until required to 

 be put on the land. 



" Those who are most careful whom I have known in Swit- 

 zerland, obtain an advantageous result by spreading the dung 

 of the stables very regularly in thin layers on the heap, and 

 pressing each down by frequent treading, so as to make a close 

 and compact mass, which is surrounded by a kind of twist 

 made with the tubes of litter, of which the ends are turned to- 

 wards the interior of the heap, so as to retain the fluid parts 

 which might otherwise escape. These persons, satisfied with 

 their process, inasmuch as it prevents all mouldiness and de- 

 composition of their manure, do not seek after the cause of 

 their success, nor after any improvement which the instructed 

 agriculturist may desire. By making the heap of manure very 

 dense, and by excluding in that manner the influence of air, 

 one may completely prevent fermentation and decomposition; but 

 in pressing the heap, the tubes of straw, which ought to become 

 filled and impregnated with the fluid parts of the manure, are 

 flattened and broken, I gain the same advantage by making 

 my heaps of dung so, that they shall be compact and without 

 vacuities, but v;ithout pressing them. I moisten them abun- 

 dantly with fluid manure, as soon as they are began to be 

 formed ; and this moistening, or watering, is repeated each 

 time that from the elevation of vapours from the heap, it is 

 judged that fermentation is commenced. By means of this pro- 

 cess, the fermentation is continually checked. Whatever might 

 have evaporated from the dung, is returned to the interior by 

 the fluid thrown on the surface, which fluid is properly the es- 

 sence of the dung ; the tubes of straw, which served as litter, 

 are impregnated, and this fluid forms certain chemical combi- 

 nations, which enrich the mass both in its quality and quantity." 

 —Bib. Univ. 1822, Jan. (23.) 



II. Chemical Science. 



1. Process for preparing Lithia, by M. Arfwedson. — M. Arf- 

 wedson describes the following as a more convenient process 

 than that hitherto known for the preparation of lithia. It con- 

 sists in exposing an intimate mixture of triphane or spodumene 

 in a fine powder, with quick lime, in a Hessian crucible, to a 



