v MANURES 87 
or plain water are :—Firstly, mind it is done tho- 
roughly ; be sure you give a good soaking while you 
are about it; remember ‘‘an inch of rain’’ means 
nearly five gallons to the square yard, and always 
do a little space at a time satisfactorily and fully 
rather than a mere wetting over a large extent. 
And secondly, be sure that the surface is always 
stirred by the hoe as soon as possible after every 
soaking, whether it be the natural one of rain or the 
artificial one of water or liquid manure. This is 
most important; when the sun shines on the tho- 
roughly soaked ground in summer it is sure to cause 
it to crack, often before the top is quite dry; as soon 
as you can work it, get just the surface dry again 
and as fine and powdery as possible with the hoe, 
for this keeps the moisture in, whereas the cracks 
allow it to escape. 
Soap water from a laundry has some value as a 
liquid manure, though too much may render the 
land sour. And though not sufficient for Roses by 
itself, it is a capital thing to use mixed with other 
liquid which may be considered too strong. It is 
well in this case to be specially guarded against the 
dregs, a greasy scum which chokes the soil pores, 
and also to remember that nothing smells nastier 
than soapsuds which have stood for three or four 
days, especially in a hot sun. Amateur Inspectors 
of Nuisances are not always aware of this. 
The overflow water from a cesspool is very good 
as liquid manure, and hardly ever too strong for 
anything; my overflow tank is regularly emptied on 
my garden at night every full moon by pump and 
hand cart, for nothing from my house goes into the 
river, but all into the garden. There is some 
